It has been a couple of weeks since I finished 7th at the World Poker Showdown in Costa Rica. I played once in the Fiesta Wednesday Tournament in Alajuela without any success, but other than that it has been a couple of sit´n´gos on PokerStars plus the regular games in Tamarindo and Potrero, nothing worth reporting about.

Having cashed more than $50,000 in tournament winnings in 2006 (no need to talk about the losses) I have acquired a taste for larger buy-in tournaments where I can test myself against international and world-class players. At the WPS I had the pleasure of playing with Humberto Brenes until our table broke up, and later I took out his brother Alex. I really do not feel out of place here, and neither did I when I was playing in Vegas at the time of the WSOP.

My short term goals are to play - and place! - in the coming $15,000 guaranteed tournament at the West Wing Casino in Escazù September 22-23rd. If that one becomes a regular monthly event it will likely become part of my "tour". As for bigger international events I will be alert to anything that goes on in Costa Rica and Panama, but my dream right now is to qualify for the Aussie Millions 2007 in January. I have always wanted to visit Australia so why not do it with a lot of poker on the side? Only real problem are the weird hours PokerStars are organizing the on-line qualifiers, not good for my time zone when I also have to work in the daytime.

Stay tuned