Keeney: "I Went All In at the WSOP; It Was the Best"

"Keep it low, dealer!" shouted Charlotte Keeney who was all in for her tournament life. She held but was up against three other opponents holding , , and respectively. Keeney was ahead, for now.

The flop came giving one of her opponents a straight. The turn was the and the river was the . Keeney was eliminated midway through Level 11 on Day 1a of the Giant and afterwards she spoke with PokerNews.

"I feel fantastic," said Keeney with the biggest grin imaginable on her face. "Four months ago I was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, and then a month ago I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, so playing at the World Series of Poker is on my bucket list."

Keeney said that she had lived in Vegas for years, and had always wanted to come and play an event at the WSOP. Now she has.

"I literally flew from Florida for this event. I landed 20 minutes before the tournament started. I played, I made it halfway, and to me, that feels like a success.

"I mean it's the World Series of Poker! It's everything, you know what I mean? It's thrilling."

Other items on Keeney's bucket list include scuba diving in Key West and in October she is travelling to Albuquerque to see the balloon festival.

"I just got back from Russia," said Keeney. "I also went to Alaska and saw the Northern Lights. I just went skinny-dipping for the first time, that was on my bucket list. Some are small and some are big, but the WSOP was like...I'm going to cry now, I can't believe I came. I'm so happy."

Like most low limit tournaments at the WSOP, the atmosphere at the Day 1 tables is convivial.

"It's been so much fun; I had the most fun at my table. Table 6 in the Blue section is the most fun table. There were hugs and everything. I came in a little late at the break, and they were worried about me."

And where was she?

"I was...gambling away all my money, like an idiot!"

Keeney's positive outlook on life is striking, not least because she had just bust the tournament. We asked her what keeps her spirits up.

"Life is short. Honestly, the second I got that diagnosis it was like, you know what? Don't think about how you're going to die, think about how you wanna live. And from then every day has been the best day ever.

"I won five hands and I got to go all in twice, which is thrilling. I went all in at the WSOP. It's the best."