MONKEY is resigning from POKER

I have given this a LOT of thought. Hours and hours.

I have also had to wrestle with just how much poker means to me these days. I have a wife who hates it when I am away from home. I have dogs who miss me, and I miss them too. And one of them decides to destroy the yard everytime I am away from home.

I have these problems with certain 'upper level' management-types...who, for reasons I can never seem to figure out, just seem to carry a bias against me. It has gotten very, very exhausting. I have tried so very hard to tone down my act...and whether I have done that, or if the constant harranguing has just caused me to become a shell of my old self, a walking zombie...who just shows up...and does what I do...and either loses and leaves or wins and monotinously collects my winnings before leaving, it has all gotten to be so drab and mundane.

Yesterday, in talking to my good buddy Charlie Oliver...I had one of those 'moments' we all have sometimes. A moment of clarity. He starts telling me about when he quit wanting to play poker tourneys.

"Monkey...you know when it got bad? Man...I used to like to go to tourneys, see and meet different people, chat people up...have fun, man! And then...all of a sudden, dealers and floor people started making it not fun. No talking in the hand, no saying things that MIGHT be offensive...cant do this, cant do that. And then...all of a sudden, all the people at the table started to annoy me to no end. I mean, that can't be good when you are sitting there and just LOOKING for reasons, or having them dropped in your lap to HATE everyone at the table! You know what I mean, Monkey? That can't be good man...and thats when I just decided I didn't like playing anymore!"

Wow. That, to some extent, has been where I have been mired for the last six months or so. I don't have the fun I used to. I don't chat as much as I used to. I don't feel that fire, and passion that I used to when I would go to a tourney. Nope..now its just me chasing that one big score, that will allow me to walk away from this game. But for how long am I supposed to chase this score before I drive myself or those closest to me insane? Is it even worth it?

I think the answer is no.

So, today, I have decide to quit poker. I recieved an offer to run a guy's business in Florida. They specialize in buying bad debt from other companies and turning it into worse debt, which they then sell off to another company. It sounds like a remarkable opportunity. It comes with benefits too. Even a company car. We will have to move from Biloxi. No big deal. Hope you all don't miss me too much. Its been a lot of fun blogging here, and getting to know some of you. I won't miss the haters...not at all. Time to move on...to do something with some stability.

Take care everyone......

and oh.....

yeah...unless I forgot to say it earlier......


HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!

MONKEY