Gratuity for dealers and casino staff – $300
Pot-sweetener for my ladies’ home game – $100
New iPhone that is smarter, faster and stronger than my husband’s – $199
Cool accessories for my iPhone that is smarter, faster and stronger than my husband’s – $124
New battery for my MacBook – $129
5-piece patio furniture set with puffy cushions – $1,497
“Hey Pat, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll fix me a drink so I don’t have to get up off the couch.” – $100
Round of drinks and appetizers for friends and clients – $96
10% tithing to Local First Arizona* – $331
Spa day with my Mom – $256
Another round for my family and clients – $48
Two rebuys for Dirk’s home game – $40
Contribution to Ponyboy’s Africa Trip – $50
Taking my coworkers out for drinks to celebrate, TBA – $91
Burning through $3,361 of the house’s money in just under two weeks: Priceless.
Guess I gotta get back to work now.
*When I joined the board of Local First, I told our executive director Kimber that I’d give her a 10% stake in all my winnings. Prior to the Ladies State Poker Championship, my contributions amounted to $6 here, $30 there and a whopping $1.20 on one memorable occasion. It was quite a treat to count out $331 at the last board meeting, and one of our new members actually made a motion to send me to Vegas for a fundraiser. The Nays carried.