I first became familiar with the term Annus Horribilis (horrible year), when Queen Elizabeth II described 1992. That year, Charles and Diana split up, Windsor Castle had a fire and a couple of other incidents embarrasing involving the Royals.

I don't think the Queen plays Texas Hold'em, but she couldn't have done any worse than me this year. Coming into the year, I had $400 in my UB account and $250 or so in 'Stars. As of now, I have $0.04 in UB and $0.93 in Stars (including about $300 more in buy-ins on PokerStars).

Today was the culmination of Annus Horribus as I frittered away my last $25. Two 2X-or-busts in the morning were a waste of time. Later, in a $2.20 180-Turbo, I navigated my way to 10000 chips with 21 players to go. I was pretty certain I was going to cash and was pleased to get AQ in the hijack seat. With the blinds 500/1000, I did a 3X raise and had the player to the left of me push 21000 into the middle. Based on my observation, I assessed I was most likely up against a small pair, with some hunch that it might be two Broadways -- worst case big slick. I made the call and he flashed Cowboys. It's so hard to get deep in these $2.20 poo-flinging contests, busting out 3 spots from cashing put me on my way to Tiltsville. The next S&G, my rockets got rivered by a flush for just about all my chips. Then I lost a couple more multi-table S&Gs: One an all-in on a flush draw that missed, the other just plain card-dead.

I lost my last $6 today in a 45-player turbo S&G on Stars. I played well, had 3500 chips with 15 players left and got JJ in the small blind. The button (with 4500) pushes All-in. I call and am happy to see 98s. Of course she turns a flush and I am now writing this blog of angst.

Here is a summary of my last 3 years --

2006:
- Live: 14 tournamnets, 3 final tables, 1 win, total winnings $1700
- UB: Total Tournament winnings -- $420

2007:
- Live: 15 tournaments, 3 cashes, 2 final tables, 1 win, total winnings $1200
- UB: Total Tournament winnings -- $2900
- PokerStars: Total Tournament and MT SNG winnings -- $560

2008:
- Live: 13 tournaments, 2 cashes, total winnings $300
- UB: Total Tournament winnings -- $570
- PokerStars: Total Tournament and MT SNG winnings -- $520

I think I am a better player in '08 than '06/07. I can honestly say, as I made my way to the rail time and time again, I was ahead in the majority of my all-in death-struggles this year -- way ahead in several of them. Fifth street was littered with my body parts.

There was one area of promise in 2008 -- For the first time, I was on the plus side on my Live cash games, where I mostly play 3/6 Limit. One night, after an early bust from an MTT, I crushed a 3/6 Omaha Hi/Lo game at Viejas -- even though I barely knew what the hell I'm doing.

With my frame of mind the way it is, I am going to take the rest of the year off from playing poker. I need a break. I'll do XMAS stuff with the family, work on my 2nd book ( buy my first at www.mendozasheroes.com ) and go visit my Dad in Philly. When 2009 rolls around, my poker resolutions are:

- Bye, Bye Jokerstars. Your variance defies probability. I'm back to UB, though I hate Hellmuth, the Superuser scandal, and the Sniper tournament structure that Annie Duke put in this year. But it's where I've done best.

- This will be the year I go to WSOP. Either through my bar league or I will earn it online.

- Play more NLH cash games on line. It is not my favorite, but I've done well.

Hopefully, I will put this awful year behind me.

Had a lousy day on 'Stars. Eight S&Gs -- Eight No-Cashes. The first one of the day ($3 Turbo), I get AhAd early . Raised 8XBB (160); got one caller. Flop came down 3h 6h 8h. I bet 2/3 pot, he shoves all in. He's got J8 no hearts. Turn is a rag. River is 8 o'clubs. The next S&G, I got pocket Kings in the third hand. I raise 4XBB, someone shoves all-in and another player calls. My KK is up against QQ and Big Slick. A Queen flops -- BUSTO. Another S&G, I call a shove with Pocket Queens. I'm the favorite against his AK, but a King flops. Later on, in a 45 player S&G, we're down to two tables and my M is about 5. I shove with AK and QQ calls. When I'm way ahead, I lose; so what are my chances in a coin flip? ANS - Zippo. I'm now down to my last two bucks in my account. I play an 18-hand S&G for $1.75. I'm one away from the final table, but am the short stack. I make a push with 52-offsuit from the BB. Hell, I can't win with Aces, so lets try 52. I get called by a 73s and he gets a flush.

Nothing makes me more miserable then losing a bankroll. I put in $100 in early NOV, got up to $180, then did a death spiral over the past 3 weeks. My Sharkscope looks like Freddie Mac stock these days. The online games are so much different than the ones a played a year or two ago. There is no small ball any more. Every hand is a shove. I guess I gotta adapt or I'll be back in down to the felt.

Club Normandie is a small card room in Gardena, CA. The neighborgood and clientle can best be described as hardscrabble. But the cash games were good and the players friendly. It is the only game I ever played where they had just a single Big Blind (no SB). That's how they played hold'em in the olden days when stud was still king.

On Friday Night, they have an interesting Limit Re-Buy tournament. Just 10 bucks and another 20 for an initial rebuy got me 2100 chips. When they announced "shuffle up and deal," there were just me and two others at the table. Coupling small table aggression with some decent cards, I surged up to just over 5000 chips. By Level II (50/100) the rest of the table settled in.

Sitting at the small blind, I was dealt 7d5d. The UTG raised and four people in front of me called. The pot was offering me almost 8-1 for the 150-chip call. But I have had no success with suited connectors. Typically, I get something like second pair and melt away my stack with 2nd or 3rd best hand. I thought for 2 seconds, almost pulled the trigger, then slid them into the muck.

Hoping for three overs to justify my "sound" hand selection, the flop comes down:

8d 6d 4d

I don't recall ever flopping a straight flush. I kind of sat there in a daze as the pot was bet and rebet through all three streets. A measly pair of pocket tens by one of the callers took down about a 5000 to 6000 chip pot. I'm sure my smooth calling until the river would have been a 7000 chip windfall for me. To say that hand threw off my game is a gross understatement.

You know how this tale of woe ends. I don't win another pot and by Round IV, I capped pocket 9s pre-flop, watched three overs flop and walked away before the showdown.

I guess my take-home lesson is to give suited connectors a chance. So far, I haven't hit squat.