Shadow of a Gambler

A member writes, 'Dear Geno, I have been following your adventures on these websites for the past year and must admit you lead an adventurous life. When you are not gambling, how do you use your time? Do you ever have a period when the cards or inspiration simply fail to come to you? When that happens, what do you do -- and no hedging! Phyllis C., Scottsdale, AZ.'

Ah, Phyllis. You live in one of my favorite cities, the town that millionaires built. It was in Scottsdale at the Pink Pony that I met Bob Hope. I also met Joe Beeler, who belonged to the Cowboy Artists of America, and his beautiful and talented daughter, Tracy, who is now an accomplished sculptor. And I fondly remember those annual rodeos sponsored by the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and the fun we had in all the bars and restaurants after the rodeo action was completed.

But Phyllis is right about one thing. No gambler can gamble all the time. People aren't built that way.

I used to work for a wonderful editor named Barry Miller. Barry hired me as associate editor for LottoWorld, a national lottery magazine that operated out of Naples, FL. Barry and his brother handicapped the greyhound dogs at the Naples-Ft. Myers track and I spent many interesting evening with them there.

He was fascinated that I had lived as a gambler in Lake Elsinore, CA. for a couple of years. Barry kept shaking his head, saying, 'It takes guts to do something like that. How did you survive?' How, indeed? There were times I asked myself the same question.

The fact is that I am a writer who plays poker rather than a poker player who writes.

I start every day the same, on my personal computer. That is where I sort out the things I want to write that day for my publishers around the United States and the Caribbean.

Several years ago I set myself a schedule of writing a minimum of 1,000 words per day. Believe it or not, I have kept to that schedule.

While much of my writing focuses on poker or other games of chance, I also, write humor and do articles for family magazines.

For example, I enjoy writing about my grandchildren, my daughter or my family. It's fun to recreate incidents that happened so many years ago and share them with a new audience.

I also spend a lot of my time in libraries. Reading books is one of the most creative and rewarding past times I can find. I never regret the time I spend in a friendly library.

If I am near a horseback stable, I will find me a horse and schedule a morning ride for an hour or two. Hopefully, the wrangler in charge will look the other way when I kick my horse into a gallop. It's part of my old ways and for a cowboy writer and gambler, the old ways never leave.

As a professional ghostwriter who has published three books for other people, I am constantly on the lookout for writing projects that can be converted into articles, books or even screenplays. I recently accepted an offer to help a legendary poker player write a book about his childhood and his experiences during World War 2 and beyond. The book will take about 200 pages to tell his story and I am excited about the possibilities.

And then I spend time with Coco and Sadie.

Coco is a Mexican Chihuahua we picked up in Nogales, Mexico. Sadie is an Alaskan Husky mix that is delightful to be around. Both are members of our family and I don't think I could get along without them.

They have perfected the looks that beg food. They know exactly where to stand to gain their best chances for a handout. And they are the most loving four-legged creatures the Lord ever created.

Next Friday I will be undergoing surgery at the VA Hospital in Charleston, S.C. It's a relatively minor operation. After I recover from the procedure, I plan to work out, exercise and build up my physical stamina. While I don't expect to get back to running 10 miles a day as I did in the past, I hope to do some good running, especially after I return to Phoenix.

These represent the shadows of a gambler. Thanks for the question, Phyllis.