Day 3, $2500 limit six-handed

Coincidentally, at the same time I start Day 3 of the 6-handed limit tournament, Zane’s high school surf team is in the National Finals of Surfing—The Game. This event is the highlight of the surf year I wouldn’t miss it for anything…except this. I like the idea that we’re both competing at the very top of our sports at the same time.
Twelve of us start the day at two six-handed tables. Initially, it goes really well for me. I win the very first hand with A K, then re-raise the old guy with A A and he calls me down all the way. I win another pot with 6 6 by betting twice on a K Q 7 2 board and suddenly I’ve nearly tripled up, going from 110,000 in chips to 280,000 in the first half an hour. Not only that, but Rainbow and his friends are watching my rush from the rail.
I’m not by nature a cocky guy, tending instead to be a bit of a pessimist. At this moment, though, I feel as centered, serene, and confident as I’ve ever felt at the poker table. I feel clear-headed and poised, in control, and almost clairvoyant. I don’t necessarily think I’m going to win the whole thing, but I feel very confident I’ll make the final 6.
It’s a wonderful sensation, but all too brief. As it turns out, I’ve actually just won my last hand of the tournament. A half an hour later, I’m all in before the flop with A J against K 2, a respectable 65% favorite that becomes a big underdog when the first card up is a King. I’m out in 9th place, and wander over to the cashier to collect my $16,300.
It’s a very respectable finish, a nice pile of cash, and I don’t really feel too bad about it. A couple of hours more of decent cards, however, and I’d be playing for a couple of hundred thousand dollars and my first World Series win.
But there’s no time for regrets. I’ve got myself booked on an 8:00 pm flight home, and I’ll have to hurry to make it. Somehow, every Vegas trip ends the same way: a few wistful thoughts about what might have been, and a mad scramble to throw one’s things in the suitcase, lock down the cash securely, and bolt for the airport.