All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line

Chapter 41Second Chances Are Rare—Make Sure You Get It Right the First Time Around

There was a tinge of guilt in drinking champagne and knowing that Lisa couldn’t have any. But she was asleep and Owen had earned his right to celebrate.

Play had lasted only 90 minutes after the 11 P.M. break. Greg Masters had gone on a tear and single-handedly eliminated three people from the other table. Nicholas the Parisian was the 10th to go, and right after midnight, it became official—Owen Chase had made it to the final table of the World Series of Poker. The final table!

The hotel or the tournament or whomever had been nice enough to send up this bottle of champagne to his room, and it would be a waste to just leave it in the suite. With Lisa sleeping 10 feet away and his next hand of poker still four months away, life felt good. Complete wasn’t quite right because he had a long way to go. Reset was more like it. Owen was feeling reset and it felt right.

Owen got out his phone and saw several congratulatory texts. News had spread fast. Pitchford had even sent him “8=====>” which was their inside way of saying “great freaking job!” followed by “Easiest money I’ve ever won in poker :).” Owen was more than happy to split the guaranteed $1.1 million. He had gotten so much more out of this week than the cash, and none of it would have happened if not for Pitchford.

It seemed like so much money, and yet, after the taxes, Owen’s half would still not be able to cover all of his losses from ReBicycle. ...