Friday, August 01, 2008

A Vegas Year is 19 Months Long.

That's how quickly it happens.

Like watching a runner runner flush...

Boom.

Just like that.

The Vegas Year is over.

There's a theoretical seat open at my figurative table.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I've had to live here. It was a dream come true to jump into the world of Vegas poker. I've watched, seen, and learned so damn much. Writing about it has been a joy as well.

Of course living here has also been difficult at times. To have to win, yet not always win. To feel bad that I'm not working hard enough, then go lose money and feel even worse that I played at all.

And of course dealing with the tilt. The emotions. The great challenge of not letting results matter, when in fact they're all that do matter. Unless the gas station and supermarket start taking your bad beat stories.

I'm excited to relocate. Our next stop is California. Being from NYC I've occasionally had an attitude towards the West Coast. Maybe it's the whole Brooklyn losing the Dodgers to Los Angeles thing. All I know is now after 19 months of living in the desert, California looks to me like the Garden of Eden.

The best part about the way the human mind works is that I'm already fantasizing about coming back to Vegas to play poker for a weekend...

And I haven't even left yet!

I think I wanna stay at the Bellagio.

And then fly back home and out of Vegas 48 hours later!

Leaving is a big part of the fantasy.

That's what I call the happy ending.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Rob -- wow -- you caught me off guard. Once the Vegas Year passed 12 months, I thought it would go on forever. I've stopped in to the blog nearly everyday -- a little intravenous shot of Rob Cohen to get me thru the day. Now what?

I may have to join Vicarious Gamblers Anonymous to break the habit. Or may I'll have to gamble myself. What are we all going to do?

Oh yeah! CLIFF BRANCH IN THE HOUSE! And you can keep Farve.

Check Raise Chin said...

Hey Rob,

This is surprising to say to the least. I really thought you were going to be in Vegas for a long time. I really enjoyed the posts. I hope you continue to write about your adventures in California.

There are card rooms in California aren't there?

Good Luck Rob in all your future endeavors.

You'll always have a fan here bro.

Otis said...

R--

Well, I'm happy to see you're making it out alive. I'm with the rest, though. I probably would've paid a little to see you stay. No better in Vegas, as far a I am concerned.

Please let us know if you start the L.A. year.

BWoP said...

Robert,

Sad to see that you're leaving just as I'm starting my installment of the same.

I wish you all the best in Cali!

AnguilA said...

Always looked forward to reading your new posts. Very GG and GL in California!

jusdealem said...

I'm very sad to see you leave, as this was favorite blog read! Good luck to you and best wishes.

PJS JR. said...

Thanks for the ride Robert. Enjoyed your blog immensely, and look forward to the next one. All the best on your next endeavour.

Gydyon said...

Definitely hope you keep writing about poker, because you're very talented. It's been great following your exploits, and all the best in your relocation.

WillyR said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jon Biedermann said...

Damn, I only found your blog about 2 months ago and have found it to be one of the best that chronicles the real-life adventures of a professional poker player, especially from 11pm - 5am, lol.

As someone else said, now I have to live vicariously through some other blogger. Sigh.

Good luck in California!

Darren Aronofsky said...

pussy

FreeFormCoder said...

All I can say is that I'm impressed you did it. I remember back in 1997 (perhaps as early as 95?) you were talking about the Vegas Year. I always thought you were just talking it up as a comedy bit, but like Kaufman you made the comedy real by actually following through on it. But it's also a reasonable decision to stand up from this particular table and walk away. Your writing has been as good as ever, but I can tell in the last few months that some of your heart has gone out of it.

Speaking of writing, please don't stop. You have found your voice and have developed a very readable line and cadence. Please keep blogging, or turn this blog into a book, or something. We all have gifts that go wasted, but you shouldn't waste your true writing voice. It's taken 20 years for you to find it, so go find something to write about. And if I believed in god I would say god-speed, but instead I'll just say "speed". c