I am by no means an adherent of hoodoo or voodoo, but when I play poker, I do carry a small bag containing magic items.

I believe that luck is a mysterious force in the universe drawn to certain kinds of energy.

My mojo bag contains some very potent personal talismans. To entice Lady Luck, I usually bring one out and place it on top of my cards or chips.

Which I choose on any given day is based on an inexplicable mix of intuition, sentiment and kismet.

A partial inventory of the articles in my bag includes coins commemorating Elvis, 9/11, and the 2005 World Series of Poker; a small jade mountain lion; a ring worn by my husband; a piece of wood given to me; a fossilized stone; and a chunk of crystallized metal. There are also several chips that each hold some special significance.

Last week I sat down to play and reached into the bag for a lucky token.

My fingers closed around a worn and dirty red disc. Looking down, I saw a $5 chip from the Copa Casino in Gulfport, Miss. It had been given to me by my poker coach, who'd lived on the Gulf Coast for several years.

A chill ran down my spine, and a gasp escaped my lips as I realized that just two days before, Katrina had annihilated the Copa Casino.

State rules in Mississippi require that casinos be built to float on water, and many of the huge barges literally came unmoored, sailed across U.S. 90, and crashed into buildings on the other side of the highway.

How many poker players, I wondered, were in terrible circumstances, or worse, had met unspeakable deaths? Maybe they had chips just like this one clutched in their hands.

This symbol of lives and dreams forever gone, will always be with me.

If it takes a powerful stimulus to attract good fortune, then God knows, this little piece of clay is imbued with the spirit. By virtue of sharing my space at the table with these unfortunate comrades, I know that I am lucky.

Win or lose at the game, this mojo is a constant reminder of my blessings, and all that I have.