| Some of you may believe in it and some | | | | want to be with a moron like me. She |
| of you may not. The majority of poker | | | | also let me know that she would be |
| players know that poker is a game of | | | | packed and gone by the time I came back. |
| skill, not luck. Luck is what keeps the | | | | Trying to explain that I was doing all |
| bad players coming back to the table. | | | | of this for the both of us was useless |
| Then there are the even smaller amounts | | | | and headed out. |
| of us that believe in the poker Gods. I | | | | The kinds of players in the game were |
| am one of them and if you play your | | | | mostly people with money to burn, and |
| cards right, no pun intended, they will | | | | lacking in poker skill. I had played my |
| smile down on you. | | | | best game and managed to make it to the |
| As many of my friends know, my on-again | | | | final table. The pay out was for the top |
| off-again girlfriend has driven me to | | | | 5 players. Having an average chip stack |
| all new levels of insanity. My addiction | | | | I decided to ride it out and let the |
| to poker was one of the reasons for the | | | | short stacks battle it out and hopefully |
| many ultimatums she handed down to me. | | | | push me into the money. The Poker Gods |
| It was not so much that she disliked my | | | | smiled and it worked. I had been knocked |
| gambling; it was more so that she | | | | out in 5th place when my pair of tens |
| disliked my losing. She was always there | | | | got beat by a set of 8's on the river. I |
| for me to spend my extra winnings. | | | | did not complain though, as I walked |
| I had just gotten paid and found that we | | | | away with $800, more than enough to |
| were short $300. As the end of the month | | | | cover the rent and other bills. |
| inched ever so near and the prospect of | | | | When I walked into the front door, there |
| being evicted loomed, I felt there was | | | | she was with her bags packed. "So?" she |
| something I needed to do. I was too | | | | asked. Obviously her leaving depended on |
| proud to call my parents for cash, so I | | | | how well or badly I did. "$800," I said |
| thought I could parlay my poker skill | | | | with a smile. Running up to me to hug |
| into some much needed cash. | | | | me, she told me about the vacation we |
| I decided to buy in to a no-limit $100 | | | | could go on with the money, that she |
| buy-in tournament structure game. I am | | | | needed to get her nails done and needed |
| normally a cool and collected person, | | | | some new clothes. |
| but you know the saying - desperate | | | | I slowly counted out enough money for |
| times call for desperate measures. When | | | | the rent and bills and left it on the |
| you are first out of college and the | | | | table. Walking out the door I said to |
| best job you can get pays $10 per hour, | | | | her "This moron is going to buy some new |
| you need to do some hustling to make the | | | | tires for his truck with the extra |
| rent and pay the bills. | | | | money. I could care less if you are |
| The last thing she said as I walked out | | | | still here when I get back," and walked |
| the door was if I was stupid enough to | | | | out the door with a smirk on my face. |
| gamble what we had, then she did not | | | | |