CARDRUNNERS

What's Your Edge

ezmogee's Poker Blog

May 28, 2009

I know that if I stay in this town long enough, I will inevitably go insane. It's just the way Las Vegas is - it is a town meant for visiting, not for living. A town meant for gambling and entertainment - but most certainly not for employment :)

And yet, there is always something so damn exhilarating about finally getting here. It may sound silly, but I intentionally try to book night time flights to Vegas because I love that unique descent into flashing lights. If you haven't experienced this ride, you must. Las Vegas is in the middle of nowhere, truly. You see nothing but pitch black darkness for a full sixty minutes before approaching Vegas. And then all of a sudden, your plane banks to the left, and lights sprawling further than any eye can see emerge beneath you. It's a city that shouldn't exist. There are natural causes for why this town should have been populated, and yet it has. There's just something special about Vegas.

More to the point, I know I love Vegas because I'm losing right now. I am running awful, having horrible luck, losing gigantic pots as 95% favorites, and yet I'm happy. I'm happy to be around my friends, getting caught up in the hoopla of the World Series of Poker. After my third horrendous day of the trip, I walked back to my room, somewhat sulking and feeling a little sorry for myself. And then I realized that I'm staying at the Encore, the nicest hotel in Vegas, and possibly a top 5 hotel in America. My room is gorgeous - hell my hotel room is larger than my apartment in Chicago. And I'm complaining? What right do I have to feel sorry for myself when my days consist of playing a game that I love, living luxuriously, and staying young with my friends. It's so silly to get caught up in losses or the craziness of it all. In a world of tough times, I have to appreciate when things are truly good.

The first time I ever came out to Vegas, I had turned 21 just 3 weeks before. I stayed at Treasure Island, and was in awe of the Wynn. My parents took me see Avenue Q at the Wynn - I was intimidated by the hotel. The nicest place in Vegas...gorgeous surroundings, perfectly polished floors...would I ever be able to stay there? Would I ever be able to roam the halls with such successful people? And now that I do, and now that the Wynn/Encore are just a routine, it's so easy to forget about earlier thoughts. I believe that success is extraordinaly important for my life. But I also believe that it can be extremely dangerous, when we lose sight of our definitions of success.

I don't know if my life is a success, just yet. But I do know that it's genuinely amazing.

Love,
Ezra Moses

Entry Tags:

May 28, 09 21:42:20

nice post.

BigBadDevil

May 29, 09 02:34:00

Im arriving to vegas this sunday for the first time...Im looking forward to it!

bazuko

May 29, 09 16:20:19

man pop another trip!

imallrin

Jun 1, 09 03:16:59

by losing 95% of pots as huge favorites, you mean shoving on myth's aces with naked straight draws and sucking out?

had to call it.