This is actually a report on two trips. The first in april and the second in august. The april trip was for world series circuit event that my son and i wanted to play. He played in the $1500 tourney. He drew a tough table with jean paul robiere and david [dreadlocks] matthews. Both played super fast, going all in with 4card flush draws on the flop when the blinds were only 50- 100 and everyone had 7000 in chips. This is crazy pro-poker but i guess they only care about the chip lead. Which robiere kept until the final table but didnt win. My son only lasted 2 hours playing conervative Harrington style. He was starting to make moves because everyone was afraid of him, he had not played many hands. He was low on chips in the cut-off seat and went all in with 9-9 to steal the blinds. The big blind woke-up with QQ and knocked him out. I did not have enough nerve to play against the 500 crazies that day . I played in the $250 tourney the next day with 200 wanna bees . I played the same tight style and so did most everyone else but after too many calls I was low on chips so I started to get aggresive and crazy. I went all-in with A- 5 and I hit a 5 against A- Q AND DOUBLED TO 1200. Then went all in again with A- 8 against JJ and doubled catching an A. The next hand I had A -3 suited and I had a feeling to push all in but then I started to think too much. I STARTED to intellectullize to myself saying ' LOOK STUPID YOU JUST GOT AWAY WITH A LUCKY CALL. DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DO IT TWO HANDS IN A ROW, besides there are two raises in front of you and you are for sure dominated ' Well take it from me when the first voice says go for it. dont let the logical second voice get into the conversation. The second voice screwed me up. I folded only to flop a turn flush that would have tripled me up to 7000 chips. Because of that internalized debate the POKER-GODS got me one round later. I had 9-9 in the big blind when the guy in the dealer position raised 2x the big blind and tried to steal the blinds with K-Q. Well I thought my 9-9 were best so I went all in for about 2700. The blinds were 100- 200 . He called because he had about 6000 in chips and said he wanted to start gambling against a smaller stack. He drew Q and I was gone. That was the best starting hand I was dealt in the WHOLE tourney. THE LESSON IS YOUR GUT IS ALMOST ALWAYS RIGHT. The second lesson was when the poker gods send you a divine message via your intuition listen to it or pay the consequences later . LATER I started with $300 ni a 3-5 cash game and worked it up to 1700 against some young fast talkig pros. First hand dealt i have A-10 off. Flop comes 2D 10D 6C . I bet 20 , one caller. Next card QH . I bet 40. he calls. last card 4C . I BET 60. He goes all in for 200. He is young thats all i know., and Im 59. I wait and think it makes no sense. Three calls , could have caught a Q or busted draw. My gut says the young smart ass is bluffing and wants to show me up on the first hand. I call. he has to show busted flush draw, no pair. He says 'how did you know.' I say you took to long . Another intimidater that would raise evey other pot to 30 raises 30 again on the deal. I have A- 4 off and call.Flop comes 4H 4C 8S. Heads up he bets 50. I smooth call. Turn is a AD. He bets 50 . I raise to 100. He says quick allin for 350. I do my best imitation of 'The quick call of Phil Hellmuth' and he shows 4 - K . WOW Im really up now about 1000. Now about a half hour later I m heads up with the intimidaters sidekick. I have AD QS. I bet 25 and he calls. Flop comes AH 8D 2S. I bet 50. He raises to 100 and I call. Now I remember reading never go broke with one pair. A little late now and the next card is the 2D. S o now I think he must have me beat but if I bluff I can win. This guy was tight all night. So I check he bets 100 . I wait then re raise 100. He stares at me then says ' you know I have a big hand'. I GULP. Then he says 'if I lay this hand down will you show your hand'. I say sure why not. He mucks his hand face up A-8 for two pair. I slow roll my A-Q. He points his finger at me like a gun at shoots. I smile and take the pot. So by now I m at about 1700 and there is this one new yorker who keeps leaving the table for a half hour at a time but then shows up to play for ten minutes and leaves. This has been going on for about four hours. Everyone is upset when we find out he is playing in a tourney at the sametime. He told everyone he is a pro so everyone said wooow. Everyone is out to get him now. well, I end up with him heads up. I have KH-10H and someone bats 15. He calls then I call.Flop comes 2S 9H JD. A call then he bets 100 and I call the other pleyer folds. The turn is the QD. He bets 200 and im in shock. My card hits but I get greedy so I call instead of go all in. I think the poker gods were watching because the river card was a nine and paired the board . The idiot new york pro threw his hand down in front of him and checked and so did I. they flipped his 2-9 over for the winning hand which he did not bet. He didnt even know he had a full house. He saw my straight and thought he had lost. The dealer told him he won. What a pro? He never really threw his hand into the muck so they gave him a big pot.