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Catherine Hart's mad dash to poker fame was struck down by an unruly pair of aces.

The 48-year-old Albuquerque resident worked her way up to $75,000 in chips in the second round of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nev.

But she lost her cash by going all-in late Tuesday afternoon, she said.

"I called with pocket jacks and got called with pocket aces," Hart said, sounding remarkably upbeat.

The game tired her out, she said, and she was looking forward to spending a few days in Las Vegas with her parents before flying home to Albuquerque.

"I'm just beat," Hart said. "It was a good run."

Playing the game after winning a seed from AOL's No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em site gave her a new respect for professional poker players, she said.

"It's mentally draining," she said. "I appreciate these guys now because it really is a lot of hard work."

And making it to the second round is still something she can be proud of, she said.

"A lot of pros didn't hang in as long as I did," she said. "I think I did pretty good for an amateur."