Forced Vacation

During one of my post-Thanksgiving illnesses in 2005, I didn't have the common sense to stop playing online poker at a time when I wasn't at my best.

I was unemployed and living in my parents' basement, having recently attained a bankroll I deemed sufficient to test the waters of the Party Poker 15/30 limit games. As I was sneezing, coughing and feeling terrible, I dropped about two-thirds of my roll over just a few days.

I learned the hard way that playing poker when sick is simply unprofitable.

With that experience in mind, I haven't sat at a table since I returned from Vegas on Sunday.

I still feel pretty crappy, but I like to imagine that I've saved thousands of dollars by making the smart choice. In the meantime, it's "Super Mario Galaxy" for me.