Road Work

Just got back from a poker trip to New York City. I played in a terrific home game there, complete with professional dealers, massage girls, lots of good food, and an open bar. The atmosphere easily beats even that of Bobbyís Room, which, really, is as nice as it gets in a casino. †One other thing about New York is that the players like to gamble. So itís perfect for a guy like me.

The good news is that I got to fly back on a private jet with my friend Alan. He hooked me up for my first private-plane ride, and it was pretty damn cool. Itís nice to pull up to the plane in a limo and just take off. No hassles in the airport, no problems with crowds. The bad news is that I ran incredibly unlucky at poker and got my bankroll dented. I ran so awful that I even took a bad beat in Central Park. After a particularly rough session, I walked it off in the park and spotted an ice cream stand. I could have used a Popsicle at that moment. But guess what? The stand was closed.

On the upside, I stayed in the super ritzy Pierre Hotel ñ though next time Iím going for one of the cool places downtown, like Gansevoort or Standard ñ and met a couple of my high school friends for drinks at the posh Two E Bar there. We had a great conversation and they answered a question that Iíve had for a while: What did people from my hometown think about me quitting college, moving to Las Vegas, and taking up poker fulltime? Basically, it turns out, they thought I was crazy. But, at the time, they did not realize how seriously I took the game and how much skill is involved. Now, of course, they get it.

Since returning home to Vegas, Iíve been chilling out and relaxing. This coming weekend Iím heading off to L.A. with a girl Iíve been seeing. Weíre going to a double birthday party for Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly. Itís going to be a blast.