DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.”

Just to be clear about my Doylisms, not all of them are original.  People come up to me and say, “I read that somewhere before.”  I read a lot when I have time and jot down sayings that make an impression on me.  There is a wide variety, all the way from Will Rogers to Winston Churchill.  Other Doylisms come from things I’ve heard in conversation and some are original ones that I create.  Anyways, they are lots of fun.

I’m in the middle of a minor domestic dispute with my wife.  Louise is an absolute jewel and needs to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for putting up with me for 47 years.  But sometimes, I’m reminded of an old Texas saying, “There are only two times in a man’s life when he doesn’t understand women.  Before marriage and after marriage.”

There is no high-limit poker right now.  Everybody has gone to the Bahamas for a tournament.  As I have repeatedly said, internet poker and tournaments have ruined live cash games.  I may go to Ireland for the Irish Open, but I’m not going to do much traveling.  Las Vegas and California have enough tournaments for me.  I really like the slowdown structure most of the big tournaments are going to.

If you read my last blog, Margaret Hussman, a 15 year old girl from El Paso who is diagnosed with untreatable cancer, is trying to do fun things for the duration of her life.  She went to New York, took a helicopter tour of the city, went to a musical on Broadway and bought tons of souvenirs.  Send Margaret some words of encouragement to anne@ddgoose.com Maybe, just maybe, the doctors will be wrong and Margaret will make it.

The University I went to in Texas has sent me a letter informing me that I’m to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame there.  This came after years and years of my friends and teammates trying to get me inducted.  My name was brought up to the selection committee 10-15 times and was rejected.  Why?  Because I’m a Pro Poker Player and the University is a Baptist college who doesn’t approve of gambling.  I don’t mean to toot my own horn but my credentials as an athlete during my college years certainly qualify me.  I’m in a dilemma if I should accept.

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Life is one sweet song. Enjoy the music.”

I hope this football season gets through soon.  I only leave my desk and TV to go play poker when there is a game.  I thought I had the football needle out of my arm but it’s so much fun to bet and watch, I can’t help myself.  Anyway, in the NFL I think Pitt and Carolina will be in the Super Bowl.  And if Florida doesn’t beat Oklahoma by more than 3 points, I may be in the bread line.

It looks like golf may be the favorite gambling game among the poker players.  David Benyamine, Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu are all playing and willing to play for big money if they think the games are close.  David and Patrik are amazing the way they have improved.  A year ago, neither one was much of a golfer but both being ex-tennis players, are great athletes.  Also, they have had good instructors and both guys are going to be able to break 80 before this summer is over.

I saw on the news last night that President elect Obama, who is an avid poker player, may introduce a new bill to legalize internet poker after he takes office.  Our country could certainly use the revenue in taxes that would be raised.  Obama faces the greatest challenge a President could imagine with the economy and terrorist threat.  I know Ivey and Negreanu both met Obama and he knew them by name so he for sure has an interest in poker.

There is a 15-year-old young lady named Margaret Hussman, a niece of a longtime friend, who has untreatable cancer and has less than 90 days to live.  My ex-roomate in college, Ray Hibler, called and asked me to write her an encouraging letter recounting my “terminal” battle with cancer 55 years ago.  Margaret is a poker enthusiast and I’m certainly going to call.  She is trying to spend her remaining days doing something new and enjoyable.  Send Margaret an e-mail at anne@ddgoose.com  I know she will appreciate it.  For all of us, there is no promise for tomorrow.  Happy New Year and lets all have a great 2009!

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “No one ever saw a cowboy on the psychiatrist’s couch.”

Yesterday was a big day for me. After sitting at my desk for three months, everything happened at the same time. I had three important meetings; the Extreme Poker Show at the Venetian sent a group in to discuss tactics as did High Stakes Entertainment – the golf tournament guys. The third meeting was maybe the most important…my bookie who owed me money from basketball. That would have been a full day but they came on a day I had two doctor appointments. I had these doctor appointments scheduled for weeks and couldn’t cancel so I tried to make all five meetings.

My first appointment was with my dermatologist. I had a bump on my head that I couldn’t get rid of. Actually it was more like a large pimple and after my experience with melanoma cancer 46 years ago I was more than a little concerned. The doctor looked at it and announced it was a type of cancer that needed to come out. Just what I needed at 9:00 in the morning. Usually at 9 a.m. I roll over for another hour of sleep! The good news was that it was a squamous cancer that didn’t spread easily but it could bore straight down. That was cool; it could penetrate my skull and eat up what few brain cells I have left. The doctor said he would have to make a large and deep incision to be sure he got it all and it would leave a bad scar. I’ve got enough scars on my face and head that it looks like I went through a Viking war. So I told him to be sure and do the operation up right because I was pretty sure Cameron and Drew wouldn’t want me to do any more love scenes in the movies with them. So now I’m walking around looking like I’ve been in a fight at the Hogs and Heifers Bar.

After a thirty minute wait, they said no problem, they got it all. After I went home and changed my shorts I felt fine.

I ran to the meetings with Extreme Poker and High Stakes Entertainment before my three o’clock appointment with my cardiologist. I had taken a bunch of tests at my last visit and she had the results. After chewing me out for gaining ten pounds she said I was in pretty good shape for someone my age. My cholesterol was 179 which is really good but my bad cholesterol – whatever that is – was high. So her advice was to cut down on red meat, don’t eat cheese and to exercise a lot. Yeah, right. I did notice she didn’t tell me to have more sex or do any fun stuff. But, I guess I’ll try to do what she said.

There is an island in the Pacific called Brunson Island. That is where all the bookmakers go after they have me for a customer for a while. They retire and live like kings on my money. This time I had a lot of money coming and my bookie didn’t have it.

No wonder I had to take 2 ½ Vicodin to go to sleep. What a day! – DB