Always love to play a big tournament and always love a break to decompress. Maybe it doesn’t hit others the way they hit me, but mentally (as strong as I sometimes think I am mentally) a big long drawn out poker tournament, with the usual ups and downs, just wears me out.

Friends Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher asked me to speak to their Wednesday afternoon Poker Group. I’ve been to the group before, always a good crowd, but rarely get to attend because it is right when school is getting out. We had a lively discussion and a few hand discussions. At the end, out in front of the restaurant, with it pouring down rain, a nice man said to me “Your comments sure are on point, wish you could attend every week.” I thanked him and told him it created a problem because they met right when my children were getting out of school. “Drag them along, we’ll give them some pie and a coloring book”, which made me laugh out loud.

I always eat so carefully when I’m playing, sparse and careful. So at the end of the tournament I’m ready to eat all the things I avoid during play. Had some business at the Bellagio so returned there and ate at the buffet, two plates no less, more food than I normally eat in a week of playing but it hit the spot. Now for some rest and off we go. It’s a great life, up and down, but great nonetheless. Would rather have the ups and downs I have than to be on the sidelines watching it go by. I was never meant for that kind of life.

Well as happens when you run this late and this hard by Day 4 you’re tired. Had a healthy stack to start and then ran into an unlucky hand with a kid who really didn’t care. Still not sure if it was a good laydown but poker is full of those kinds of hands, something which is hard for people who don’t play to understand.

After six solid hours of struggle finally had A J of clubs and got it all in vs. A K. Was out in 29th for 19k, good hard run and felt great about my game.

Great tournament, great result and glad I played it. Now to rest up and get ready for the next one.

What a way to spend a Sunday. Woke up with a funny stomach, probably as a result of all the coffee and not enough solid food. Worked hard today and had to get creative. Had A J with a highly aggressive player, flop comes J 3 4. He checks, I raise, he reraises me all in, I have to call and hope he doesn’t have a set or a pair higher than a J. He has A 2 for a wheel draw but I hold up. There was my first double up. It was a rough and tumble day but then its a rough and tumble game. Bubble burst at 50, we are down to 41. Ended at 277k and went to eat .. something I rarely do at night …

Well, well, the challenges of poker. Started with 32k with the chip leader at 217k to my immediate right. I just had to steal from him, what can I say. I really didn’t have any other choices. One of the players finally said to me “Nance, I’ve not seen you show anything other than K J” I told him that was all I had and a girl had to work with what a girl had. Worked out. Ended the day with 130k. The Day 2 chip leader you ask? Ended with 17k.

Started at noon with 40k in chips. The day went rough, real rough. I had a guy flush on the river – with a 6 2 no less – and another who cracked my KK with 4 5 when the flop came Q 4 5. Miserable but survived, dealer told me … you know how many people would have gone broke on that hand? Ended the day with 32k