Well it took 3 years, but I finally found the best spot to spend my break. This bench outside has a tree placed in just the right spot to block the sun during the afternoon.

Time for me to follow you some day and ruin your break!

All of the benches on the quad outside the poker room where the players can take a break are directly in the sun. Who thought of this idea for Arizona?

I've also got the perfect, quiet, outdoors spot for a break, but it won't stop snowing here.

I told you to come to this state instead but NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Why would anyone want to spend time outside when they don't have to? There are bugs and dirt and stuff out there.

Not up here. Not yet, any way.

Did you guys even get snow up there? We got 15 inches in Rochester

Just flurries the past few days, but that's still enough to piss me off.

(heh, if you're in Rochester, than I've spent my entire time in MN thinking you were someone else!)

I'm pretty worried about my wrist and I was hoping someone from here could give me some advice. My non-deck hand has insane amount of pain in it. Just behind my thumb on my wrist. It's specifically from dealing and it has been bothering me for about 3 weeks now and it's not getting any better. The specific motions of sliding across the flop, riffling the deck, cutting the deck, etc all send sharp pains. Has anyone experienced anything similar and what do you recommend?

I've been dealing for 8 years and I'm only 27, so I'm HOPING its not some form of carpal tunnel

EDIT: I have a 2/4 limit game in my next string and I'm probably going to try dealing left handed during that down and see what a disaster that turns out to be lol

Massage your hand just below the base of the ring finger.

edit to add: Pick up a carpal tunnel brace at a drug store and wear it when you aren't dealing. I always wrapped my wrists with braces when I dealt. I know that back when I was a dealer, basically all the long time dealers had their wrists wrapped and it helped when I had some pain.

Sounds like carpal tunnel to me.

I've switched to my left hand for my computer mouse.

Be careful about not using your wrist to pitch, flick with your fingers.

My hand muscles kinda tense up for my normal riffle and pushing the cards together.

With concentration I can do that with a much easier motion with less stress on my hands.

It's been 15 years or more since my carpal tunnel originally flared up.

It will still bother me if I'm not careful with my pitch and shuffle and if I do some right hand mousing.

One thing that may help you as well is something a chiropracter once advised me to do which is 3 times a day, for thirty seconds, extend your arm and then with your free hand, bend back your fingers as far as you can(within reason of course). This is not 100% solution, but it does help along with being mindful.of how you are using your hands while at work.

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Does anybody have any other tips to avoid Carpal Tunnel?

Don't bend your wrists when you deal. Someone told me (no idea if it is true) that the actual cause of carpal tunnel is moving your fingers with your wrist bent.

This is great advice.

I work a job (I'm doing it right now) with a HUGE rate of wrist injuries. Don't put extra strain on your dominant wrist when you're doing leisure work at the computer.

I've always been proud of how little wrist I feel like I used, especially when pitching

I've never really thought about that--until now.

I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel long befoer I started dealing. I got it from years of improper keyboard and mouse use. I'm pretty hyper-aware of not bending my wrist while pitching. My doctor gave me the wrist braces and told me to sleep in them. I did that for a few months and my carpal tunnel almost completely cleared up. Its not a recommendation but, I've actually dealt with the wrist brace on. It's quite a challenge but its not impossible.

More specifically where is the pain? Do you mean the point where your thumb is connected to your wrist? Like if you were going to shake someone's hand it would be the part of the wrist facing up.

I have the same problem and it has actually spread to other parts of my hands. It's in both hands now. Hand specialist that I saw tested for carpal tunel and confirmed it was not the issue. He said the carpal tunel surgery would relieve much of the pain but it may not correct it for good. He referred me to a rheumatologist to check for arthritis My appointment isn't until June and I am only 31 so not too much older than you. Too young for this crap.

I say make an appointment and see what they say. Cortizone shot may be all you need.

Thanks for the help, it's like on the inside part of my right wrist where you'd wear a watch or bracelet

Wrist pitchers wear out.

There's an old rarely spoken lesson in poker dealing/pitching. A dealers hands should never go beyond the rack when pitching. Two & 8 seats the exception when 1 & 9 players tend to lean over the entire table.

My wrist used to ache until I finally improved my pitch. Once I fixed that motion the pain went away.

Get promoted to floorperson.

Easiest "fixed your post" in the history of this thread.