Items needed for a poker trip

As I prepare to go play a whole lot of poker, let me give you some more details about yesterday’s game:

I had found that Sarah was an excellent second opinion, so I asked her to sit with me while I played the tournament. This isn’t a small favor: the tournament went past midnight, and I got knocked out around 10:30pm after I’d been playing for over 7 hours.

Throughout the game she’d observe that I was getting excited (usually because I won a couple of hands) and so she’d tell me to slow down. When I win a bunch of chips I’m like a sailor on shore leave, and she’d look at a hand I was dealt and say, “Baby, that’s crap. Fold that.” And I would. Or we would debate it while the countdown timer ran.

Also every hour there were five minute breaks, and she’d make me go do sit-ups, or jumping jacks, or something else to get rid of all the nervous energy that was manifesting itself through my finger pressing the “RAISE” button when it shouldn’t have.

I know I couldn’t have gotten as far as I did without her. It’s only fair of course, as we were both playing for the free cruise for two.

I’m off for a week of poker in an undisclosed location. Updates when I have them.