There were 137 runners who paid $240 to play in the poker tournament at the Gold Strike. I wasn't aware of this, but it was a geezer Senior event. I believe age 50 was supposed to be the cutoff, but that didn't stop two young males (who looked to be in their 20s) from entering. Apparently, the tournament officials can't stop them as it's considered age discrimination. I know that legally they can play, but I find it distasteful, just as when men enter a ladies' event.

I had one bad beat and one unlucky loss that crippled me.

First, the unlucky one: A guy called a raise from me and a third player was looking at: ♣Q ♣5, and he called, too (don't ask, that's how these guys play). The flop was ♣9 ♣8 ♠4.

I bet enough to drive out the first overcaller and put the other guy all in. He called, apparently thinking he had a flush draw. I showed him ♣A ♣K and he was drawing thin, as they say. I was an 80.71% favorite, but a non-club 7 and 6 came to give him a straight.

The second one was worse. I raised with A-Q and got two callers, one from the big blind. The flop was A-5-5 rainbow. The big blind bet about half the pot, and I raised enough to put her all in. The third player went away. She called and showed A-6. The turn was a 6, naturally. Boo.

The bust-out hand I ran 10-10 into aces and we were all in preflop. This is a hand I might have gotten away from normally, but not after my stack was decimated. There were maybe 35 runners left (18 were to be paid), c'est la vie.

I might try again tomorrow. Why not, it couldn't be any worse.

Above: Holiday decorations at the Gold Strike remind me that there are more important things than stupid poker touraments.