Are Antibody Tests Cheaper?

Do I think too much?

A guy on the radio wondered how the casinos will survive when social distancing may be the norm for several months.

Well, if testing for corona virus antibodies is far cheaper than testing for the virus itself, casinos may want to do that kind of testing for their patrons.

What danger could there be if you already had it? None, whether you know it or not.

And the casinos could probably get money from the government to pay for the tests. They could do drive thru tests like they do in Korea.

And you all may want to test for zinc deficiencies since that seems to portend death as well as having diabetes, and prepare accordingly.

I know, you want to know how my poker game has been developing.

First let me share how I am keeping safe. I was in Korea for eight days this early February so have been very attentive to news regarding this new virus and viruses in general.

Here is a link showing how there may be very cheap and effective treatments to this virus, based on the effect of intercellular zinc in deterring the virus.

Here is how you make your immune system bulletproof. I would recommend bulletproof coffee if you are overweight and to look into Dr. Berg’s diet advice.

This is what I have been taking during these troubling times, though I am normally not big into supplements. The apple cider vinegar makes your stomach acid stronger which is necessary to absorb zinc; just a splash into a glass of water. The olive leaf extract squirted into the mix takes some of the bite out of the vinegar and is known for it’s antiviral qualities. Add some zinc and vitamin C. I include cod liver oil as it contains both vitamin D and A; both mentioned in the linked video.

I add to that the King of adaptogens; ginseng in a fermented form.

Why so many travel restrictions and such? This virus is extremely contagious and though many may have no problem with it, so many may get it so quickly it could swamp our hospitals, creating many unnecessary deaths. So they want to control the spread.

It is too late to stop it now.

Thanks China!

So I switched to no limit games this year and have done much better. The learning curve has flattened. But my head got a little big and I lost all my gains for this year.

I did have a really good result at a limit table this year. Basically everyone at the table was waiting for a no limit game, so they were not playing ‘no fold’m hold’m’ as many limit players do, especially when I am at the table.

My trip to Korea overlapped with the last big tournament at Potawatomi Casino so I didn’t go. I was gone.

I am well positioned in the stock market right now. Caught some MSFT on a big dip and sold it the same day.

That’s it. I am not going to give anything away this time.

I have stayed away from the tables since I got back from Korea just in case. Maybe after 70% of the population has been infected, herd immunity, I may go back.

I did go in for my free slot play, washing my hands before and after, and have not shown any symptoms as far as I know.

Stay safe.

Thanks for reading.

I should get paid for my insights

Fat Adapted: The Local WSOP 2019

I have to check, but I believe I am a few dollars up for 2019 in my poker endeavors. I am hopeful to make up my lifetime deficit by restricting myself to tournament play, for the most part.

I have invested in the stock market, am looking to take an existing business in a whole new direction and am still pursue my writing dreams in the process. Early February is a busy time of year for me, so it was hard to get into it during our local WSOP here in Milwaukee, at the Potawatomi Casino.

On top of that, it is a time of year where expenses rise due to Winter conditions. It lowers our bottom line making me more risk adverse. Still I made some reasonable attempts during the WSOP and came out in the money once.

Pocket deuces came through for me again. Against pocket aces!

One aspect of poker needs to be understood here. At a final table, in the money already, I was the low stack and doubled up against the button on my big blind.

I was still the low stack. The guy on the button to my big blind received several walks when he was big blind; receiving blinds and antes. So was the table working against the small stack by beefing up the button to my big blind? I think so.

The WSOP staff came by a couple times and said something to a couple of the players here and there including to the button of my big blind. I could not tell you what they said, but I know they have seen it all and do not tolerate shenanigans. If there is anything off in a game they will pick up upon it and act accordingly. These are serious professionals whether on the WSOP or in the poker room. It is one place I need not worry that any questionable play will be condemned according to professional standards.

Unlike at Badger Poker. I have written my experiences with them in the past and would never recommend that organization to anyone.

Early in the same game I saw two guys sitting close to each other with only five players at the table. I looked at their faces and thought, ‘They could be related.’ Then I looked at their hands. Absolutely identical. If not brothers surely cousins. Just some table dynamics one needs to be aware of.

My greatest revelation this time around at the WSOP is in regards to fat adaptation. I am not talking being fat with cash, or holding the largest stack, but about taking in the majority of your calories day by day in the form of healthy fats; meat, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.

When you are fat adapted you do not get hungry. In fact when you are burning fat you get stronger and smarter, more alert. How else would our ancestors have survived if not able to amp it up a bit when they needed to find food because they were running low?

Getting off the carbohydrates and added sugars is also a great way to improve mood; stay on an even keel when the bad beats just don’t stop coming.

I experienced all these great benefits during my long hours at the table and hope you, any of my readers can take up this diet and find the health and happiness it can instill.

And it will make you a more formidable player, not to mention durable.

Most all the great poker players keep themselves in great shape. It can get grueling as you most likely know.

Yes, I ended up in the emergency room with sugar issues. I rejected insulin or any other medication and found my healing on YouTube.

The healthy keto diet is low carb and consists of 75% of your calories coming from fats, 5% from carbohydrates. (fats are more calorie dense than carbs or meat) The carnivore diet, which is becoming popular among people in the search for a healthy lifestyle through looking to ancestral and indigenous eating habits recommends up to 80% of your calories coming from fats.

I also do intermittent fasting (eating within an eight hour window daily). This is how a body heals though your doctor’s eyes will bug out if you tell them you are fasting.

They do not want you to become healthy, they say they have a pill for that.

If you want to call these diets fads I have no time to argue, but I see these as quests for a healthy lifestyle amidst a recommended standard American diet that leads to diabetes and chronic illness as well as heart disease.

Any study trying to show increased meat or fat consumption in one’s diet leads to heart disease includes data showing that not only meat or fat was increased, but also sugar, often in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is the absolute worse sugar you can be consuming, particularly when processed. Any data that does not fit the desired result, that red meat and fat are bad, is often excluded.

I wish you all health and happiness as well as large stacks of fat. I will leave you with some links so you can look into this yourself.

Dr. Berg has over 2 million followers and decades of experience in treating clients successfully. Keto Basics

Dr. Jason Fung is a master communicator and expert extraordinaire. Intermittent Fasting

Thomas DeLauer; his story on YouTube’s #1 fitness channel. Personal Testimony

Your common everyday meat eater.

Here is a before and after. The before, the vegetable Police is a vegan. The after, after he turned carnivore during an extended trip to Thailand where he tried to go to a fruit based vegan diet. Check out the noticeable differences.

Before       After

Stay healthy my friends. I hope to post at least annually after the WSOP here in Milwaukee. Of course I will post anything of significance in the meantime.

Decisions

I don’t play the horses often but when I do I trust in Mark Belling’s picks. That has not paid off much until recently. The decision? What kind of bets to pursue?

I have never lost everything following our local talk show host’s advice. But I am certain I was behind, though I have not kept a record as I have with my poker investments. But the last time I followed Mr. Belling’s advice I did well.

What was my new strategy? When he has several long shots, let us say three horses with 15-1 odds and higher as potential winners, I bet across the board on each. $5 across the board would be a $15 bet; $5 to win, $5 to place, $5 to show.

My 15-1 horse win gave me a return of over $100 (a payoff on each of the three bets), which I received gladly. A show would have been a gain of a dollar or two on that wager; approximately $17. So you can imagine a 20-1 or 30-1 horse can bring you a return if they finish in the top three. And if more than one horse pays out…

I thought of making an exacta box, with my 15-1 and the favorite, but decided not to. A bad decision.

In my poker play I must re-evaluate my decisions. My past records showed that in tournament play with 30 participants or more I definitely came out ahead over time.

My limit cash game attempts have not paid off. I was coming out ahead two of three outings for a while then hit a bad streak. I am not playing cash games often at all now.

The casino has not offered weekly tournaments for years. The WSOP and three tours of the Mid-States Poker Tour come through annually.

In hind sight I can surmise that committing to tournament play only would have been a better decision for me, even with the buy-ins on the tours are generally higher.

I did participate in the latest WSOP here in Milwaukee. I won two satellites on the first day but then lost in the main tournaments.

One loss was just a bad push.

In the other, a pot limit Omaha game, most of my chips were committed before the second King came up on the turn. I had a Broadway straight draw and flush draw previous. After the second King came, giving me three, the chances were good that my opponent had made a full house, which he did; Aces Full of Kings. I had a good chance for a full house myself on the river so committed the rest of my chips, not knowing that only another King could save me.

I played in two nightly tournaments after the first day. In one nightly tournament I was near, so close, to the bubble when my Ace, Jack lost to an Ace, 9. A 9 came on the river.

In another nightly I was all in against two, one with fewer chips than myself. I had pocket Kings. The big stack had pocket Jacks. Queen, 7, 8 on the flop. Then a 9. Then a 10. Straight to the Jack.

I did well, though some may say I should not have pushed with an Ace, Jack under the gun. There were six at the table and the small blind had a monster stack.

I found that their were many top rated poker players at the WSOP from all over the place.

With our winnings from free slot play (sometimes my wife puts a bit of cash into the one armed bandit), my recent track winnings and certainly with all the casino points I have earned and enjoyed at the casino’s restaurants, I am ahead, in the black, in regards to our casino outings.

So I need only watch my poker returns and losses to judge my success or failure in casino activities. The next Mid-States here in Milwaukee starts the end of March.

Not having capitalized at the WSOP another decision has been made for me. Some work on the house I was contemplating having a contractor do, I will be doing myself.

Time

I put in my time this Winter. I picked up a lot from some reading I did but that does not replace experience. But reading and experience together has brought noticeable results.

The biggest improvement I have made in my game (we are talking poker) is I just do not go on tilt any more, ever. I have reached a point where I come out ahead two out of every three outings. The problem is my up days are too small and my down days are too large.

I have improved on another of my weaknesses, which was to stay too long in big pot big betting in hands which drain a good percentage of my stack. I avoid or get out of such circumstances quickly, unless I have the nuts. I also tend to pay out on the river to to see that I am really beat, though often I already know that I am.

Another weakness, which I have just realized I must address, is not getting up enough to keep the blood circulating and not eating when I spend long hours, a lot of time, at the table.

The quality of one’s spirit and determination influences one’s outcome. When I am having a tough day, not eating just makes it that much harder to keep one’s spirit up. I have to review the Casino’s restaurants and their menus to find some healthy meal choices. I have won a lot of reward points I can spend, but not enough to make up for my losses. Perhaps I will use the reward points to take my wife to a show.

Here is an example of a tough day. I have pocket 5’s. Then 5-9-Q come on the flop. Here I am to bet heavily to get the most out of my hand. The odds are high in my favor that I will win this hand. Well, there are two raisers after my bet on the flop. The betting is capped. Myself and one other slow down, not raising. We get to the river and what do I find. One gentleman had pocket 9’s, the other pocket Q’s. What are the odds?

Then I have pocket 8’s like eight times and not once does it pay off. I had pocket K’s and lost, and in short order five others received those pocket K’s and they all lost. You get top trips (with a great kicker) and lose to a full house. You get a full house and lose to a better full house. Sometimes that is the nature of the table you find yourself at, and it never seems to end.

I have reached my limit as far as losses go. I will still get out to play, since I have improved, but not nearly as often. More important than the loss of money is the loss of time, if there is no return on investment. And now with spring upon us I have so many other things to do with my time.

So I step back a bit to start investing in the garden and other endeavors conducive to the warmer months, and what happens? Well the foul weather is surely a hindrance, but on top of that I catch a cold. I have not been sick for more than half a day for many many a year, but this is the third day of my cold.

I have found some returns on the investment of my time other than poker chips. With a clear vision of the man one would like to become the poker table can be a great proving grounds. Inevitably feelings of greed, envy, despair, jealousy, insecurity, fear and the like will arise. To dispel all these negative inclinations, to enjoy the company around you and not to be dismayed by negative outcomes are strengths one can develop and can lead to having much more fun at the tables.

Time well spent.

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.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Yes, the Christmas season is still upon us and we are fresh into the New Year. The Christmas Spirit glows bright with the snow. Really. Are is there any nation that never has a white Christmas that is known for its Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Man?

Think about it.

The cold and snow also places emphasis on indoor pursuits. Backgammon is one option for Winter gaming, particularly since they start so early in the evening. It was hard to find the time during the long days of Summer to participate in tournaments put on by our local backgammon organization that meets at Rounding Third, Wednesday nights.

The WSOP is coming to town. That is not a Christmas song.

I had some nominal returns in my end of the year poker endeavors after Christmas, getting me close to even for 2016 (I didn’t play much last year). The first days of this New Year have not been kind.

I bought into three satellite tournaments on three consecutive days in an attempt to enter the Mid-States Poker Tournament at Potawatomi Casino; the main event(s) beginning today. I never broke the bubble though I did not do poorly. My biggest mistake in my final opportunity was to try to buy a pot. It almost worked. The waiting is the hardest part. Then when I went all in with two pair on the flop, my opponent called, again the waiting and waiting. I was ahead. He hit a set Three of a kind on the turn.

With time to burn over the three days I tried the limit tables. I thought I may win back my entry fees in open play. The problem? By the third tournament, the third day, and my mind spinning over all the hands I played, not allowing me to sleep well the night before (and no morning coffee), I was far from being on top of my game. I was really tired.

I very easily could have come out on top, but I can only blame myself. I have no control over the actions of others, no right to judge or make detrimental use of my time by worry about what might have been. I can only control what I do. I missed some calls and as far as any other problems at the tables, I should not have been playing so tired. And that is all I have to say about that.

So I went out with some yahoo calling big raises pre-flop with junk and hitting a set of 3’s on the turn against my very solid two pair. Junk, people play junk at the casino. That is why it is so hard to win at limit poker sometimes; even NL. Q, 3 off suit with an opening four then eight times a normal blind just to get in the hand.

So over three days I lost almost as much as the direct buy-in for the main event. (I plan to win it back and more) The satellites have a much more aggressive blind structure, unlike the main event. The less aggressive blind structures of the main event serve to my advantage, I believe. It may be a better strategy on the smaller tournaments to just buy-in direct.

Taking note of intentions I developed in the past, ignored and now their validity reinforced, I should set my sights on playing but once a week, unless a tournament requires otherwise. I will attempt only one satellite per tournament, or no more than one a week if there is a long lead up period to the main event. I will make sure I am all there before I sit at any table.

If I have not had a focused day (or morning) of accomplishment I tend to not go to the casino even if I had been planning to. As the Christmas season comes to an end tomorrow, and we pack all the trappings of the season away on Saturday, I will afterwards focus on my new work schedule I am developing for 2017. It will be heavily focused on my writing. I have reorganized the entire office with that goal in mind.

The WSOP is coming to Potawatomi. I will definitely make an attempt at that. And yes, once a week I plan to be at the tables. It is Winter. A time for indoor activities. I will afterwards, based on a consistent and constant effort, evaluate the results and make further determinations from there. Once gardening season begins and the days grow long I will have little opportunity to play.

Thank you for reading.