My trip to our New York home got delayed for business meetings in L.A. Wednesday and Thursday. Still struggling with having a voice so that is a real strain. By the end of Thursday I was a whisper. Off to see my babies tomorrow.

Well it’s been a few days now of being home and reflecting on the experience. I think one of the hardest things is my philosophy in life has always been I see a correlation between what you put in – and what you get out – of most things. Politics has been true, parenting has proven true and poker .. well it still seems to elude me.

I’m okay with my play and the experience and I believe any time I learn something all is not lost. I learned what it is I WON’T do again which does put the focus on what I will do. So I have to look at that.

Last night I got an email out of the blue which brought me back to center to why I play. It’s about the message and it’s about the cause and in many ways that greatly overshadows the poker. That great article Rebekah Mercer authored (which will be on the site soon under Articles) must have hit home with more than a few people. Read below. Thanks to the author of this, unknown to me, as it reminds me my true purpose in this gig. If I hadn’t been at the World Series there wouldn’t have been an article. And without the article there wouldn’t be light on a subject which will be my calling from here on .. so thanks WSOP. All is cool.

Hello Nancy, I’m a big fan of poker, read your article, sorry for your loss, not just for cancer, our medical system focus on disease and over treated many medical conditions such as Hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol. Medical school never trained us to focus on health, but used us as a medium to deliver legal drugs to the general public, as result we build more nursing home so people can die without dignity. This is the reason why I can never practice medicine. please keep up the good work on educating others regarding to our fake medical care. Best Health and inner peace. Dr. Mia Ha

Well as much as I hate it I am out of the Main Event. I tried my hardest but I came into Day 2 under the gun and short in chips. Worked to get some but had some rough luck. My 10 10 didn’t hold up against A 3 off and my top two got counterfeited on the river …. sigh it happens.

I think I had a good Series but definitely want to do things differently in the future. I will learn the other games this year or I will only play the Main Event next year. The value isn’t in the 4800 person one thousand dolllar events, it’s in the 400 person $2500 events. I learned that this year and whenever I can learn something then it’s a worthwhile time. I miss my family and can’t wait to see them at our summer home. Will be nice to swim and chill with them. Thanks for all the support everyone.

Getting ready to head down for Day 2. Have a great attitude and am proud of how I survived. The last killer hand was my AK on a 9 K 2 A board. When another 9 hit the river and he fired I said I think you had 3 nines before the river and now I think you’ve hit quads. I fold my AK face up and he, aghast, says wow and shows quad nines. Little consolation to be right but good save on my part. Now I need to be on the winning end of just one of those hands. And I will be.

It’s here, the day all poker players await. Day 1 of the world’s largest poker tournament. Started with 30k in chips. Had a series of bad luck hands. Had QQ on a J high board that had no way of connecting and he of course had flopped a set. I lost the minimum but chips are chips and it dropped me down. A series of hands which didn’t work kept me just keeping up. However, unlike many others of the 1400 who started, I survived Day 1 with 13k in chips and return on Saturday. New day then.

It’s Day 1 of the Main Event and tensions are running high. People are realizing they can – or can’t – play the Main Event due to the $10k buy in. I kicked around in the satellite room. Did one mega and accummulated some chips. Only player at the table who had me out chipped raised. I look down at the small blind at aces. I re-raise. He moves all in. I insta call. He groans and says “nice hand ma’m”. I say “well there are still five cards to come.” 1 2 3 4 were fine but the 5th, the river, was a K. Gave that up and went back to the satellite for a while.