I have been playing poker for years in the Southern California card rooms. I prefer to play in the bigger rooms (The Comerce Casino and The Bicycle Casino).

There is always a game going in these places. Most days you have to wait to get in a good game.

Best Comerce story:

It was Christmas, about 10 years ago and I was really sick. My sister had come from Pasadena to my mothers house in Costa Mesa (about and hours drive). She started such a huge fight with my mom, that I had to take her home or kill her. On my way back, I was still so pissed at her, that I did not want to be around all those people, so i stopped at The Comerce casino. I was play 3/6 limit (no-limit was not even available back then). After about 5 hours I was up a hundred dollars or so. Then I looked down to see Q/Q. I raised and was reraised, so I capped it. The Flop came A,A,A!! Now I'm thinking god, this really sucks. The guy who reraised me was playing supper tight for a 3/6 game and I just new I was beat. But, as soon as he bet, someone whispered, this could be a jackpot hand and everyone was checking to make sure there was no money on the table and no racks etc... I had all but forgotten about the jackpots. No way was i ever going to win one.

At that time you had to have Aces full beat and both hole cards had to play for both players.

We capped it to the river and then we raised till he was all in (some kind of courtasy thing for the player ho was only going to get 255 of the jackpot). With the turn and river coming up 7/10 I only had to pray that he had A/10 or higher and with all the betting pre-flop I felt good. I turn up my Q's and he turn over just his Ace and says, "Sorry kid". I thought, omg you have to be kidding me. He could not beat the 10!!!! then he laughs and says, "Merry Christmas" and turn over a K.

When I got home my mom was really pissed. I have been gone for 9 hours on what should have been a 2 hour max trip. The I pulled out a wad of hundreds and said, "sorry mom, but I won $4000 so it's all good, right"?

She was still upset, but she got over it really quicky.

Since then, the most I've ever won is $800, and I've played in mucch bigger games.