Poker is a fascinating game. It's one of the few forms of gambling in which very good play is profitable over the long term. But on the short term (e.g. days, or even weeks), great play can be rewarded with huge losses that play with the heads of very rational players.

Poker players love to tell others about their horrible luck, like veterans love to annoy us with war stories. And that's why I'm writing. Because I'm fucking pissed about my bullshit luck yesterday and I need some catharsis. So here's some Texas Hold Em stories from yesterday.

Story 1. I have K9. Flop comes up...KK4 unsuited. Woo hoo! I gauge other players' reactions...they all check...they don't appear to be "slow playing" a K. Well there is the one drunk woman who is insisting on not looking at her cards. She's "playing blind." She raises. I reraise. Of course I want the pot as large as possible. Anyway, River gives KK478. Surely I win. She turns of her cards...pair of 4's. Full house.

They just keep coming. I have Q3 of diamonds. By the turn i have the AQ-high flush. I pray for no diamond on the river, while keeping in mind that even with another diamond only one card, the K, will beat me. River is a diamond. Ugly old bitch bets. I raise. She calls. She's too stupid to reraise. No pair on the board, she cannot be beat with the K of diamonds...which she had by the way.

Oh my other flush of the day. I was so excited. This time AK high. No other flush could beat me. But the A that gave me my flush gave another guy a full house, A's over 9's. This happens sometimes. But why all on the same day when I only won one hand in 8 hours???

Then there was my last hand of the night. This one wiped out my chips. I had A's in the hole. Flop came...A 10 something else. All unsuited. Pretty much a perfect flop for me. Bet as much as I could Then out came a Q. And then a K on the river. Does anybody have a fucking J? OF COURSE YOU DO! Only 1? I'd expect to have several of you splitting my pot.

Wow, I've never lost $200 playing $1-$2 Hold Em before! What a neato day!