Sizing Up Another Year

(Mix)

III.

Dearest mother,

I've been so busy with the end of the semester I haven't had the time to pen you. But school is tapering off like the winter's last snow and now I sit ready to pass the days in a sluggish torpor. I tell you mother, this business of card playing is some sort of devil. It has been a full 365 days and over 1,000 hrs. and like we thought, we are not rich, but we are not broke, and I suppose that is more than most in these curious times. Self destruction has pinned herself to my sleeve every once and a while, but don't you know, I've found ways to whisk her away like cigarette smoke? She comes scratching late in the evening and sometimes I curl up like I've seen a ghost, sweating, turning and tossing, but sometimes we waltz into the purple morning hours, carrying on like old lovers and rattling our old bones. However, we know it will never be, so I open the window and let her disappear into the world.

You might be surprised to hear that I have moved on from strictly playing Hold'em. The beauty of variation! I am getting to a comfortable spot in most games. I've learned and lost and won and studied. At the moment I am playing online in a cash game rotation of 8 of following games, 6 hands of each:

2-7 limit triple draw
Limit Hold'em
Limit Omaha H/L
Razz
Limit Stud
Limit Stud H/L
No Limit Hold'Em
Pot Limit Omaha

I do okay. The rotation has rekindled my spirit and thirst for no limit cash games as the past year I have focused primarily on learning the mixed limit games. I've really taken to Limit Stud H/L, mother. I don't play in many tournaments, but my only 1st place finish was in Stud H/L over the past year. Also came in 2nd in one as well. So I have been thinking about the World Series of Poker Stud H/L event. If I can go on a run here I may make a trip to mecca, but that is most likely not to happen because of school.

What do you think: do we have another year in us? I feel pretty good I must say. Taking care of school and getting outside and playing music and writing keeps me somewhat balanced. No worse than before anyways. There is this business about graduation at the end of the summer though, so I'll have to be moving on soon. We will be in touch, but for now give my love to all.

From the other side of the world,

B.