I'm headed to lunch, which will cost about $25. With have half an hour to kill, I sit down at a short-handed $1/2 no-limit table. After 25 minutes, I'm up $67.

Usually, I'd raise to about $12, hoping to invite some company. But this time I decide to take down the $3 in blinds by raising big, to $25. That'll cover most of my lunch tip, I think to myself.

The little blind pauses, then goes all-in for $80. It's $55 for me to call, which I do.

Turns out he has pocket 10s. He wins our coin flip, when I don't improve.

Instead of winning my lunch and then some, I leave with a small loss.

Frustrating! Well, that's the way it goes sometimes.  Lady luck laughs. We've all been there.

-E. Mark the "e-Shark" Gross