I just had mine popped this morning... what do you remember from when you popped your cherry?

Mine cost me $25 and took about 90 minutes; 15 people helped out. Happened at the Caribbean Casino in Kirkland, which has only been open for a few weeks now...

Yes, I've finally played poker in a real casino, albeit one that is confusing gamblers (we don't know how it got approved!). After playing in a number of friendly 30-person tournament in a casual setting over the last year and in a number of online tournaments, I finally broke down and decided to take part in a real tourney in a local poker room. Came in fifth outta sixteen; top three were supposed to be paid, but there was a deal made which put top four in the money - basically I washed out on the bubble. No complaints though: without some serious bits of luck, and a little bit of nerve, I would have been - or should have - been knocked out around 12th or 11th.

Highlights? Not many hands come to mind, actually. For the longest time I had 96, 83, or 74. When I finally got something that I was going to play, 86s in late position, I folded to two earlier raises. The flop? T97o. Only annoying because I was going to play it out of boredom - after paying three blinds and not having played a hand yet, I had to do something to stay awake... just got chased out by the raises, yet on a normal day it was the good decision. Feh.

Another hand, when I was the button, I was down to my last 400 - and the big blind was 400 - and pushed all in for a four player hand with pocket aces. The Flop showed 755 - one other player ran everyone else off by raising. He flipped over pocket 7's to my pocket aces. I nearly crapped myself until the turn showed an ace. Odd feeling that you've sucked out, with pocket aces. They held up and I quadrupled my stack, plus the small blind. There was another hand that I was forced to push and ended up doubling up.

The "dumb" moment? I usually have several during a bunch of hands, but this week there was only one. And for a change, I maintain that it wasn't all that dumb. Was holding 98s on the button and I limped in with it. Flop showes Qs Jc 5d - four of the limpers ahead of me check around: I bet 2x the big blind, making my bet 200 - the only caller was the guy directly on my left. The turn shows 2d: he checks and I check. The river is Td, giving me the straight. Dude checks; I bet 400. This was still less than the pot, so it wasn't over the top. He raises to 800. I didn't put him on a higher straight: if he had AK, he would have been more aggressive, given his style of play... K9? Maybe, but not likely. I call. He flips over A7d. I didn't even see the possible flush. Very annoying, but would I have laid down a straight at the river? Short of the guy telling me that he had a straight, I don't think I would have... ya just don't know. While my hitting a straight on the river is slightly more likely - since it's a lower ranked hand, it's more common - than the guy hitting his flush, it's still enough to take a shot. That the river was a card that we both needed? I don't know the odds on that, and I'm not about to activate my math skills to figure it out!

Was a good afternoon over all. Nice casino, friendly dealers, chatty people at the table - but not overly chatty - so I'll give it another go... after all, their tourney is active every day at 11am, is currently $25 with no entrance fee. Oh, and their Pai Gow Poker currently is commission free, which is odd yet nifty.

Wait... what kinda cherry did you think I meant?!