To Comfort and Health

I catch some pointed comments at the table from time to time, making me wonder if people are actually reading my blog. One man at a fine table of players ordered tonic water with lots of ice.

I have recently been drinking tonic water. Why? Because it has quinine. My mother got it from her sister, my aunt, that drinking tonic water stops cramping that many get as they grow older. After sitting at a table for some hours, when I turn as when a drink order arrives (usually Sierra Mist), my lower back will tighten up and my leg will cramp painfully from top to bottom.

I have also had cramping on occasion in my sleep. The tonic water appears to have helped significantly.

The warmer tonic water gets the worse it tastes. It is an old school taste many may not enjoy at all.

I also use a Teeter inversion table. It helps both me and my wife. If you have a weak lower back, stretching muscles strengthens muscles. A Teeter may be good for you. Some people’s legs are not the same length so you should look into that before hanging by your ankles.

In regards to stretching I have finally found a Yoga channel on my Roku that has beginners classes I can actually follow. It is called “Yoga Download” and is free.

I haven’t been sleeping well either. My wife has been reluctant to get a new mattress but after showing her some reviews on YouTube she says, “I want a new mattress now!”

There are numerous ‘beyond memory foam’ mattresses selling via the Internet only that run about $1,000. One stands out above the others as it seems to be slightly better designed to stay cool, so you don’t wake up in a sweaty paste glued to your mattress. You can also find coupons and offers that bring the price down to $700. That is the “Ghost Bed” mattress.

The top competitor to the Ghost Bed is the “Purple Mattress” which is a new technology. The Purple will stay much cooler. It has a ten year warranty whereas you can get the Ghost Bed with a twenty year warranty.

Both mattresses have quite a bit of bounce to them unlike the early memory foam mattresses.

Particularly with the Purple I saw many testimonies of back and neck pain relief. This is typical of the many quality ‘beyond memory foam’ mattresses on the market. I am not endorsing any of them, just telling you what I have uncovered; the two top sellers at the moment.

More reviews.

With both the Purple and any ‘beyond memory foam’ mattress, it appears from reviews, that if you are an extremely lightweight person you will find them uncomfortable and troublesome. I guess if your body cannot sink into the foam you receive none of the benefits. I do not believe that would be a problem for the many interesting people I meet at the poker tables.

So, now really wanting a new mattress my wife says to me, “Are you going to go play poker today?” It is good when your wife has confidence in your abilities. I still have some gaps in my skills to fill in and tend to play too loose when I get way ahead.

I am hitting a stride, where I play about every seven to ten days. I’ve played long hours from time to time, but think it best for staying focused not go much more than five hours at a time.

I do not need to win at poker for us to buy a new mattress. If I did I would not be playing. My wife simply does not want to dig into the comfortable security blanket we have built up.

I hope you have found this helpful. I live to serve.

WSOP

The WSOP was here in Milwaukee at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino this month.

First of all, the WSOP schedule ‘is Greek to me’, as the saying goes. I spoke with one of the bosses at the poker room and they said everyone had trouble understanding their schedule. A problem, but everyone should be over it the next time around. And I hope they come again. If you enjoy tournament play the more circuits that come through the more often tournaments will be available.

Secondly, my schedule did not allow me the proper ability, time frame, to focus. My wife’s schedule had something to do with that also. Demands on our business near any holiday just distract me, particularly when I do not understand the tournament schedule.

I was at the poker room on the second to last day of the WSOP. They made an announcement that there were two seats available for a WSOP sit and go that was about to start; $10,000 guaranteed prize pool. Not that I ever understood from their schedule that sit and go’s were part of the event, but it was tempting. I will be on top of their scheduling methods the next time they come.

We are but five miles round trip from the Casino, but have only one car. When my wife needs the car, what are my transportation options?

The bus? It is a long uphill walk to the bus stop. Particularly in the Winter, that will leave me soaked with sweat. I do not ride the bus often so I do not have the card they require you to have for transfers. Yes, no more paper transfers. You wonder why ridership is down. So there is another long walk after I get off the bus. Walking the entire way is just as fast. (I do see people walking up to the casino)

But I have decided I will not walk or ride my bicycle to the casino. If they had a bike rack in front of one of their security stations and with a camera on it, I would consider riding my bike.

So I either have the car, or the proper alignment of schedules, so that my wife can drop me off and pick me up at reasonable times.

Yes taxi drivers, that is my wife picking me up, not UBER. So you need not pull in front of our car giving us a tight squeeze to get out of the pickup lane.

I could take a taxi, home at least, but I would have to be heavily in the black, on a consistent winning more than losing curve, to consider that option. I imagine it may be only four times the cost of the bus, with tip but…

This year, less so through the warm sunny months, I will see if I can maintain myself in the black at the tables without a big tournament win. Not that I wont be looking for tournament play.