Do They Think I'm Stupid?

Ok, I'm sitting watching TV last night and I get a call. The caller ID says UNKNOWN and normally I wouldn't answer, but I was expecting a call from someone so I picked up. I get this guy with an accent telling me that I've been approved for a Government Grant for $5,000 dollars! Imagine my surprize that I've been approved for a grant when I never even applied for one. Right off I'm suspicious because of 3 things. The call is UNKNOWN, the caller talked with an accent and when I talked there was an echo, which usually means the call had orginated overseas somewhere.I'll play along and see what he's up to. He tells me the $5,000 is a grant and I don't have to pay it back and that I'll be getting $500 up front in the mail and the rest will be wired into my bank account (This is where alarm bells start going off) All I need to do is give him my bank account number to verify. This was where I told him, if he thought I was stupid and I hung up. In hindsight I should have stayed on the line, given him some false info and see if I could get any info to pass along to the fraud squad.The sad thing is there are people out there that would have given up their Bank info in hopes to get some free money.

Losing Money

I am really into online Poker, but can't afford to play all the time. I like to play over at PartyPoker.com. I haven't really won anything to speak of and have maybe lost about $200 over a 6 month period. One of my problems is why I can't win is I know too much. I like playing Texas Hold'em (BTW..when did poker become a sport to be shown on ESPN?). Its all about playing the odds and a lot of luck. I seem to get a rash of bad luck now and then. It seems like it never fails when I get a decient hand, the guy next to me get a better hand. I'll get two pair and somebody with get three of a kind. I'll get three of a kind and somebody will get a full house. When you can see someone across the table look at you, you looking at them, sometimes you can figure out their tells (a habit that tips you off that they have a good hand or might be bluffing) and they are trying to get into your mind as well. But on line, you don't have that advantage. If you pay with someone for a while, you might pick up a patteren, but its a little harder.
Some people have the luck just go their way. I'll have a pair of aces as my pocket cards and lose to a guy that made a straight out of a 6, 9 un-suited pocket cards. I would have thrown those cards away as soon as they where delt. Or getting delt suited (two hearts, two spades, etc) pocket cards and hoping for a flush. When I get two suited pocket cards, the flop seems to show all the other cards. And it costs to much to pay to see the last two cards. Its going against the odds anyway to keep those cards and hope for a flush.
Oh well, I guess thats why they call it gambling. I'm sure Greg Raynor (World Champion Poker Player) had his ups and downs as well.