There are no off days, Days 72-73, The end of days and start of BOOM

Thursday May 19th-Friday May 20th: Coincidentally, Friday May 20th became a day of more beginnings and endings than I could've possibly anticipated when I began writing this log two and a half months ago. Back then I never would've thought when I wrote my last entry, online poker as I knew it in the U.S. and my entire adult career would be at an end. Conversely, it seems I may only be at the beginning of a new career trajectory.

I'm pleased with what I got done during that period. I worked harder in the gym in that span than any other period of my life and found energy and endurance I didn't think I had by training with Shon. Again, I think I peaked out right around 10% body fat, and I think getting into single digits without an exceptionally strict diet and caloric intake would be very difficult. Additionally, my weight hasn't really changed all that much; I think I started this about 192 and I'm something like ~186 now (I was never paying much attention to the scale). However, it's a much more solid and proportionate mid 180's than it ever was before, so I'm happy with the end result.

It seems that unless you're someone who's forced by profession to train, once you take it to that quantity and consistency you eventually become addicted to it. Despite having officially "let myself go" it just seems crazy to me that I would cut back to any less than five days a week. If I wake up and don't have anything pertinent to do, I don't know why I wouldn't start my day exercising on an empty stomach, if only to jump-start my metabolism for the day and get my blood flowing. Even if you dedicate certain periods to something more intense, I think most guys realize the value in making a long term commitment to staying fit. On the days I'm not sore to the point of near immobilization and contemplating suicide, I feel great!

Taking off from the diet is pleasant though. I don't want to go ballistic with it, but knowing that you can accept a social food offering of some kind is reassuring. I had a beer yesterday; that shit was wild. The hard part will be during the series when people are always out to amazing restaurants, but with the help of Black Friday I'm pretty confident I can pass most of those up on account of being unable to handle fancy silverware after breaking my fingers while crossing them in hopes of getting my frozen funds back.

The 20th also saw the final table of the 2011 WPT Championship play out to the winner Scott Seiver and thus end our season. Scott is truly a deserving champion and a great guy I've known ever since one 2007 Summer day on the Fontana Lounge balcony in Bellagio when he approached me to say how much he liked my suit. Since then Scott has gone on to become one of the most dominant online and live players, both in tournaments and cash games. To those who knew him and knew of him, his win last night was little surprise, and most definitely one for the good guys.

While my play over this year's World Poker Tour season was unfortunate, everything else appears to have worked out excellent. The segment has received strong positive feedback and my coworkers are happy to have me on board. I've had a great time doing every aspect of the job and can't wait to continue doing so in future seasons. I still can't believe it's real.

The most obvious event on the horizon is the WSOP. I imagine I'll be pretty lazy about writing in the week coming up to it, but perhaps something will rattle around the old skull and I'll have to put it to print. Otherwise I'll start up again with the WSOP reports as I did last year. I'll be playing a full schedule of NLH and PLH events at the series, as well as events at the Venetian and Caesar's when there's nothing on at the Rio. I'm curious to see how the series will change this year with the looming presence of Black Friday, but I intend on having an ass load of fun no matter what.

The last item I had no idea would begin so formally today is the announcement of BOOM, the new poker documentary created by the guys who did the Busto to Robusto series and directed by Ryan Firpo. I was contacted by Ryan after last years WSOP and he asked whether I'd be interested in doing the documentary with them. He said they were still considering numerous other people, but that he liked me as a potential subject. We continued communicating for a few months and by the end of the year he informed me I"d been selected to star in it along two other major protagonists.

We first met where we were to start filming, at the Celebrity Invitational in February at the Commerce Casino. Just speaking with Ryan I could tell he really knew the story he was telling about the greater poker industry and that he was on to something special. They did a number of interviews with me through the Invitational and LAPC plus followed me around for numerous days filming everyday interactions. They filmed me again in Las Vegas during the WPT Championship and will cap it off with some footage during the WSOP. The release is scheduled for early 2012.

Feedback to the trailer has been immensely positive thus far, but you can come to your own conclusion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noS7EmKqNM&hd=1

And while so much has ended today, there is still so much that has yet to be played out…