Embarassing admission of a guilty pleasure

I'm hooked on Desperate Housewives. How unmanly.

A good new poker book

I just finished reading Poker: The Real Deal by Phil Gordon. It's a great book for poker players who want to improve their game. You won't find the mathematical details that you'll find in Sklansky's books, but it's a great start on learning how to think like a poker player, and its written in a very accessible and entertaining style. You may know Gordon as the co-host of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown. I get the impression from the book that he doesn't take himself too seriously. He seems like the type of guy who never makes you feel intimidated while he's breaking your bankroll. And if you play against him, you can be sure that your losses support a good cause since he donates a portion of his winnings to the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

Shuffle up and deal!

I entered one of those "bar poker" Texas Hold'Em tournaments last night (finished 3rd...not bad). It was a blast even though there was no real money involved since gambling is illegal in my state. It's amazing how popular Texas Hold'Em has become. It seems to have replaced trivia and karaoke as the popular bar entertainment around here. The problem is that too many people at these tournaments think they are poker pros and the egos are hard to deal with. With that in mind, I offer these tips for poker etiquette:

1. If you want to have a beer or two, go ahead, but don't get sloppy. It's a pain to play with someone who spills drinks on the table and plays out of turn, and it slows down the game.
2. A little good-natured ribbing is ok, but for the most part check the ego at the door. You may think you're the next Chris Moneymaker, but guess what...you aren't.
3. Cut to the right, deal to the left.
4. Don't make fun of the rookies. Help them become better players. It will provide more competition for you in the future.
5. If you are a rookie, don't get into a game that is more serious than you can handle.
6. When betting, don't make change from bet stacks that haven't yet been pushed into the pot. It makes it difficult to determine whether all bets are proper and play can proceed.
7. Don't show or talk about your cards until after the hand is over. Just because you didn't need that 3, someone still in the hand may be hoping for it on the river, and you don't want to give them unfair info.
8. Don't continue to discuss incessantly the last hand once the new hand is dealt. It slows down play. And it makes you look amateurish.
9. Keep the cards above the table when dealing, cutting, or playing your hand.
10. Don't get mad when you lose. Somebody's got to. Better you than me.
    

Thoughts on the election

I voted for Bush, and I don't regret my vote. But I'm not completely supportive of the current direction of the Republican party. Some things I would like to see happen in the next four years.

1. Lessen the threat of terrorism in the US.
2. Become less dependent upon foreign fuel.
   
3. Reform and simplify the tax code.
4. Reform Social Security.
5. Fix the healthcare system with tort reform to lessen the burden of malpractice insurance and lower prescription costs (any ideas on this one? I'm not sure how to do it...I just want it to magically happen without screwing anything else up even worse.)
6. Decrease spending/growth of government.

And here are the things I don't want to happen that probably will:

1. Amendment banning gay marriage.
2. Spending like a liberal. (Mr. President, you do know you can veto some bills, right?)
3. Exchanging civil rights for security.
4. Amendment banning flag burning. (This one is just silly. )
5. Further division between the right and left.

It's very difficult to be a fiscal conservative while being socially liberal these days. The polarization of the two parties leaves out the majority of people who are near the middle. I once considered myself a staunch conservative, but that word seems to have a new meaning, only I didn't realize it until this campaign cycle.