Noon could not come soon enough for me on July 2 as I was ready to mix it up in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event of this year’s World Series of Poker in Las Vegas Nevada.

I took my seat with the high school football jerseys of Bishop, H.M. King, Riviera- Kaufer and Santa Gertrudis Academy all folded nicely inside my duffle bag. The draft I held in my room at the Stratosphere the night before had me wearing the following order; Riviera, Academy, Bishop and H.M. King.

I folded the first eight hands before calling the big blind ($50) with Queen-Jack. I flopped a full house (Q-Q-J) and knew I needed to win as many chips as I could with such a good hand. But everyone checked around on the turn and river cards before I made a bet of $100. Everyone folded and I won a decent stack. Off came the Seahawk football jersey and on came the Lions’.

Ace-King came my way on the very next hand and the flop came A-4-5. Everyone except one player folded and he threw out small bets on both the turn and river cards with the board now (A-4-5-6-7). I wondered if my opponent held a 3 or an 8, which would give him a straight, and decided to take a stab at it. I wagered $300 and realized he did not have the straight as he pondered his decision for a moment.

“Will you show if I fold,” he asked me. I nodded, he threw his cards in and I turned mine over. Off came the Lions’ jersey and on came the Badgers’.

Nothing good came my way for the next 26 hands as I threw the cards in while watching the other players go at it. The next hand I won was with 4-10 as I was in the small blind and no one raised. Might as well match the big blind and at least take a look at the flop, I thought. Two 10’s came on the flop and one player made a bet of $200. I had trips but with a weak kicker and the other 10 was still out there and possibly in someone else’s hand with a much better kicker than mine. Everyone checked the turn and the river cards (both rags) before I bet $200 and one player called me.

He turned over Pocket 8’s and I showed him my Trip 10’s. Off came the Badgers’ jersey and on came the Brahmas.’

I folded six consecutive hands before catching King- Jack. The flop produced 10- J-K and I now held two pair. I led out with a $500 bet and one player called me while everyone else threw their cards in. The turn produced a 7 and both of us checked. A 3 came out on the river and I bet $500. My opponent called and turned over Pocket 10’s, giving him Three of a Kind, and I suffered my first significant loss of the tournament. Thirteen hands later, Queen-Jack were my pocket cards and I eventually won the pot with another two Jacks hitting the board. Off came the Brahmas’ jersey and on came the Seahawks’.

Ace-King came my way once again, 11 hands later, and I took down another small pot with two more Aces on the board. Off came the Seahawks’ jersey and on came the Lions’.

Coming back from a 20 minute break, after the first two hours of play, and a french man sitting to my immediate right looked over at me. This guy, during the first two hours of play, would stare at me every time I did anything with a ‘what’s this guy even doing here’ look.

“How many shirts you got in the bag,” he said rather sarcastically.

“Twenty,” I responded while looking over at his handbag. “How many shirts you got in your purse?”

“No shirts, money,” he said. “Plenty of money.”

“Yeah right,” I responded before chuckling.

I was in the big blind two hands after the break when I bent my cards and saw Pocket 9’s. French dude looks at me and throws out $500. I knew he was trying to get into my head. So I looked right back at him, with my sunglasses on, and called his bet. I could tell that he didn’t like that as he turned away. The flop came out 2-5-8 and I went all-in. French guy folded. Off came The Lions’ jersey and on came the Badgers’.

Sixteen hands later I caught Ace-Jack suited (hearts). Two more hearts came out on the flop and six players called the big blind which was $200 by now.

I decided to take a shot with a semi-bluff and went all-in. was worried that everyone at the table had by now figured out my grinder style of play. It worked. Everyone folded and I showed my cards. Off came the Brahmas’ jersey and on came the Seahawks’.

Five hands later, Pocket Aces paid me a visit. The most powerful starting pair in poker, I thought to myself, I need to win as many chips as I can with the blinds going up. I slow played the Pocket Rockets and the flop came out A-Q-6. Three of a kind for me.

“How much you got left,” a player sitting across the table from me asked.

“$2,000,” I said.

“I’ll put you all-in,” he said.

“I call,” I responded before looking at the dealer who nodded her head and signaled for us to turn over our cards.

I turned over my Pocket Aces and my adversary flipped up King-Jack. The turn produced a 7 and the river brought a 10 giving my opponent the straight that quashed my Three of a Kind and ended my World Series of Poker tournament.

Small pocket pairs did absolutely nothing for me on this day. I caught Pocket 4’s three times, Pocket 3’s once and Pocket 2’s once but lost a few chips each time while trying to see if I could hit a set on the Flop; but never did.

Oh well, there’s always next year.