A glimmer of hope

I haven't made much progress settling that staking problem I've had. Unfortunately it seems that guy has no real intention to do anything about, and I can't really force him. I can't even pursue a lawsuit given that my friend (who's a lawyer) said that most gambling contracts are unenforceable. He doesn't think I could win. I'm probably just going to be stuck the whole $40k.
On the bright side, I'm actually winning at poker again. My bankroll is in a precarious state though, so some people have offered to loan me money if I get too low. I'm grateful for their support, but I really hope it doesn't come to that. Gambling with borrowed money is dangerous, because its not like you have steady income. If you lose, you're just in a deeper hole than you started in. If I get really low, it might be time to get a job. It's tough to imagine being on a normal 9-5 schedule again. It would take a lot to get adjusted. I might pursue a propping job at a casino if that's the case. The extra hourly income should be enough to stabilize the short term swings. It wouldn't be a bad idea to just work and then play poker on the side though. I'll have to make that decision if I go on another downswing.
Honestly though, I think I'll be ok as long as I don't let myself get screwed out of another huge chunk of money again. I know what my winrate is at different forms of poker, so I can just choose the lowest variance routes for a while until I rebuild some.

I have another staking deal set up, but this time I'm much more careful about it. Even though I trust this person a lot more than the last, I'm being more cautious as well. I make sure the marker is under his name. It looks there is no problem for now though, I played and got paid out cash. That's close to the idea situation to not get screwed. Basically, since the marker is in his name, they go to him for money, but give me the cash when I win. That allows me to make sure the money is split in a fair manner. It helps that the guy staking me has been very fair and equitable in my past dealings with him.

As I write this, I'm waiting for a friend to come pick me up. It's gonna be my first trip to vegas in quite some time. I'm pretty excited actually, although I don't really know why. It's not like I'm actually going for a particular reason. Maybe I'm just happy to get away from the LA scene for a bit. I dunno.

I'm just really hoping my bankroll is healthy for the WSOP, because I don't want a repeat of last year where I don't have a big piece of myself in anything. I really feel like I'm gonna win a bracelet, I've been close so several times, but needed to catch a break in the end stretch and couldn't do it. This time I feel like I'm even better than before, and not just in pure technical ability. I feel like I have better tilt control this time, and I know how to manage my time during the WSOP better. Things are stacked up for my corner this year, if the cards fall my way, I know I'm ready to take it down.

I'll see across the felt.
Bryce