If You Can't Spot The Burnout In The First 30 Minutes ...

Yesterday was spent just recuperating from the two morning workouts. Which is my excuse for playing about 11 hours of poker. Right after the workout, I drove out of the unfamiliar area, looking for the first freeway onramp. This turned out to be the southbound interstate entrance, which was the wrong direction. On the other hand, it also heads in the right direction if you're looking for authentic Mexican carne asada and abodaba tacos, which is next door to the seediest poker room in the county. Sounds like a plan. Tacos El Gordo, and the Village Club. Take the H Street Exit in Chula Vista, brush off the high school spanish, and you're there.

The tacos were great, and really hit the spot. The tortillas are hand-made in front of you, and all the ingredients are fresh, compared to the El Pollo Loco franchise across the street. Who the hell would eat there? Los gringos, I suppose. Anyway, I get two carne asada tacos, and a Diet Coke (branded as "Coca Light" internationally). It's a pretty healthy meal, which I figure is about 550 calories or so. It's essentially the way I cook at home, but they use flavour there.

Nothing is better than walking into a card room in the morning, fresh from a good night's sleep, and having the whole day to waste in front of you. I get seated in a $3/$6 Omaha8 game, and as part of the whole Summer 2005 Welcome Back Tour, I get the "Where have you been?" questions. Some people probably start off thinking I found something better to do. Then, after they see me shuffle checks, crack jokes, and play like nothing has happened in the 2 1/2 years since I've seen them, they realise that nothing has happened in the 2 1/2 years since I've seen them.

After some conversations that degenerate into the old people talking about cancer [in the mornings you get the old people; about 5 years ago, the Sunday morning game at Ocean's 11 would typically be composed of 100% WWII Vets and myself], I get called to the $1-$3 No-Limit Hold'Em game. This game is now dominated by the new guard, recently minted degenerates that have instantly fallen completely into the subculture. The guy to my left in Seat 9 talks about the game last night in another casino. His friend is on a 3rd rebuy. The guy in Seat 2 is wearing a button down blue Oxford shirt on a Saturday morning, which means the game has been going all night. I actually start asking "when did this game break last night?" when I immediately answer my own question. The 24-hour look in the guy's hair, and the tell-tale oily skin immediately gives it away to the initiated.

I got up temporarily, by check-raising a guy on the turn when I flopped two pair. The guy overplays his hands, making $40 bets at the pot all the time, and I came over the top, all-in on him. He lays it down, and I win. But, I'm bleeding off chips, and I know the game isn't for me. I ask the floor to put me back in the limit games. Then, a few hands later, I limp in with AKo, like a dummy. I just saw the Ace, and called the $3. Maybe if I looked at both, I would have raised, and got the blinds outs. So the flop i 77x, and it's checked to me. I make a $9 bet at the $15 pot. The little blind calls. Immediately, I'm worried. Turn comes, and I hit my Ace. LB bets $4 into me, which is suspicious, but I have to call. Then, the river hits a blank, and this guys starts counting out chips. He bets $20. Geez. Argh. He traps me perfectly. It sucks. I have to make a crying call, but I know I'm going to lose. I hand him over the $20 personally, and announce I'm going home. He turns over the 7. IGHN.

At a poker table, if you can't spot the burnout in the first 30 minutes, then it's you.

I lost exactly $100 in that game. So, I have to go home, and get online, in the smaller games I feel more comfortable in. By about 11pm, I've won about $200, and I feel much better about my poker game, but I'm also feeling pretty sore. Love those Outdoor Fitness Camp workouts. I decide to stop weighing and restricting my food, and that I need the food to recover from the injuries. Good decision, as this morning I weigh-in at 84.6 kg, after eating and drinking.