Japan

7:30 am:

Nothing to do with poker...but our thoughts and prayers for you in Northern Japan today.

If you are are poker player, why not donate a little to the Red Cross or some other organization today? If you have the money to play the game you could probably spare a little.

When you sit at a poker table, you have to be ruthless. You must try to take every one's money without any regard to whether or not they can afford to lose that money. But I am a big believer in finding balance in life, so if you are ruthless at the table it seems a good idea to be generous away from the table. The more generous you are away from the table, the easier you will find it to be ruthless at the table.

I am pledging any winnings today to the Red Cross. If I lose? I don't plan on losing. I'm gonna be a ruthless bastard today.

2:50 pm:

Holy crap that went well!

For a guy who said he doesn't believe in luck, I decided to surround my self with as much positive energy as possible. I borrowed my wife's Porkbelly Futures baseball cap, thinking that maybe Paul Quarrington might help me out a bit. For a card protector I took a heart-shaped pink paperweight my niece Posey sent me for Christmas. Seriously, how could I lose?

I walked into the poker room and there was one seat open at the only table going, another good omen. I sat down between a bald, muscle bound dude with tattoos down both arms and an elderly Chinese man. I folded my first three hands and then was dealt pocket queens. I made a modest raise, not wanting to make things too hard if an Ace or King came on the flop. The flop came Qc 9d 5c. I was so excited that I thought I was first to act - "All in!" I practically shout and begin pushing my chips.

The dealer gives me a dirty look. "There are two people to act ahead of you."

"Oh. Right. Sorry." I sheepishly pull my chips back. Nice move Mr.Cool. Not surprisingly the other two guys check. "All in," I softly say and push in my chips. Whatta dork! Then something weird happens - the first guy calls. Huh? Could he have AQ? AA? KK? 99? I'm trying to make sense of his call when the second guy also calls! I think he must be on the flush draw, and now feels "priced in". Crap. Even though I know I'm ahead there is a decent chance one of these guys is going catch me and make this the shortest poker session of my life. But no more clubs came and my set held up. Just like that I have three times the chips I came with.

The rest of the day went well. I can't say I played my best poker, but I always won the big pots I got involved in. After three hours I had made a little more than $900 - the most I've made in a session.

On the way home I stopped in at the Red Cross and donated the money. I am certain that I did so well because in the back of my mind I knew that my winnings would mean something. If I pocketed the cash instead of following through on my pledge I would be giving into the kind of greedy impulses that make people terrible poker players.

And I wouldn't feel as good as I do right now.