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I won $40 last night at a Bay Area card room, playing at the 2-4 Texas Hold’em tables. I was actually up nearly $120 at the beginning, after winning with some monster hands (J8JJ8 and QQQ). Then, I went back and forth between $180 and $200, before my skill and luck started to leave me. I shouldn’t have started playing a little loose when I had the chips. Next time, I’ll win and continue to play my tight aggressive game style which worked so well in the beginning. I got a little greedy on some of those pots when I flopped a two-pair, not knowing that another person had flopped trips. But hey, that’s poker for you! Still, I am happy with the $40 that I left Garden City with.

Everyone has a poker face or tells, little quirks — like shaking hands — that can often tell you if the player has a big hand or not. I’ll be going into the card rooms with my hair down over my face. It’s intimidating to see it across the table, I think, though it’s not that flattering. Hey, I need every advantage I can muster!

The overall experience was a good one. I think that I’ll do it some more in the future, but I won’t get addicted to it. I have my win/loss limits, and I’ll be diligent to stick to them.