A Day in the Life
Wake up at the crack of 10:30 to the birds in the courtyard. Coffee, orange juice, bagel and cream cheese. Computer on, weather forecast perfect, five on the interest list for the Venetian 8/16 half-kill Omaha-8. I phone the poker room to get on the list. Twenty seconds later I hit F5 and giggle. The...
Loving Las Vegas
Three weeks ago I moved to Las Vegas. Since this is a profound event, I am deviating from my usual practice of providing hard-hitting poker and fashion tips in favor of some personal reflections on the one long session of my life. Many authors have played with the idea of poker as a metaphor for...
Doyle’s Pole Dancers
The restrictions on online poker in the USA are forcing me to adopt the casino as my office. It’s an environment where I feel comfortable, but outside of the poker room I am a complete spectator. I will not put a quarter in a slot machine, roll the dice at a craps table, or place...
Is Bigger Better?
I was thinking about leaving the game when The Stranger sat down. We’d been playing $25/50 Limit Holdem six handed for about an hour, all regulars. I had position on Karen, by far the most dangerous player at the table, and while this was making life a little easier it was also restricting my ability...
The Expectation Value Of Arousal
I have several strategies for nipping bad-beat stories in the bud, most of which involve rudely interrupting the person bemoaning their luck. The situation is trickier with students since it can be argued that they are paying me to listen to them, and if they choose to piss their money away by bleating about losing...
What’s Your Image?
A freezing evening a few years ago found me outside a local bar bemoaning the smoking ban that, despite supposedly being prompted by public health concerns, was exposing me to frostbite and pneumonia. Much to my surprise I noticed that a tall blonde woman was listening to me. Back inside the bar it transpired that...
