So far this summer has been something I could of never expected. Its been a really hard last couple of months for me in poker. I really have never had such a bad run. My name is Rob and I recently just turned 21 this last April. I've been playing cards for a little over 4 years and its definatly one of my faveriote things to do. I've always love to play all kind of sports. That has always been my passion, I'm one of the most competitive people you'll ever meet. I've always wanted to be a professional athlete my whole life but really was good enough at one sport. So poker was a good way for me to compete againest the best thats the great thing about poker anyone can play with the best. I think thats why I liked poker so much once I started playing the money was a nice bonus but just to be able to compete was my faveriote thing.

Once I did turn 21 I started going to the local casinos in Black Hawk here in Colorado. The first night on my 21st birthday I didn't do to well because I've always been a NL hold em player and wasn't use to playing Limit. Since Colorado has certain laws about gambling there is no NL cash games. They do have tournaments that are NL but there has to be one hand of limit at the beginning of the tournament. Once I made it back up there and finally had a chance to play in a tournament I did really well I got to the final table out of 78 players the first time I played. I was very happy with myself and how well I played. I also was a little dissapointed too, because I did end up getting fifth place and had a really good shot at winning it. The key hand was probably the all in hand with another big stack at the table. I woke up with pocket queens in the cut off and raised. He then went on to re-raise me all in I had to call. He flipped AK suited and ended up hitting a flush on me and I lost about half my stack. The next two visits I had there were a lot better too I started winning quite a bit at the cash games for not playing to much limit. I probably didn't end up to much from the cash games but I made a little here in there for some tournaments. The first sit n go's I played I ended up winning and actually was my biggest cash ever in a live game. So right into my 21st I was feeling awesome. I had been wanting and trying to save for a wsop buy in by the time I turned 21. I had a really lucky break online a couple days before my birthday on Ultimate Bet and won part of the Bad Beat Jackpot. I ended up winning a little over 700 and cashes out for 850. That meant so much to me cause I really didn't even think I was going to make it to the 08 world series. It also took a huge weight off me and was relieved to have the whole buy in from poker winnings over the last year. Right before I left for my Vegas trip I really starting having some bad luck at just home games with friends. I was starting to get worried that it might carry on to my trip.

By the time I got to Vegas I felt so great, I finally made it just to be able to play in the world series was a privledge for me. I walked into the amazon poker room and was so unbelievably nervious, indimadated, and excited at the same time I was watching some of the greatest people who have ever played poker in person. It was amazing how many tables and players were in there playing cards. If you ever get a chance to go to vegas you have to go to the amazon room at the Rio especially if the series is going on. I ended up losing quite a bit the first night there I definately made a mistake playing way to much then I had but I wanted to take a shot at 2-5 NL holdem. So I got into a game and bought in for the minimum and lost it about less than 40 minutes probably. Anyways I bought in two more times and lost that pretty quick too. It wasn't a good start to my trip but I had a tournament the next day I had to worry about. Before I went to bed I went to a 1-3 game and made a little of the loses back. When I finallhy went back to my room and tried to go to bed I really hoped my bad run would turn around the next day. When I finally walked in to the tournament and took my seat was the most confident, focused, and ready I have ever been for that tournament. I was playing great poker the first hour picking my spots and winning pots here and there just really trying to get a read on the players at my table and just waiting for a good spot. Just around the 1 hour and a half of play was coming up and the blinds had been doubled and soon were going up again in the next 30 minutes. I probably should say that this was a six handed event, it was event #9. This hand came around and a guy in the cut off raised four times the big blind this guy was playing solid poker the first hour and I even told myself I don't want to get into any big hands with this guy. I ended up looking at my cards and had two 10's I had a discount and called. The flop came A !0 3 two clubs, my heart was racing and I was so excited to hit a set. I checked the flop then he checked behind me. So then the turn came a 6 of hearts. I have to admit I was a little scared of the flush draw out there and even a few straight draws. This is probably where I made a mistake in the hand if I did I think I bet out about a fourth of the pot a really huge value bet and he raised to 750 and stared him down for quite a while I really put him on a big ace. By the time he raised to that much the pot was bigger than my remaining stack and I thought the best play was to push All in. So I pushed my stack in and he insta called my heart sank went he called that fast and he flipped his pocket aces. There was nothing I could of really done I think to get away from the hand except fold pre-flop. I sometimes wish I could of replayed the hand but at the same time I don't because I was playing to win.

Ever since then I can't seem to catch a break in coin flips or just even pair over pair all ins or getting in with top two pair and they catch there flush. I've had some real bad downs lately and am starting to wonder if I'm ever going to get out of this slump. I guys all I can do is just keep playing and things well eventually get better.

I've been playing online poker ever since I turned 18 and have really never made money consistantly so I turned here to see if it really helps me in online play. I think I might get a membership but need to save up money for it. Let me know what you guys think or how you have done after being a card runners member.

Robert Eggspuehler