Poker

An excerpt from my journal:
"11/02/2003
I watched my first poker tournament today. EUR200 buy-in texas hold-em tournament which was part of the Master Classics of Poker tournament held at the Holland Casino Amsterdam. I was particularly watching a young lady play. She was quite pretty and was probably near my age but you could tell she was a seasoned poker player.

While I was watching her, she went from all-in with a 7-4 to amassing over EUR74,000 of chips. All of this in three hands. Isn't that amazing! It really shows me that poker is a game where you have to ride the tide. Lay low when the cards are against you, mash the pot when things are going well.

I also noticed that the way you play cash games is markedly different then the way tournament poker is played. In a cash game, more people seem to chase for cards then in tournaments. I find it all very interesting.

With me being in the casino, I couldn't help but try my own luck and ended up losing EUR400 in blackjack. I hate blackjack."

So what was the point of me writing that entry? Well tonight I was watching TV and saw the World Poker Tour Ladies Night II and saw the girl I was watching that night in Amsterdam!
I found out her name is Isabelle Mercier. I was so excited to see her on TV. And She Wins!

It seems the poker world is quite small. Playing poker in Holland, San Jose, and in Las Vegas, I have seen Isabelle Mercier and Phil Ivey and have actually played with Marcel Luske who is considered one of the best players in Europe and finished 10th in this years World Series of Poker Main Event this year. So cool!