Back from hiatus

I have not played online poker in 15 days-- the longest stretch I've gone without it in at least 18 months. This must be what tweakers feel like when they need a fix. Thankfully, I've been less than sober in other ways to compensate. Otherwise, I'd just have to work hard at my job, and really who needs that. Honestly, my primary reason for showing up at all this week is that this building has central air and computers and my apartment does not.

Showcase came home from NY to the aftermath of the burglary, and a still-empty apartment across the hall. We spent that weekend swapping in some dark, window-concealing blinds for the windows and getting security system estimates. That's right folks. We're considering a thousand-dollar alarm system for our $1200-a-month rented abode. The cops did end up getting a print off my window frame, though I spent the rest of that evening getting the silvery-black print-dusting crap off the covers of The Theory of Poker, Super/System, and my spankin' new copy of Barry Greenstein's Ace on the River (which I HIGHLY recommend).

Not having poker to play means compensating with gambling-related reading, of which I've certainly done my share lately. I blew through the fascinating The Professor, the Banker, and the Suidice King in about three hours. An awesome read that's mandatory for any modern-day poker junkie. Laughed my ass off through Tales from the Tiltboys, which made me long for more degenerate gambling friends. And I got a super-secret sneaky slip of Ben Mezrich's new MIT Blackjack Team book. This one names names and doesn't revolve around counting cards. Instead it follows one group of six as they test three very specialized blackjack techniques in Vegas, AC, and casinos around the globe. These tricks go way beyond the hi-lo count and end up being far more lucrative... ;) A nice companion piece to Bringing Down the House.

The only poker I've played in the last 2 weeks consists of one short, marginally winning session at Commerce, and three heads-up LHE freezeouts with Showcase. I'm 0-3 in those.

I also enjoyed the live broadcast of the Full Tilt Poker Championship immensely, thanks in no small part to the excellent commentary by the siblings Lederer and Chris Ferguson. The show was like a freakin' instructional video. I can't bear to delete it from my Tivo though I think I've already watched it 3x. Showcase thinks I have problems.

And lest we forget... the vacant apartment across the hall is no longer vacant. It's new occupant is a video game developer with a very snotty first name that rhymes with "Trenton." Showcase's ears perked up like a rabbit's when the first faint sounds of furniture dollies could be heard approaching the building. He leaped off the couch and pressed himself against the door, trying to get a glimpse at him through the peephole. Once it was determined that he looked "chill enough," Showcase bounded outside, bong in hand, and introduced himself. Three minutes later, he was back indoors with a crestfallen look on his face.

"What's the matter? Is he a prick or something?"
"No. He doesn't smoke pot. I have nothing to hope for anymore."