In 'Confessions of a Winning Poker Player,' Jack King said, 'Few players recall big pots they have won'strange as it seems'but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career.'

'Seems true to me, 'cause walking in here I can hardly remember how I built my bankroll, but I can't stop thinking how I lost it.'

For those of you out there who caught on, I regret to inform you that I do not exactly live up to my own name. Unfortunately, I haven't been blessed with the ability to calculate odds, notice tells, work the players or catch cards (we all know at least one person like that). I'm just an amateur player who likes to bet heavy when he bluffs, small when he's got it, and always, always playing ridiculous draws like they were the 'nuts.' That pretty much describes me 95 percent of the time, the other five percent I am getting 'pocket rockets' and being a 'river rat' every hand.

The problem is sometimes I simply cannot get myself away from the game, it's addicting.

Now I've had my share of bad beats. As a matter of fact, the other night I lost a huge pot in an all-in hand to my lucky roommate on fifth-street with the odds stacked 17:1 in my favor before the river. How can I lose? Well ' I drowned in the river, he caught his queen and I walked away $20 down on a hand where I should have doubled up. This, however, is the way of no-limit Texas hold'em. The flop comes up and you are holding the best hand, but the river you are betting yourself into a monster the likes of which you haven't seen since Zeke the Plumber (three stacks of high society to those who know the reference).

Basically, what I am trying to say is play responsibly, or don't play at all.

In poker, especially no limit hold'em, you can lose a lot of money very quickly. There is no nice way to put it, gambling is a very dangerous thing for a person who does not know how to handle it. For many of those people, it can be hard to get out of a hand before it is too late. My advice to them, step back from the table for awhile, cool off, fold a few hands as my friend Tony likes to say.

Poker is a fun game, but if taken too far it can become a costly habit, both in time and money. I know most of you 'rounders' out there do not have to worry about this, but I'm not talking to the 'sharks,' I'm talking to the 'minnows.' 'Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.'

Don't allow yourself to get in so deep that you leave the table busted every time. Always leave yourself outs. This applies to a player's life away from the game just as much as it does at the table.