Another Vacation from Poker
I really really really want to get back on the tables.To be successful at poker, just like anything in life, you need to be very intentional about getting yourself time off. Burnout is one of the easiest ways for a professional gambler to go broke. You must be 100% to beat the game consistently, and to remain 100% rest and time off are essential keys.
All of the above is true, but it really is simply a justification for the most recent road trip I have been on! Sometimes I enjoy the freedom of my profession a little too much…
My friend Tiffany and I (see previous post - getting kicked out of the Flamingo) decided to partake in some random acts of spontaneity and get out of Dodge. She was off until tonight, and I, well, was off too. We ended up driving 4.5 hours to the sleepy little town of Kernville, CA, nestled on the shores of Lake Isabella in the Southern Sierra Nevadas. Kernville is a very small town, boasting a population somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 and zero traffic lights. On the main street through town are a handful of shops, restaurants, and bars, and like many cute small town downtown districts, the economy relies on the tourism industry. People are drawn to this town for the lake, the Upper Kern river, the boundless camping and outdoors opportunities just up the canyon on the river’s bank, and the Sequoia trees slightly farther up canyon. I have spent at least a few days in Kernville every summer since 2001, and spent most of the summer there last year as a whitewater rafting guide on the Upper and Lower Kern rivers. There however is just something special about this town in particular, something that cannot be expressed unless you breathe in the air, walk the streets, have a beer at the Hut, and watch fish swim in the bubbling river. It is simply a rejuvenating place.
Yesterday after we returned from hanging out with Giant Sequoias we made our way to Whitewater Voyages’ base camp in Kernville where I met my buddy Tracy Vietta. I have known Tracy since guide school in 01 where he was an instructor, and we worked together on the Kern last year. Last summer he had his first kid, a daughter named Coral. Watching him walk through that experience and hearing the love in his voice as he talked about her was one of the sweetest parts of last summer. After a year of being a father that love has only grown, and it truly was a pleasure so listen to him tell stories on his daughter. That love he has for her is so extraordinary, so beautiful, and it just makes me want to be a father even more. Tracy also wins quote of the day in this, “No way man. She’s going to be a professional surfer.” - Tracy on his daughter’s professional career.
From there Tiffany and I wandered over to The Sportsmen Inn, one of three dive bars in town. One of my favorite parts of this trip was the lack of vehicle usage. The only time we drove anywhere was when we went an hour up canyon to hike. Anyways, it was great chatting with the locals, telling river stories, talking about this past season, and just good ol’ gabbin and gossip. From there Tiffany and I launched into a game of darts, and she KICKED MY ASS. Bad. Real bad. Like, I haven’t lost a game in months, and she smoked me. It had to be a fluke, so we played again, and I beat her ass, but couldn’t finish, and she won again. Then she won again. Then I decided we needed to play 501, and she won again. Four times out of four I got smoked at darts, MY GAME, by a hot thirty year-old blonde cocktail waitress at the Venetian. However, for all of you out there that do not read this blog, you are screwed! She is going to be the best hustle ever. “$500 even money she beats you Dutch. Bet!”
So, this was a very good mini vacation. I was isolated from e-mail, cell phones, and poker for three days and two nights, and it was very refreshing. I’m pretty fired up to put in a good session at the Wynn tonight. Hopefully I don’t get crushed and kill all this new enthusiasm. It’s going to get very busy within a couple of weeks with Festa al Lago at the Bellagio followed immediately by the Fall Classic at Canterbury Park in Minnesota for me for the 2nd half of October. Will I be seeing any of y’all there?
Peace and good luck,
Devo
maverickusc@gmail.com
posted by Devo @ 3:46 PM
|
<< Home