Hello 2008!

Holidays are over and poker is back in full swing. I had a lovely time with daughter, mom and brother all visiting over the holidays and didn’t have much time for poker. However, we took full advantage of Showtickets4locals.com and saw a couple of shows for free, including Danny Gans. I guess he’s good, but some of his impressions were not THAT impressive, he really makes a lousy Anita Baker and Homer Simpson, but his Bill Clinton and Louis Armstrong are pretty good! But hey, it was free, so I don’t complain.

I ended my 2007 poker-year on a lovely note. I played in the LIPS tourney at The Orleans on Dec 29th, about 57 players and after a couple of initial mistakes, I managed to make the final table, doubled up once or twice and finally went out in 4th place. See the pics here

The new year is off to a slow start though, I’ve played in a couple of tourneys, but only managed to cash in one by winning the ladies tourney at TI – let’s not mention the fact that we had only 7 players that night! At least I got another lovely spa certificate!

OK, so I’m a woman, and for various reasons I like to compete in WOE’s. I play regularly in the TI and Caesars Ladies tourneys, and I’m also part of a home league for ladies (once a month for 6 months). One of the reasons for this was to meet people who live in Vegas. I’ve moved here a little more than a year ago, and apart from my co-workers, most people I meet at the poker tables are leaving within a day or two and building up friendships - not really a possibility.

But boy, I forgot one thing. Women can TALK. Now granted, I talk a lot too, but at the poker table I *try* not to talk too much, because it definitely has an impact on my game, but apparently that’s not a problem many women have!!! If you don’t believe in a woman’s ability to multi-task, you should come watch a table full of women playing poker. They look at their cards and follow the action (well, MOST of them) while they discuss menopause, shopping, birth, hair products, husbands, children, etc as WELL as order drinks, all without blinking or losing the beat.
“yes, I know, and have you seen the way they treat their customers, you won’t believe what I saw the other day **CALL** that one girl, you know the one with the spiky hair, no not that one, that’s her cousin, that’s the one with the baby with the receptionist’s ex-fiancé **RAISE** she said to me that her mother-in-law buys from that store regularly **HONEY, A BOTTLE OF WATER AND A HEINEKEN OVER HERE PLEASE**and she never had a problem **RERAISE** with any of their stuff except that one time….” And next thing you know, she’s scooping in a big pot without any one noticing.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is why women make great poker players. (That’s also why my main accessories when playing in a WOE, are - my iPod and a glass of wine)