P-p-p-poker

MGH and I bonded over weird shit.
We were decent friends throughout our lives, but being that I was four years older than him, I always treated him like a snotty little brother.
Then, at 18, he went all fucking Kafka on us and metamorphosed into some handsome man-child (Ok, so it's a little opposite of what really happens in the Metamorphosis). His transformation occurred in '07, and I remember thinking "Holy shit... he's... really, really cute!" But, because of the fact that I had known him since he was a diaper-wearing three year old, I felt so freakin' dirty thinking that.
Well, then came '08 and the magic of Guitar Hero... along with the magic of hard liquor every night for about two weeks... and an ultra strong bond was formed (but I will definitely never try something like that again).
One day, in the middle of taking a video game brake, my love for Texas Hold 'em came up in conversation... and that's when he started to work me-- he was going to make me great.
After about a month, he turned me into a poker shark (an internet one, since he was 18 at the time and he could only gamble on-line. Plus, my poker face SUCKS, I vasodilate easily, so that wouldn't be good).

We Bonnie and Clyde-ed the tables, and all was great.
Then Olive Oyl entered the picture and I retired from the game. I was in no mood to be MGH's partner in crime with this new bitch in the picture (bitch who doesn't understand basic algebra, much less the concepts of probability). This was also when I self-enforced my isolation from the guy, in order to recover from the heartache. Anything related to gambling was off-limits by default.

Well, I have finally reached that level where I'm fine being his friend. After various texts and phone calls, we managed to iron out the (MY) issues. Something in my heart just switched back to "friends" mode, and we're back to being besties (I had missed that. Now I'm definitely leaving that "think of him as a baby brother" switch flicked on-- for good).
Anyway, now that my heart doesn't sink each time I think of MGH, I can go about my life and do things like the good old days.
This includes poker-playing.
Back when MGH hooked up with Olive Oyl, and I did the whole banishment thing, I withdrew all the money I had made at the poker site... so I wouldn't be tempted to play. So yesterday, when I felt like playing, I had to get into the freerolls and work my way up in order to make some sort of money.
It was 12:30 AM, I was practicing makeup techniques AND taking my second practice GRE exam, and I though "Fuck, I'm bored... let's see what's up at the Omaha Hi tables." I entered a $150 freeroll with 7.5k others... and somehow, I got lucky.
The hours passed... and I kept kicking ass and wiping out two, sometimes three players at a time. Problem with this was that I was in the tournament until 5:30 in the morning... when I finally lost at 9th place because I was too tired to give a shit and went all in with a stupid hand. Ninth out of 7,500 donkeys. Kind of nice.

So uh... it appears I'm reverting to my insomniac, poker-playing ways.

Hopefully I don't pass out while at the club with the bridal party tonight (these girls... I love them, but shit! They know nothing about bachelorette parties. Going to the same fucking club, doing jack shiiit... and I'm forced to join due to being one of only three cousins the bride has in town. This is when I wish I really did have a poker face to go with my game).