THE LONG DROUGHT IS OVER

After six months in the desert, today is the day I can proudly say that I have won a tournament. It was a $69 Full Tilt event with 186 runners. First place was worth over $3200 which doesn't even begin to get me even on the year but it does take me in the proper direction.

I was running so bad and playing so badly that I was actually beginning to consider finding a new career and educating myself. Once I realized I am not qualified to do anything and education takes patience and discipline, I realized that if I could practice the art of patience and discipline, then I could become a better poker player and I won't need no stinking education.

So, I rededicated myself to making good decisions and playing the math game at the table rather than the speculation game and the last three events I have played, I have made the money with two final tables and one win. Today's battle was epic - I knew I was going to win from the first deal. I steadily chipped up and spent much of the event as the on again, off again chip leader. When we got to the final table, I was fourth in chips at a six-handed table. I still knew I was going to win if I just stuck to my A-game, which is lethal yet rarely sighted.

When it got three-handed, we must have rotated chip leads a dozen times. It lasted 70 minutes which is incredible - nobody could bust out no matter how bad their money got in. I kept gambling with lesser holdings, trying to knock out the short stack but I could never get the needed suckout. Finally, it got heads up which lasted all of two hands. I had a big chip lead. On the first hand, I raised with A7 and he folded. On the second hand, he pushed with the above average holding of K3 but I woke up with aces and took it down.