Most Wednesday nights, you can find me at the Menzies hotel opposite Wynyard station, playing in the pool competition. I first went four years ago, and I've been a regular ever since moving to Sydney, three years ago. If you're in Sydney, pop down some day and say hi. I'll buy you a beer.

I'm a pretty average pool-player. I play once a week, maybe a little less on average. I have little motivation to improve myself. Most weeks I make it through to the second round, and then lose. Sometimes I fluke my way into the semi-finals, or even the finals. (You used to get strange brewery merchandise for coming second, now it's a $50 voucher for lunch in the hotel buffet).

This week, for the first time ever, I won.

I wasn't even going to go down there. Earlier in the day I'd told Lonita to remind me that I was too tired for the pub tonight, and that I should skip it. But as 6:30pm rolled around and I started getting thirsty, I decided what the hell, why not?

And I won. And I didn't do it by luck. The first two games I scraped my way through (including one embarrassing moment where I forgot which balls I was on, and potted my opponent's). After that, I was suddenly on a roll. I had one of those incredibly rare evenings where I played some damn good shots at just the right time, and made the right tactical decisions to put me in the right place to finish ahead.

Of course, it'll probably be another four years before I do it again, but for now I'm just going to savour the victory.

Mmmmmm. Now just so long as I don't have a hangover tomorrow...