NaNoWriMo, Day 2: Experimenting With a Key Scene

Note: I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with a small group of peers in the poker industry, and I have decided to post what I write to my blog to put additional pressure on myself to write. The "official" NaNoWriMo goal is 50,000 words in a month (1,666 per day), but I expect to be writing less than that. My goal is to write one "scene" per day, but if I can write more, I will.

Day 2: 0 words / NaNoWriMo to date: 357 words

Today was a day of treading water in NaNoWriMo rather than forward progress.

The first scene after the prologue is the inciting event, the mysterious incident that occurs to The Little Nimitz in the title. (If I haven't mentioned it, the working title is The Mystery of the Little Nimitz.) What happens during this scene -- and why -- is the mystery that must be solved during the rest of the story.

I know the basics of the scene, but I was conflicted as to how to enter the story. So I wrote 431 words on my flight from WPT Foxwoods to Atlanta that tested different angles for the opening scene. I'm not counting those words in my NaNoWriMo progress because they don't represent anything that will be part of my NaNoWriMo draft.

According to the NaNoWriMo "rules," I did this completely wrong. "No editing," they say. I should have just picked an angle and kept writing without turning back. If I want to change it, that's something I should save for the editing process in November. I support that rule, and plan to use it for most of the book. But this scene is central to the story, and if I don't like this scene, it may affect my writing motivation later on.

The goal for NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words, and two days in, I've only written 10.7% of what I'm supposed to -- 357 words instead of 3,333. Oh well, I still made important progress toward finishing the novel (I think I found my angle). Not everything can be measured by word count.

NaNoWriMo, Day 1: The Prologue

Note: I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with a small group of peers in the poker industry, and I have decided to post what I write to my blog to put additional pressure on myself to write. The "official" NaNoWriMo goal is 50,000 words in a month (1,666 per day), but I expect to be writing less than that. My goal is to write one "scene" per day, but if I can write more, I will.

Day 1:  357 words  /  NaNoWriMo to date:  357 words

Prologue

There has always been a tense relationship between Mermaids and Men.

There are the obvious biological differences (Mermaids can breathe underwater, among other things), but those evolutionary differences are more minor than they seem. In fact, the two species can still mate and produce viable offspring -- though the children of these inter-species encounters are almost always mermaids.

The conflict was more philosophical in nature -- Magic vs. Technology.

Those are the two paths for intelligent life to follow, and the more you focus on one, the less likely you are to understand the other. The Mermaids, who felt a closer bond to nature, chose Magic. Men, as everyone reading this knows, chose Technology. In ancient times, the differences between the two forces were minor, and the two species tolerated each other, even mingling from time to time.

But the Mermaids didn't trust Technology, especially as it grew stronger. The Mermaids felt that Technology isolated Men from nature and would lead them down a dark and dangerous path to war and destruction. (Many could argue that the Mermaids were right.) During what we now call the Dark Ages, the Mermaids became isolationists -- they cut all ties with Men, destroyed land-based records of their existence, and withdrew to the mysterious depths of the ocean.

For more than a millennium, there was no record of contact, and Mermaids faded into legend. But Technology marched on, and Men slowly began to conquer the seas. Small boats became large boats, and large boats turned into ships. Not content on the surface, Men developed submarines, sonar, floating oil rigs, and even underwater nuclear bomb tests. Men were dirty and loud, filling the oceans with garbage and noise and slowly destroying everything the Mermaids loved.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the Mermaids knew the time was approaching when their Magic would no longer be able to hide them from Technology. Their society would eventually be discovered, and, from what they knew of human history, most likely killed or enslaved.

If the Mermaids had any hope of survival, they would need to take action, while they still had the element of surprise.

BJ's Update on Harry Reid's Online Poker Bill

The poker world continues to wait in a state of limbo to see whether or not U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will be able to pass his online poker bill this month. It has been the hottest topic in poker circles, and rightfully so, as it would fundamentally change the poker industry in the United States (both live and online).

While some of us are sweating the clues and the snippets of news as we follow the shady and complicated process of the U.S. Congress, I don’t recommend that for everyone. Most poker players will sleep easier at night if they skip the day-to-day details and just wait for this to be resolved one way or another.

HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?

The Reid Bill will succeed or fail within two weeks (by Christmas). There are two possible endings:

1.  The Reid Bill is attached to legislation that is successfully passed.

2.  This session of Congress comes to an end, likely before Christmas.

Before that happens, the Reid Bill will be declared dead multiple times on Twitter and blogs and poker websites. But ignore the rumors until one of those two things happens, even if Harry Reid himself declares the online poker bill dead. (He may be bluffing.) The nature of this strategy is to slip it into other legislation at the last minute -- just as our opponents did with the UIGEA in 2006. 

WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT THE REID BILL PASSES?

Many people have asked for my opinion on the odds of the Reid Bill passing. I don’t have any sources in Washington, but it feels like a longshot right now -- I’d say 15-20%. But if you told me in 2009 that we’d have a 1-in-6 chance of passing an online poker bill by the end of 2010, I’d have gladly accepted those odds.

IS THE REID BILL BAD FOR POKER?

No. 

While there are parts of the Reid Bill that are unappetizing, they are necessary compromises to get online poker regulated in the U.S. 

If this bill passes, there will be a 15-24 month period without any online poker in the U.S. And foreign sites like Full Tilt and PokerStars will be kept out even longer. And the player pool will be restricted to U.S. players for a while. Yes, those things suck. But they are temporary.

Over the long term, this bill will simplify money transfers, open up advertising possibilities, and attract a large group of new players. But most importantly, this bill will bring stability to an unstable industry. 

If you think the status quo is fine, then think again. I highly recommend that you read this recent post by Foucault over at ThinkingPoker.net. And you should know that eWalletXpress, an online payment processor, was shut off to U.S. customers earlier this month when they received a Federal warrant. The status quo is unsustainable, and slowly getting worse.

RELAX AND IGNORE THE RUMORS

My recommendation for most of you is to simply relax and enjoy the holidays. Ignore the rumors floating around about the Reid Bill, knowing that it’ll all be over by Christmas. Then, when 2011 begins, we can either face the reality of starting over in our quest for online poker legislation, or analyze the specifics of how the Reid Bill will change our industry forever. 

UPDATED (6 HOURS LATER) WITH DISSENTING POINTS OF VIEW

Two people have left comments that disagree with certain aspects of my post. Since they both made valid, logical arguments, I figured they deserved to be highlighted. (Though I still disagree with them, and stand by my original post.)

Conan776 (@Conan776 on Twitter) points out that eWalletXpress ran afoul of the law for their non-poker dealings, and argues that it's not really relevant. While that might be true, I still think it's indicative of the troubles currently facing online poker and payment processing services. The fact remains that none of the mainstream payment services (Paypal, Neteller, major banks) will do business with online poker sites, and that remains a big problem for our industry.

Joe Tall (@JoeTall on Twitter) strongly disagrees with my claim that there will be no online poker in the U.S. during a proposed "blackout" period of 15-24 months. Joe Tall emphatically believes that there is too much money at stake, and just as Full Tilt and PokerStars have risen to prominence in the post-UIGEA world, new sites with no hope of licensing will do the same in a post-ReidBill world. (Our debate started here in the comments but quickly moved to Twitter.)

We both agree it would create a black market for online poker sites. However, I think the proposed blacklist and strengthening of the UIGEA (both part of the proposed bill) will keep any black market relegated to the fringes of the marketplace. Meanwhile, Joe Tall believes that sites with no chance of getting a license (like Bodog, sites w/ sports betting, etc.) will continue to operate in the U.S. much as they do now, and that any UIGEA enforcement will be similar to what it has been like since the UIGEA technically went into effect earlier this year.

Joe Tall wrote a recent post about the blackout period on his own blog, which you can read by clicking here.

BJ's Early Analysis of Harry Reid's Lame-Duck Online Poker Bill

It's been rumored for weeks, but the Wall Street Journal confirmed on Thursday that an online-poker bill backed by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is floating around the halls of Congress. Reid apparently hopes to attach it to another bill and pass it during the current lame-duck session of Congress. (A similar tactic was used to pass the UIGEA in 2006.)

Wall Street Journal: "Sen. Reid Seeks to Legalize Internet Poker" by Alexandra Berzon

There are still some serious obstacles, not the least of which is a promise by Senate Republicans to block all legislation during the lame-duck session unless George W. Bush's tax cuts (set to expire) are extended across the board. Democrats may be willing to negotiate, because they had hoped to pass a few non-poker bills before the new Congress convenes in January, including a repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Of course, there are still some members of Congress strongly opposed to online gambling, including Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, the ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. Bachus and two other Republicans wrote a letter to the Senate leaders saying they oppose the bill. "Congress should not take advantage of the young, the weak and the vulnerable in the name of new revenues to cover more government spending."

If poker's opponents are reduced to writing a strongly-worded letter, I like our chances.

Other lawmakers who are more neutral when it comes to gambling may be swayed by the promises of tax revenue. If this online-poker legislation is attached to another bill, it could be viewed as a funding clause, making it more palatable to members of Congress who are on the fence.

The Wall Street Journal article only gives the broad details of the bill, and implies that none of this is set in stone yet. But here is what we know so far:

1. Unlike Barney Frank's online gaming bill debated in Congress over the summer, Harry Reid's bill would legalize online poker and nothing else. I think that's a best-case scenario for the poker industry, because we want to spread the word that as a skill game, poker is different than most other forms of gambling.

2. This bill would overturn the UIGEA. Obviously, players would need to be able to fund their online poker accounts.

3. For the first two years, online poker sites would only be licensed to existing brick-and-mortar casinos, horse tracks, and slot machine makers. This obviously excludes Full Tilt, PokerStars, PartyPoker and most of the sites we're familiar with -- they'd all have to wait two years to get a license, intended to negate the huge market advantage they've built in recent years. (If this passes, WSOP.com instantly becomes the 800-pound gorilla in the online poker industry.)

4. Gaming control would be handled by the states, not the federal government.

5. "Taxes on wagers" would be collected at both the state and federal level. We'll need to see more details on this point, but ... yuck. It would be much better for the players if they were only taxed when they cashed out winnings.

6. Harry Reid is pushing this bill at the request of brick-and-mortar casinos, which invested heavily in his tough re-election campaign. This is why the bill will be geared more toward live casinos than the current online poker sites.

That's what we know at this point. But as they say, the devil is in the details. If and when Harry Reid's bill is fully posted online, these are the questions that I'll be looking to answer:

1. Are there any provisions (like a "bad actor" clause) specifically aimed at online poker sites that served U.S. customers during the UIGEA? Or will Full Tilt, PokerStars, and UB be treated the same as sites that avoided the U.S. market?

2. What happens to sites like Full Tilt and PokerStars during the two-year waiting period? As foreign companies, what's to stop them from continuing to serve U.S. customers? Does the bill just assume that they'll voluntarily sit out of this market for two years so they can enter the market legally? Or will there be a provision about enforcement (going after rogue, unlicensed sites)?

3. What are the details on the state and federal taxes? How are the taxes computed, and when/how are they collected? Are the state taxes standardized across the country or set by each state?

4. Are the state taxes collected based on the player's location, the company's location, or (gasp) both? If taxes are collected based on the company's location (and not standardized), it could create a competitive environment allowing a multi-state company like Harrah's/Caesars/WSOP.com to "shop around" for the best value.

5. Will individual states (like Washington) be able to opt out? Or will this bill reopen that market?

6. What, exactly, happens after the two-year waiting period for sites like Full Tilt, PokerStars, and PartyPoker that want to legally enter the market? Do they just pick a state and apply for a license?

7. Finally, look for the loopholes. Will Full Tilt or PokerStars be able to merge with (or purchase) a company that has a brick-and-mortar license to avoid the two-year waiting period?

Those are the legalities to consider, but there will also be a lot of interesting strategy issues in play. I'm curious to see if PartyPoker would hold back the powerful WPT brand for two years, or try a brand-licensing agreement with a company like MGM Resorts International (which owns Bellagio and Aria, among others) to keep WSOP.com from cornering the market with a two-year head start.

Also, if (when?) WSOP.com becomes the leading online poker site in the United States, how would that change the biggest event in the poker world -- the World Series of Poker? For one thing, I'd expect WSOP Main Event registrations to break the 10,000 mark in a year or two, with a first prize of $10+ million. But would the WSOP try to leverage that power by (for example) changing the rules for players wearing sponsorship patches for other sites?

Unlike most of the hopes and promises of legalization, this one will be resolved one way or another by January 3rd, because it's all about getting it passed during this lame-duck session. If it doesn't pass this month, then the dynamics change dramatically with the Republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives. That doesn't mean that online poker would have no chance of being legalized in 2011, only that the process would have to start over from scratch.

What are the odds that Harry Reid can get the bill passed this month? I have no idea, but I know it's greater than 0%. And that's enough to get me excited. (As evidenced by the fact that I stayed up late the night before WPT Bellagio to write 1,317 words about it.)

Naming My New iMac

I recently purchased a new iMac to help me finally organize the tens of thousands of photos I’ve taken in the past six years since I’ve become a professional photographer. I’ve only had laptops with limited storage (and limited memory that chokes when processing thousands of photos), so most of my photo library is spread far and wide over several external hard drives. Time to finally get things in order so I can finish a few long-running projects.

For those who don't know, I name my computers, something I've done since I brought home my first Macintosh in 1992. Past computer names I've used include Sarnoff, Relativity, Millennium, Sagan, Gershwin, Underwood, and Nimitz. It usually takes a little while for me to settle on a name that feels "right" for a specific machine.

For the iMac, I wanted a name that somehow tied into both my photography and my road trips with Rhapsody. While sorting some of my recent photos, I stumbled across the one on the screen above, and immediately knew what I should call this computer.

"Yellowstone."

Speculation: Phil Hellmuth and WSOP.com

Recently, Phil Hellmuth has been making appearances on TV and at tournaments without his once-ubiquitous UB patches, including a “Poker After Dark” taping and a visit to the WSOP’s November Nine final table. Obviously, this is leading a lot of people to speculate that Hellmuth’s long-term relationship with UB may be coming to an end. 

Hellmuth has been seen with logos for Aria casino, and may have a deal with them at this point. But I doubt that Aria “stole” him by outbidding UB for Hellmuth's services. Either Hellmuth tired of his relationship with UB and wanted to leave, or UB didn’t want to pay him any more. 

We may never know the specifics of how the relationship soured, but the more interesting discussion is where will Phil Hellmuth go from here? As one of the most iconic and recognizable poker players in the world, he carries a lot of potential value for sponsors. 

Neither of the two big sites in the U.S. (PokerStars and Full Tilt) really seem like a great match for Hellmuth. Sure, he’d be an asset, but he doesn’t really match up with their current marketing, and Hellmuth, as we know, always likes to be featured front and center -- something that wouldn’t happen at either Stars or Tilt. 

However, one site would be a perfect match for Phil Hellmuth -- WSOP.com.

With online gaming legislation floating around Congress, this is a horrible time to start a new online poker site, or even a skin. There are too many uncertainties out there. But if Hellmuth signs a short-term deal with Aria, or somebody else, he may be just biding his time until poker is (hopefully) legalized and regulated in the United States. (At which point UB may be shut out from regulation due to past transgressions.)

I’ve contended before that one of the first sites likely to pass the Commerce Department’s regulation board would be WSOP.com. Harrah’s has done everything “right” in terms of respecting the UIGEA, and as a corporation, they already have legal and regulated casinos scattered around the United States. 

If and when WSOP.com goes live as a real-money poker site, they’re not going to need a “team” of pros like Full Tilt or PokerStars to market their brand. With all its history and TV exposure, the WSOP has been pre-sold to the American gambling public. But what the site would need is a face, and a spokesperson. And all-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth would fit that role perfectly. 

Obviously, this is all speculation on my part. (See the title of this entry.) But WSOP.com with Phil Hellmuth at the forefront of their marketing campaign would be an extremely powerful combination.

My WSOP Prediction: Michael Mizrachi

Back in September, Bluff Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lance Bradley asked me and some other poker writers to write 200 words on our picks to win the 2010 WSOP Main Event final table. Plans must have changed, because I didn't see the predictions printed anywhere in Bluff's November Nine issue. 

No matter. Here's what I sent to Bluff:

Chipleaders are overrated. Asked to predict a winner, most start at the top of the leaderboard. But chip counts are just a temporary snapshot, and they'll change quite a bit after a few bustouts and double-ups. Historically, the chipleader rarely holds that position to the final five, or three, and the only time the chip lead truly matters is the final hand.

With the best blind structure of the year (and two-hour levels), great players don't need a deep stack. But players with fewer than 20 big blinds are at a disadvantage, because they'll likely need to survive their first all-in situation. They can't afford to go 1-for-2 in races if they lose the first.

So how do you pick a winner? Skill, position, and experience -- and Michael Mizrachi has all three. The Grinder has 28 big blinds, and the top three chip stacks on his immediate right, so he can pick his spots to pick on more vulnerable opponents. He's also the only November Niner with experience at high-pressure televised final tables, where he's won three out of five (the $50,000 WSOP Players Championship and two WPT titles). He may be seventh in chips, but Michael Mizrachi is still the favorite to win the 2010 WSOP Main Event. 

Yes, I needed 215 words. So sue me.

When you're looking at expert predictions or Vegas/Bodog odds, they always weigh the chip counts too heavily. Chip leads always seem much bigger than they are in practical terms, because sports fans are used to more linear scoring. In no-limit hold'em, a player who is down 3-to-1 is only a single double-up away from even, and even a 7-to-1 deficit can be erased in two hands. Yes, being down that much is definitely a disadvantage, but not as big a disadvantage as it is in most sports. (Or in the mind of most bookies.)

As you watch the final table for the WSOP November Nine, pay attention to who has the chip lead with eight players left, and seven players, and six, and so on. More likely than not, the leaderboard will change quite a bit as they play down to a winner. Chip counts are a variable, and that variable will change. 

So what are the constants? Skill, poise, and experience. And those are the advantages that I think Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi brings to this final table.

WSOP, Day #1: My Plans For the Series

While Harrah's says the WSOP begins when the cash games and satellites open for business, I contend that it doesn't begin until players take their seats in a bracelet event. That day is today.

The two events today couldn't be more different. Event #1 (starting at 12:00 noon) is a $500 no-limit hold'em event that is only open to casino employees -- it's the cheapest event in the Series. Event #2 (starting at 5:00 pm) is the $50,000 Player's Championship, featuring a mix of eight games until the final table, which will be all no-limit hold'em (and taped for broadcast on ESPN).

The first event will let everyone working the WSOP (staff, media) a chance to get their feet wet for a few hours before the heavy hitters show up. The second "Shuffle Up and Deal" of the Series is more notable than the first. 

The biggest question for today is how many players will enter the $50,000 Player's Championship. My personal question of the day is how many players will show up on time? The elite pros who populate this event are the same ones who usually prefer showing up late. Last year, the start of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event was delayed because there were less than a few dozen players registered at the scheduled start. (The field eventually reached 95 players.)

This year, I'll be doing a WSOP Photo Blog that will be very similar to the photo blog that I did last year for Poker Road, but with one key difference -- this year my pics will be appearing on the official WSOP.com website, with the most recent photo featured on the front page. This is by far the highest-profile gig I've had in my poker career, and I'm excited about it.

I'll also be recording weekly episodes (at least) of the award-winning Poker Beat, where me and my fellow poker journalists discuss and debate the biggest stories of the WSOP. Our host-with-the-most, Scott Huff, wasn't available yesterday (good luck on the wedding prep, Scott!), so it was a very casual show with me acting as the host, talking with Dan Michalski and Jessica Welman. It definitely had a different vibe than our usual episodes, but it came out better than I thought. I'll be happy when we get Huff back, though.

I'll also be writing weekly statistical breakdowns of the WSOP action over at Dr. Pauly's blog, Tao of Poker. When it comes to true poker bloggers, Pauly is the best of the best, and his WSOP coverage always provides an angle that you won't find anywhere else. I'm honored that he asked me to contribute to his site again this year.

Well, I need to head to the Rio for Day 1. I've ordered a new camera and an additional lens for the WSOP, but because of some screw-ups with Amazon (stressful week), they won't be arriving until tomorrow at the earliest. I also need to put the finishing touches on "BJ's Pocket Guide to the 2010 WSOP" and get them to the printer. My goal is to remind everyone how great the pocket guide is this year, and try to get it published officially next year. 

Road Trip Stats (14 Days)

I've compiled some of the stats for the first 14 days of this 80-day trip. At the end of the trip, I'll have a more complete breakdown, including data like time spent and miles driven for all 50 states.

Sun, Jan 24 - Sat, Feb 6

Total Miles Driven: ~5,250*
Average Gas Mileage: 30.92 mpg
Total Expenses: $1,659.80

* Total miles is approximate because I didn't check the mileage when I parked for the ferry to Alaska. At the last fuel fillup in central Washington, the figure was 5,040 miles.

Here's a breakdown of expenses by category:

Gas: $425.48
Food: $179.85
Ferry to Juneau, AK: $506.00
Broken Window Replaced: $248.14**
Dog Crate & Pillow Pad: $102.67
Rhapsody's Pet-Sitting: $60.00
Rhapsody's Certificate of Health: $50.00
Parking: $36.00
Yellowstone Entry Fee: $25.00
Gambling: $20.00
Souvenirs: $4.16
Lockers & Towel Rental (Boat): $2.50

** Maria Ho graciously saved my ass by paying for the repair of the broken window, since it may have been enough to bankrupt my budget. Thanks, Maria!

I know some of you are curious, so I broke down the food expenses for a few of my favorites:

McDonald's (x5): $29.20
Waffle House (x3): $33.00
BBQ Places (x3): $30.00

There was actually a fourth Waffle House meal, but it was paid for by Daniel Negreanu. (Thanks!) There was also a fourth BBQ meal, but that was paid for by an anonymous friend. (Thanks!) Finally, I received a few free meals while I stayed with Donna Lawton's family for 24 hours in Ogden, Utah. (BIG Thanks!)

I should also note that this accounting only includes costs incurred after the trip began. I bought a few road-trip groceries before the trip, and spent about $300 at REI (which included cold-weather gear). Recurring expenses that aren't directly related to the trip (cellphone bill, rent, etc.) aren't included among the costs of the trip. Also, the round-trip boat ticket to Alaska is on a friend's credit card, to be paid back when I receive my next WPT paycheck.

I'll conclude this statistics-heavy post with a list of the states I've visited so far, in order:

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Mississippi
5. Tennessee
6. Arkansas
7. Missouri
8. Iowa
9. Minnesota
10. North Dakota
11. South Dakota
12. Nebraska
13. Colorado
14. Utah
15. Idaho
16. Montana
17. Wyoming
18. Washington
19. Alaska

If you have any questions about Rhapsody & BJ's Epic 50-State Road Trip, leave me a comment below.

Cruising to Alaska

I apologize that my blog has fallen behind the last few days, but I ran into a few problems (shattered car window and closed Yellowstone entrance), and was cutting it close as to whether or not I'd reach Bellingham, Washington (north of Seattle) in time to catch the ferry to Alaska.

I had one shot on this entire trip to get to Alaska, and this was it. The boat only runs in e a week, and this is the only week I could fit it around WPT events. It was do or die.

I'm typing this from the boat before we get too far from shore, so we made it! I'll have some time over the next few days to catch up on old blogs as I type new ones. (I've taken notes for the days I missed.) i'll post them all when I arrive in Juneau on Monday, cell signals permitting.

While I get to walk around the ship, Rhapsody is trapped in a kennel on the car deck -- it was the only option. I'll get to visit her every six hours or so to feed her and walk her, & then we'll get to spend a full day (20 hours) in Juneau together.

Day 11: West Yellowstone, Montana

PHOTOS: (1) View from the guest room at Donna Lawton's house, (2) Rhapsody turns her back as Donna tries to take a photo, (3) Rhapsody at the Golden Spike historic site at Promontory Point, (4) Rhapsody and I at the last railroad tie of the transcontinental railroad, (5) Rhapsody on the last railroad tie, (6) Donna and Rhapsody, and (7) a replica of the golden spike. (The original is at Stanford University.)

I woke up on Day 11 (Feb 3rd) the most refreshed I've been on the trip yet. Going to bed early and sleeping in a warm bed will do that for you. At 10:00 am, Donna Lawton (@Cure_MTM) and I took my car to a dealership to get the window fixed. They estimated it would take 2-3 hours, so Donna offered to show Rhapsody and I around Ogden.

It's not a big city, so it didn't take long. So I asked about Promontory Point, which is where the first U.S. transcontinental railroad was completed. It was about an hour away, but we had the time. Promontory Point might not excite many people, but I've always wanted to see it. If I had a time machine that could go back that far (1868), I'd definitely be there for the golden spike ceremony.

The historic site was covered in snow, with a small path cleared away to get to the final railroad tie and the plaque commemorating the golden spike. But the weather was sunny and gorgeous, and I got some fun videos playing with Rhapsody in the snow.

As we headed back to Ogden, I got a call from the dealership and the wrong window was delivered, and my car would be a few more hours (at best). If the car wouldn't be ready today, it would throw off the rest of my shedule. Even if it were fixed, I'd be cutting it close without much time to spend in Yellowstone National Park.

Donna and her husband took me toast late lunch, and we finally got word at 5:00 that the car window was fixed. Phew! Picked up the car, repacked, and got back on the road almost exactly 24 hours after arriving at Donna's house.

If it hadn't been for the hospitality of Donna's family, I might have missed my one shot at visiting Alaska on this trip. Regardless of what she says, I owe her one.

I was originally planning to drive to Jackson, Wyoming and entering Yellowstone from the south. But with the delays, I headed toward the West Entrance, which would put me in a better position to head to Seattle the next day.

It was Wednesday night, so I called into the Poker Road studio to listen in on the recording of Two Jacks in the Hole as I drove through Idaho. (Without internet access, it was my only option to hear the show.) Scott Huff put me on the air twice (briefly), the first time unexpectedly.

As I neared Montana, I got caught in a snowstorm and lost cellphone reception. It was dark, the roads were icy, and visibility was minimal with the falling snow. I was driving 20-30 mph, and even those speeds didn't feel particularly safe. But if I stopped, things were likely to get worse long before they got better. I had to get through.

I finally made it to West Yellowstone with a sigh of relief after midnight. The roads were covered with snow, but drivable, so I parked at McDonald's to sleep for the night.

States traveled on Day 11: Utah, Idaho, Montana

Day 10: Ogden, Utah

Day 10: Ogden, Utah

PHOTOS: (1) Rhapsody sees her shadow in the snow on Groundhog Day, (2) Hickory House Ribs for breakfast, (3) Leaving Colorado, (4) Rhapsody pokes her head out the broken window, and (5) Rhapsody bundled up in the comforter to protect from the cold.

I've already driven thru an ice storm and slept in my car in subzero temperatures -- twice. But Day 10 was the toughest day so far, and there are still 70 days to go.

The day started promising, as a very-cold-but-very-sunny day in Aspen. It's a gorgeous little town, and even has a BBQ restaurant that serves ribs for breakfast. (I wasn't hungry enough to justify the cost, so I got a ham-egg-and-cheese sandwich -- delicious!)

Rhapsody and I spent nearly two hours in Aspen before heading back to the interstate so we could drive to Utah.

We hadn't been in Utah long when I heard a loud "Bang!" as the driver's-side window shattered next to my ear. The safety glass held together in a single piece, but it was vibrating wildly in the wind. (After a minute or so, I rolled down the window so it wouldn't break apart and send glass shards into the car.)

With no cars or trucks in front of me to potentially kick up a rock, my first instinct was that someone shot a gun at the car. I'm proud that I never swerved, but tightly clenched the steering wheel and floored the gas pedal to separate us from any potential danger.

My car got up to about 97 mph, and I kept it there for a few minutes until I knew that nobody could be following us. I then continued on until the next town so I could stop and check the damage. The window fell apart inside the door and couldn't roll up, but I thought things through and realized there was no bullet hole or impact point -- nobody was shooting at us. My guess is that it was caused by extreme temperature variations from the past few days.

It was 22^ F, and with no window it was going to be a chilly drive. I put on all of my winter gear, and wrapped up Rhapsody in the comforter in the back seat. We only had to make it to Donna Lawton's house in Ogden, Utah, and she was already making an appointment for me to get my window fixed.

The drive wasn't pleasant for me, but Rhapsody seemed very comfortable. We made it to Ogden in one piece, where Donna and her family set us up in a guest room (where I took a long-overdue shower) and fed us an excellent pot roast. (Rhapsody got some too.)

With a nice warm bed waiting, this will be the first night of the trip that we get to sleep before midnight, and I could certainly use the rest. Goodnight!

Day 9: Aspen, Colorado

PHOTOS: Rhapsody's "I Want Food" face in the front seat, a rest stop in the Rockies, and the sub-zero temps we woke up to in Aspen

Day 9 was a very important leg of the trip, but for personal reasons -- mending a broken friendship. It's not completely fixed, but the first step is key.

As a result, Rhapsody and I spent longer than expected in the area of Boulder, Colorado, and didn't enter the Rockies until the sun was disappearing behind the mountains. That was a shame, because I really wanted to make that drive in daylight to enjoy the spectacular views.

That's why there aren't many photos for Day 9.

A friend of a friend was offering a place to spend the night in the Salt Lake City area, and there was no way to make it that far last night. So if we slept in the mountains, we could make it in a fairly easy drive the next day (today). I've driven the Rockies nearly a dozen times but had never seen Aspen, which is about an hour away from I-70. This seemed like the perfect opportunity, and I could enjoy views of Aspen in the morning sun.

We parked the car a little ways out of town to sleep, and of course we woke up once again to subzero temps (-1^ F). This road trip has been much colder than expected, and we haven't even reached Alaska or the Winter Olympics yet.

For updates during the day, be sure to follow me on Twitter: @BJNemeth.

Day 8: Julesburg, Colorado

Photos: (1) Rare sunset with "sundogs" visible on both sides (and my car eclipsing the sun), (2) Rhapsody is welcomed to Watertown, SD, (3) Pelican Lake, (4) Rhapsody walking on the frozen Pelican Lake, (5) Rhapsody at the Lewis & Clark Memorial, (6) The iPhone Stopwatch Paradox, where my iPhone's stopwatch has been running for a longer period of time (88,000+ hours, or 10+ years) than the iPhone itself has existed (3 years, or ~27,000 hours).

Day 8 began in South Dakota with the coldest temperatures of the trip (-9^F), as I mentioned yesterday. But they may have provided me with the coolest photo, as I got to see (and photograph) the rare "sundog" effect, which I originally called "triple sunrise" until my Twitter followers clued me in. The effect come from sunlight refracting off tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere, and it is a very cool sight.

Rhapsody and I spent the morning in Watertown, and the temperature never got above -4^F while we were there. We drove around Pelican Lake, which appeared to be frozen solid. Anytime I see tire tracks in the snow, with more fresh snow on top of that, I think it's safe enough for me and Rhapsody. I dug down about 18 inches before I reached ice, and it was hard as a rock. I didn't even feel nervous, and it was fun to be "out on the lake" with Rhapsody even if it has a completely different meaning in sub-zero weather.

We traveled down to Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska, which ate side by side across the border. We drove around and explored a bit, found the Lewis & Clark Memorial, and ended up ordering a $6.00 Papa John's pepperoni pizza for dinner. It's not traditional road-trip food, and I had to give Rhapsody her own piece to keep her out of my food. Still, 10 years from now, eating an entire pizza in the car with Rhapsody is probably what I'll remember.

We reached Lincoln, Nebraska after dark, but it's an interesting city and we spent more than an hour driving and walking around. I assumed Lincoln would be relatively boring (like Fargo or Omaha), but it's actually a cool city that seems to mix the best qualities of a big city and a small town. I'd love to visit on a big football weekend in September or October when it's not too chilly.

Rhapsody and I eventually made it into Colorado before stopping to sleep for the night at the I-76 Welcome Center (which is where I write this).

If you were following my Twitter feed, you know the sundogs weren't the only strange phenomenon that I experienced on Day 8. My iPhone had several instances where the time and dated instantly rolled back to January 4, 2000.

The iPhone gets its time from the cellular towers, but for some reason they were sending out a time signal representing over 10 years ago. What is most curious to me is that the effect happened three different times (in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska), but the time signal from 2000 continues to move forward the same rate as the present. So two nights ago, in North Dakota, it slipped to the night of Jan 3, 2000. Yesterday morning, it slipped to the morning of Jan 4, 2000. And last night it slipped to the night of Jan 4, 2000. If it happens today, I expect it to show me Jan 5, 2000.

So the effect has appeared from multiple cell towers across multiple states, and it's exactly the same error. I know the time signal comes from the cell towers, but I have no idea what is causing this specific glitch in the matrix. I'll research it in depth the next time I have my laptop hooked up to the Internet. (Probably when I get to LA in three weeks.)

So if you see me twittering about time travel, dual timelines, or the fact that this road trip now includes all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and the nexus of the space-time continuum -- now you'll know what I'm referring to.

Today's goal is to get through the Rocky Mountains before sunset. Shouldn't be too hard, but we plan to stop in the Boulder area to visit some old friends.

Day 7: Watertown, South Dakota

Photos: My odometer flips to 150,000, my car parked on Exit 180 (where I slept most of the night), and the morning weather report

Day 7 was hopefully the coldest leg of this 80-day road trip, as I started in Iowa, went up through Minnesota, over to North Dakota, and down into South Dakota. As I write this, the sun is starting to rise at 7:30 am, and it's -9^F.

There was a big milestone for my car on Day 7, and this is the tweet I sent out to commemorate the moment:

"My car just flipped over to 150,000 miles on the odometer at 9:05 pm CT on Exit #24 of I-94 West in Minnesota: http://twitpic.com/10mcly "

You may have already noticed the flaw. Many of my Twitter followers read the first five words and thought I had crashed. (My iPhone's Twitter app, Tweetie 2, put only those five words on the first line, highlighting them even more.)

So I got more than a few messages from friends who briefly thought I had crashed, and they asked me to avoid accident-sounding tweets while I'm on a cross-country road trip. Noted.

A poker blogger named Tim (@OhCaptain on Twitter) noticed I was heading toward his home in Minnesota, and offered me a place to rest and relax if I wanted it. What I really needed was a shower after two days in the car. So he graciously offered the guest bathroom to me while his two adorable daughters played with Rhapsody. Tim is a photographer and both of his girls have cameras of their own to learn with. His youngest probably took more than 50 photos of Rhapsody. She won't be forgetting our visit anytime soon.

While I had never met or spoken to Tim before, we had mutual friends in the poker media, because he was a regular at the WPBT (World Poker Bloggers Tournament) in Las Vegas. Me? I've never been. I promised Tim I would try to make it to WPBT this December.

It was -2^F as I was driving through Fargo, North Dakota around 11:00 pm CT, and I thought that might be the coldest point of my trip. Nope.

I drove down into South Dakota before stopping at a rest stop to get some sleep. I got fully bundled up in my winter clothes (jacket, hat that covers my ears) and got under my comforter in the back seat with Rhapsody. I set my alarm for two hours so I could make sure it wasn't getting too cold.

It got too cold.

I woke up around 2:30 am and it was -3^F -- and I was shivering. (Rhapsody seemed fine under the comforter in her natural fur coat.) I started the car to get the heater going, and decided to drive further south. I was still sleepy, so I stopped at Exit 180 near Watertown, South Dakota. (Where I am now.)

I went back to sleep, this time doing it in one-hour shifts. I'd sleep for one hour with the engine/heater running (with windows cracked an inch for oxygen), and another hour with the engine off and windows rolled up. Back and forth, switching every hour.

I woke up for good around 7:00 am, with the temperature at -9^F. Thankfully it hasn't been too windy (wind chill seems to be the biggest problem at these temperatures), but exposed skin starts to hurt in just a minute or two. I've been taking some cool sunrise photos this morning (which will be posted in tomorrow's blog), and I'll go outside, shoot for two minutes, and rush back to the car to warm up. I have gloves, of course, but the iPhone's touchscreen is capacitive, so it doesn't react to pressure -- it needs contact with the skin.

Well, Rhapsody and I survived the night, and our goal for today is Denver. Follow me on Twitter for updates during the day, and I promise not to post anything that sounds like an accident. (Unless I actually get into an accident, of course.)

Day 6: Iowa City, Iowa

Photos: Rhapsody at the St. Louis Arch, Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ, and the weather in Iowa City where I slept overnight in the car.

I managed to get ahead of the worst of the storm, but the roads in southern Missouri were still messy enough to slow down my progress -- I didn't go faster than 30 mph for the first 2.5 hours, just to be on the safe side. (I saw several cars that had slid off the road, so some level of caution was justified.)

My progress was also slowed by lack of sleep -- I stopped to nap several different times. I never felt dangerously tired, but thought I could use the sleep.

The delays cost me, because I didn't arrive in St. Louis until the sun was setting, and the light was less than ideal for photos of Rhapsody in front of the St. Louis Arch. But with a dreary grey sky all day, the photos weren't going to be fantastic anyway. The good news is that Rhapsody and I plan to hit St. Louis again on the return trip in March. The weather should be warmer, and we'll spend a full day in St. Louis to enjoy the city.

We got some BBQ suggestions via Twitter, and I picked up takeout from Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ. It was Friday evening and they were very busy, and sold out of a few items. The guy in front of me got the last of the chicken, and the ribs were long gone. I had the pulled pork, which was quite good, but I look forward to trying their chicken & ribs when we return in the spring.

After dinner, we drove north to Iowa, the 8th state of this trip. It was my first time in the state, bringing my lifelong total to 45. (The 5 states I haven't been to yet? Alaska, Nebraska, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Maine.)

I slept for the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Iowa City, Iowa, when the temps were in the single digits. I was thinking about delaying this leg of the trip when the projected temps were below zero, but the weather warmed up a bit to a level I consider safe. The 50-state road trip will look a lot nicer (with less back-and-forth and zig-zagging) if I get Minnesota and the Dakotas out of the way now. So that's where we're headed today.

Throughout this trip, I'll update this blog once per day. For more frequent updates, check my Twitter feed.

Day 5: Steele, Missouri

After four straight days in Biloxi, the road trip is definitely underway!

I'm posting this entry from my iPhone, so photos will be grouped together at the top until I can use my laptop to mix them in with the text.

Photos above: Rhapsody at Scenic Hills Vet Hospital, Rhapsody waiting for her health exam, Rhapsody at the entrance to The Shed (BBQ place), the inside of my frozen car w/ice covering the windows.

After the WPT final table ended (Congratulations, Hoyt Corkins!), I never went to sleep. I did a little repacking to get my cold weather gear ready, and took care of some things while I had Internet access on my laptop (like invoice the WPT so I can get paid and finish this trip!).

Then I backtracked part of my Day 1 route and returned to Pensacola, FL to pick up Rhapsody. Jonathan Little's brother (and the rest of the Little family) did a great job watching Rhapsody, and she was the least anxious I've seen her when picking her up somewhere. She wasn't too eager to leave, but when I got in the car, she quickly took her spot in the back seat.

I had set up a vet appointment so she could get a certificate of good health (necessary to get to Alaska). The day before, I called her vet in Vegas (where she had her shots last summer during the WSOP) to have them fax her health records over. I told them how important it was, especially with the time difference.

They didn't fax the records.

I showed up for my appointment and her records weren't there. And the vet in Vegas wouldn't be open for another hour. When they finally opened, they told me it would take another hour. I pressed for sooner (Rhapsody's record was in her hand!), but no luck.

After an hour, they sent Rhapsody's health record from 2004. Um, what? Obviously, those shots were out of date. At that point, the vet in Florida got on the phone, made them feel like idiots, and the proper records were faxed 15 minutes later.

Rhapsody finally got her checkup, which took about 10 minutes, and she was certified healthy. The vet was very impressed with Rhapsody's condition, and was surprised that she had an inconsistent eating schedule and no regular brand of food. The vet started to lecture me when I told her I also give Rhapsody some of whatever I'm eating (with a few exceptions, like chocolate), though her concerns fell on deaf ears. That's just the way that Rhaps and I roll.

At the end of it all, the 10-minute health exam took nearly three hours and cost $50. But we could finally get on the road.

We stopped at the same BBQ restaurant where I ate two days ago (The Shed), and picked up lunch to go. The pulled chicken sandwich was one of the best I ever had. I should have bought two.

I parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Biloxi to eat lunch and prepare to record The Poker Beat. For those who haven't heard, we won the Bluff Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best Poker Podcast! I feel so much more proud than I would have imagined, because we all work so hard to make the show work. I am so proud to be part of the show and work with the Scott Huff (who deserves the moat credit), Dan Michalski, Gary Wise, Joe Stapleton, and former co-host John Caldwell.

After recording the radio show, it was around 4:00 pm CT, and I was finally about to make some forward progress on this road trip. About time!

Rhapsody and I drove up through Mississippi, and fortunately made it through Memphis, TN before a big winter storm hit. In Arkansas, we weren't so lucky, and I was one of the first to arrive on the scene of a bad accident on an overpass. One cop was already there handling the situation, so I parked my car sideways to block any more vehicles from coming and used my flashlight to divert traffic to take the exit. (They got right back on the highway on the other side.) It was literally freezing out, and this is where prepping my cold-weather gear paid off, because I had bundled up in about two minutes rather than digging through my packed trunk.

An ambulance arrived, followed by two more cop cars, and one of the
relieved me. (Flashing police lights are so much more effective than a guy with a flashlight.)

The road conditions only got worse from there, and there was another bridge accident I passed in Arkansas.

By the time I entered Missouri, the road was covered with ice and slush, and everyone was doing less than 30 mph. My lack of sleep was catching up with me, and I got off I-55 at Exit 8 and parked at a gas station -- time to sleep.

I wore my insulated jacket and climbed in the backseat with Rhapsody and the comforter to stay warm. I woke up about two hours later, and my car was covered with a layer of ice. (That's the weird-looking photo, taken from inside the dark car.) I couldn't even open the door without a hard shove. So I turned on the engine to heat up the car, and most of the ice melted.

I slept for a few more hours, and that brings me to this moment -- 9:15 am CT on Day 6. Today is a key day of the trip, because I might reroute myself and skip the absurdly cold temperatures in North and South Dakota. I'd have to hit them on the return trip, which won't be east, but I might not have another choice.

I might not be able to make it to North Dakota today anyway. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I could see that the entire parking lot was covered with ice. Now, that ice is covered by a layer of snow. I have no idea what the highway is like yet, but it was pretty hazardous when I stopped driving, and there had been a lot of preciptation since then (freezing rain followed by snow).

I plan to post a blog entry for each day of the trip, but if you want updates during the day, check out my Twitter feed (Twitter.com/BJNemeth). Comments are always appreciated, both here and on Twitter. I read all the comments, and the next time I get my laptop set up with an Internet connection, I'll respond to the blog comments.

New states traveled on Day 5: Tennessee (#5), Arkansas (#6), and Missouri (#7)

Day 4: Biloxi, Mississippi

Technically, this post is going up after midnight, but I'm time-stamping it at 11:45 pm CT so it'll probably fall on Day 4. I'm writing this late at night because the WPT final table didn't finish until nearly 2:00 am CT.

Today started earlier than expected when the fire alarm went off in the Beau Rivage around 9:00 am. I wasn't nervous (no smoke visible out the window or in the hallway), but I figured I'd follow the announcements and evacuate the building. I did spent about five minutes gathering my most valuable things (especially my iPhone and my MacBook Air) and packing a backpack. I even put on fresh socks as I got dressed. It took me about 15 minutes to evacuate from the 23rd floor, though I was leisurely walking down the stairs with an elderly couple so I could keep them company and allay their fears.

I heard rumors that there was an actual fire on the ninth floor, but it was a small one. I ran into some coworkers and poker players outside, took a few photos, and eventually went to my car in the parking garage to take a nap. The evacuation probably lasted about 60-90 minutes, and it threw off my plan for the morning.

I missed the live coverage of Apple's new product announcement while I was sleeping in my car, but returned to my room to learn that Steve Jobs released the iPad. I look forward to seeing in-depth reviews of it in the coming weeks, but for the most part, it's what I expected when I blogged my predictions a few weeks ago. Right now, it looks like I could do my entire job as a poker reporter with that tablet, and it's extremely tempting. I'm certain that I'll have one by the time the WSOP begins in late May. (I may be broke now while I take this road trip, but I'll eventually be paid for covering these WPT events.)

The price of the tablet is pretty unbelievable -- though I kept my price prediction broad ($400-$999) for a reason. With Apple pricing the entry-level model at $499, there's not much room for competition. Can anyone imagine one of Google's hardware partners selling a tablet running the Android operating system for $500? I can't. Apple can do things like that because they create the hardware, the software, and also control the iTunes store for content. The Amazon Kindle just joined the rotary phone and the VHS camcorder on the list of endangered technologies.

The Apple iPad won't be released for another two months, when I will be in the late stages of this road trip. So let's focus on the present -- the WPT final table. It was perhaps one of the least interesting WPT final tables I ever covered. It wasn't the players -- the players were all fairly interesting to me. But there were very, very few big hands. Hoyt Corkins managed to outlast the other five players to take the title, and I like Hoyt so I'm pleased with the result.

During the final table, Eric Harkins (poker photographer who owns ImageMasters) told me about an ice storm headed toward the center of the country around Memphis. That was right in line with my planned route, so I checked the weather reports and decided to fast-track my schedule for tomorrow. I'm going to skip New Orleans (and Louisiana) so I can make better time and hopefully get north of Memphis ahead of the storm. The storm may still hit me, but further north it'll fall entirely as snow rather than an icy mixture. To make things worse, Memphis is like Atlanta -- a Southern city that isn't equipped to handle a winter storm. I have no idea what to expect on Thursday and Friday, but I'll do my best to keep my options open, remain flexible, and do my best to keep safe and warm.

After four days in Biloxi, I'll be back on the road tomorrow for a pretty major leg of this road trip as I wind my way to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and visit Alaska. But first, I need to get what sleep I can before waking up at 6:00 am CT.

Day 3: Biloxi, Mississippi

I'm still working the World Poker Tour event in Biloxi. There are ten players remaining, and they will play down to six tonight. Those six will return tomorrow at 4:00 pm CT for the televised WPT final table.

There are also two big presentations tomorrow. One of them will be closely watched by analysts and regular people alike to see if they can look forward to a better future. The other will be the President's State of the Union speech.

I am definitely looking forward to Steve Jobs unveiling Apple's latest product tomorrow, because it has been such a closely-kept secret. The State of the Union will be far more predictable, and will likely have less of an effect on my life. (Yes, I know politics is important, blah, blah, blah, but seriously, tomorrow's speech to Congress won't really change anything.) Normally I'd watch the State of the Union (I love politics, just less than I love cool new Apple products), but I'll be working the final table so it's not an option. I'll catch up on Obama's legislative goals for 2010 on some of the podcasts I listen to while driving.

Two pieces of Rhapsody news -- (1) she has a vet appointment set for Thursday morning in Pensacola (she needs a certificate of good health to get into Alaska), and (2) she has a nice place to stay in the San Francisco area in March while I'm working the WPT Bay 101 tournament. Rhapsody will be staying with fellow poker writer Matt Waldron.

Hopefully the vet won't take long (or cost too much), because I'd like to reach New Orleans before the sun sets and reach St. Louis before stopping for the night. I'd like to photograph the St. Louis Arch on Friday morning and drive up to Minnesota and North Dakota where I will experience sub-freezing temperatures. I didn't think I'd need to break out the hard-core cold weather gear until I drove across the Rockies or hit Canada and Alaska, but there appears to be a cold wave in that part of the country. I'm a little nervous that if I stop my car for the night, I won't be able to restart it in the morning. (Which would screw up my schedule for the rest of the trip.)

In fun news, a small group of friends took Daniel Negreanu to Waffle House for the first time in his life. As a vegan, it's not really his style of restaurant, and he wasn't too excited about the salad he got. (Which was the only thing on the menu that didn't contain animal products -- and even with the salad we weren't certain.) But Daniel had a lot of fun with the staff, giving them a chance to win $100 each by successfully passing riddle games. Two out of three of them succeeded, though the third ended up getting a pretty huge tip from Daniel, so there were no jealous feelings. There was only one other customer in the restaurant, a guy in his 20s or 30s who actually recognized Daniel, saying, "You look like that famous poker player. David Negreanu." My friend Andy did a literal spit-take when he heard that, and I was barely able to keep my sweet tea in my mouth. Daniel assumed a fake identity for a few minutes before coming clean to the guy, who was a fan of Daniel's, saying his friends would never believe he was at a Waffle House with Negreanu. So Daniel sent out a tweet in a mock Southern accent identifying the guy by name (Will Shaw) so his friends would believe him.

After we finished eating, Daniel gave Andy a freeroll prop bet -- eat 10 saltine crackers in one minute and win $5,000. That is more than two months' salary for Andy, so he gave it his best shot but didn't even come close. That's Andy in the picture shoving the first five crackers in his mouth. He chewed up easily enough, but couldn't create enough saliva to swallow them -- they just lingered in his mouth, unable to go down no matter how hard he tried. It ended up taking him several minutes to finally do it.

That was yesterday. Earlier tonight we talked Daniel into visiting a highly-recommended BBQ restaurant a few town's over, The Shed. Once again, Daniel got the salad, but we had a limited dinner break due to the poker tournament, so there were no crazy prop bets -- just eating. (The meal was fantastic, by the way, with some of the best BBQ chicken and potato salad I've ever had.) Daniel was fascinated by the casual country atmosphere, and at one point said he felt like he was on a different planet. As a native of that planet, I told him that on average, BBQ restaurants were probably more "fun" than vegan restaurants.

It was a lot of fun seeing my usual type of hangouts through his eyes, and Daniel paid for dinner both times, which saved me valuable funds for the rest of my road trip. (So far, I've only spent $21 on food this trip.)

That's it for my Day 3 update. I'll do my damnedest to update this blog every day of the 80-day road trip through all 50 states, even if it's not a travel day.

Day 2: Biloxi, Mississippi

My epic road trip is only two days old, and I'm already at a standstill and separated from Rhapsody.

I warned you this trip would have a slow start.

I'm currently staying at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, reporting on a World Poker Tour event. This is the first of four WPT poker tournaments I'll be covering during this 80-day road trip. (I need to earn money to pay for this trip!) The final table is Wedesday night, and I'll resume driving on Thursday.

Since casinos don't allow dogs, Rhapsody is staying in Pensacola, Florida with Jonathan Little's family. For those who don't know, Jonathan is a professional poker player -- the youngest player in history to win two WPT titles. His younger brother runs a pet-sitting service, so Rhapsody gets to spend the next few days in a loving household with another dog to keep her company.

As I mentioned, we'll be back on the road Thursday morning, though the weather looks rough ahead. I'm not a cold-weather person, but take a look at the forecast for Fargo, ND, where I hope to spend Friday or Saturday night. Brrrrrrr!