(I had a full post ready to go, and then my web host decided to go offline. Joy. This post is a distilled version of what I had already written.)

I finished 153rd in the WBCOOP on PokerStars. I was doing well until about two hours into the tourney, when I went all in with Big Slick (ace & king of spades) and my opponent had a pocket pair of jacks

*********** # 117 **************
PokerStars Game #23130684510: Tournament #170000000, Freeroll Hold’em No Limit – Level XI (125/250) – 2008/12/21 16:53:08 ET
Table ‘170000000 26’ 9-max Seat #3 is the button

Seat 6: AllJyn92 (3077 in chips)
Seat 9: Lytspeed (9055 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Lytspeed [As Ks]

AllJyn92: raises 2797 to 3047 and is all-in
Lytspeed: calls 3047

*** FLOP *** [8c 9s 5c]
*** TURN *** [8c 9s 5c] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [8c 9s 5c 6s] [Td]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AllJyn92: shows [Jh Js] (a pair of Jacks)
Lytspeed: shows [As Ks] (high card Ace)
AllJyn92 collected 6739 from pot
Lytspeed said, “nh”

After that, I was short stacked, and had to make a move. Twenty-two hands later, I followed two other players all in with 99, which was good until the flop. When we showed hole cards, both had Aces, and one had AK. The flop held two kings, giving the latter three of a kind (kings.) I hoped for another nine on the turn and river to make a full house, but I guess I didn’t hope hard enough. He caught an Ace on the river to make his own full house.

Ah well. That’s poker. At least I won a ticket to a Step 3 tournament in the qualifier. That’s worth about $82 overall, and gives me a chance to win real money without having spent a dime.

But next year … next year will be different.