Personal Weaknesses and New Year's Resolutions

Weight: Sometimes I am so weak that I disgust myself. The last time I was in decent shape was in May 2000. And for that to happen, I had to shame myself into entering a $10,000 weight bet with the likes of Mike Sexton, Mike Matusow, Robert Williamson, and several other players who had similar issues.

For them, it was another one of their goofy wagers. For me, it was humiliating. Not only is merely $100 a huge bet for me (other than in poker and business), but I was ashamed that I couldn't lose my weight on my own. I made the bet, wrote about it, and lost the weight because of my Alpha personality that would not allow me to lose.

So, here I am, five years later, back to 225 pounds, and I have been fooling myself for two years that I am back on my program. I give up. I cannot do it without you. With that in mind, on a recent Mike Matusow Card Player radio show, Mike, Jeff "Happy" Shulman, and I bet $10,000 each that we would each lose 25 pounds by April 25, the starting day of the WPT Championship at Bellagio. I will not lose this bet. Actually, I hope the other two don't, either.

Poker: Last year, Happy said I played worse than anybody on the tournament circuit. He was right. Watch out. I can't control luck, but I plan on controlling my actions this year. I swear that during the play of several hands last year, while I was saying to myself that I was folding, I uncontrollably tossed in my chips. Not this year. Watch out.

Poker Book: This year, I commit to write another book. (Just because I am subject to playing silly doesn't mean that I don't know what to do.) I wrote one two years ago. Besides the gratification that comes from helping people, one reason I like to teach things is that it helps me learn and remember.

Card Player Quality: 2005 was a banner year for improving Card Player. That includes the magazine, the website, content, technology, new products, and assembling the best staff I have ever had in any business. I commit that you will find the changes made this year to be even more dramatic and compelling. Content will mushroom. Delivery will be as high-tech as any site. Multimedia will become the watchword on our site. Our look will blossom even more and tournament reporting will bring the excitement of every major event right to you.

I promise.