Life and Poker: the Quest for Value: August 2012

I am back in my Toronto, currently looking for another lease even though I was only at my last condo for ~3 months last year. I really do intend on spending more time at home if I can help it, especially with so many new live Canadian stops and Full Tilt coming back soon. The WSOP was a stressful time and there are definitely things I would do differently next year. It was my second real World Series and I earnestly tried to focus only on poker but there was no escape from the noise and pressure to mold my own identity in this world. I will always be true to my values and remain stubborn in many of ways, but with recognition comes an interesting set of responsibilities that isn't always natural for my personality. I felt bad and still do because I put a lot of strain on my interpersonal relationships when I questioned people's motives out of my own insecurities this past summer.

My dad and stepmom came to visit me and had a great time, as did my best friend Huyen and her Nick. It felt great to be able to show them the different facets of Vegas and I was proud to finally give them a glimpse into my lifestyle. I was also obnoxiously sick just from being in the dry desert and being exposed to violent AC so of course I felt guilty for the tournaments I had missed and stressed myself out even more trying to make up for it. Some sweet stuff did happen though. Simon, Dom and Vanessa won a bracelet, and I still do have that Stud8 final table. I also got an Ipad and a sweet massage at the tables for my birthday.

It was a great WSOP for women and although I feel the glory from being a girl and am very happy for every one of these ladies, I think it's also alright to admit I'm jealous. It's not malicious, it just comes from my competitive drive since it makes me feel like I need to work harder and set the bar higher for myself. It's really an exciting time for players of every demographic with the predicted "second renaissance" of poker and this is a trend that is here to stay.

WPT Parx and EPT Barcelona are next on my schedule. These are exciting times because I will be doing some footage for WPT's "Ones to Watch" segment so I will do my best to give them some impressive results. I am also honoured to have been selected to be a member of the inaugural EPT Player's Council. The first meeting is at EPT Barcelona which was also my very first EPT stop on my first trip to Europe in 2010. It's a beautiful city and I can't wait to stay by the beach at the Hotel Arts!

I also know I don't say this enough, but thank you all so much for the Facebook messages, Tweets, and e-mails. I'm sorry I can't respond to all your kind words, but I can assure you they all make me feel really fuzzy inside, especially when I'm having a bad day. Hope I will see some of you at the tables soon.