I am a baby boomer. I grew up with black-and-white TV and never knew a world without it. Maverick was my favorite program, and at the age of 7, I thought James Garner was the nuts. However, I thought real poker players were generally dirty sleazeballs. Fortunately, I was wrong.

I played another tournament at The Orleans recently, and this time I came in 11th. Melissa Hayden and I were the only two women. Everybody was so nice to me that it really blew my mind. Stan and Linc from the previous week's tournament came by to say hi, and my friend Milt Meyers came over to give me a kiss. I felt like a prom queen.

As a beginner I have come to realize that poker is very social if you want it to be. However, some people never say anything but "raise." I like to get to know the person I am sitting next to and a little something about him. In this tournament, that person was Paul. He was a great help to me both as a supporter and a teacher.

What came as a shock to me was that when your table breaks and you move on, you don't move with the same people at your table. It's a little like going off to college and saying goodbye to all of your high school friends. You then have to start over. I had to try to figure out nine new people. For a beginner, it was intimidating. I had played well enough to move on, but I was doing it alone. My new tablemates didn't seem nearly as friendly as the previous ones, so I played relatively quietly. I felt that since I was the only woman they had had at their table all night, they did not really want to get socially involved. They were never rude; they just played their game and I played mine. That table finally broke, and I moved again.

This was not a fun move, whatsoever. The young man to my right was very nice and we did chitchat, but then he busted out. The player to my left was a one-match smoker (someone who smokes a whole pack of cigarettes in an hour using only one match). He took turns blowing the smoke in my face or the face of the nonsmoker on his left.

At the break, I inquired about the possibility of pouring water on him or his cigarettes. Glenda, the dealer, informed me that a floorperson would have to be called if I did. I replied that I could use a good "floorperson," and asked if he also does windows. Glenda liked that one, and then the break was over and the smoker returned.

I was in the game until 11:20 p.m., so I had lasted four hours and 20 minutes. I lasted longer than my son Jeff, our friend Marshall Ragir, and all of my new friends. Since Barry was still in, I hung around and waited for him.

To my great surprise and pleasure, two of the gentlemen from my second table who had made it to the final table came up to me and told me what a good job I had done. One of them said that if this was my second time playing, he did not want to play with me when I got more experience. That was so nice of them, and it really did wonders for my confidence. As I sat with Linc and Frank waiting for Barry, I realized that I had a rush not only from playing OK, but from the kindness of some strangers.

It appears that it's time for me to start reading a book or two about poker now that my initial fears are gone. I have chosen Ken Buntjer's book, The Secret to Winning Big in Tournament Poker, because he writes in easy-to-understand English, as opposed to pokerese.

I do have some advice for people who are starting out, as I am. Come prepared to the game with your own aspirin, Tums, gum, or whatever. They cannot give out aspirin anymore in casinos, and there is not always enough time to buy them during the break. Some people bring fans, which is a very good idea, as Nevada allows smoking. Some people had headsets on, but then you had to scream at them so that they could hear you, and then they screamed back because their music was too loud.

It's a good idea to wear a lightweight shirt and bring a sweater, jacket, or sweatshirt, as the temperature in the cardroom varies. And some people brought beverages.

I learned that getting to the bathroom is not as easy as it should be when you must zigzag your way through crowds and end up missing some hands. Also, never go to the restroom if you are in the blinds or have the button.

Now, it's time for me to get busy, as the World Series of Poker is under way and I need to learn more about betting the turn and the river.