My name is Cary Darling and I’m a 43 year old humortologist, philosophosizer, and reformed poker player living in Las Vegas.

After four years of chasing the dream of being a professional poker player, I came to realize one of my biggest stumbling blocks was how one dimensional I had become. I was spending most if not all of my time studying, playing and discussing poker to the exclusion of so many other things available to me in life.

All I could see every day as I sat down at a poker table, whether it was live and in person or on the net, was how tough my life was. I focused solely on the losses and rarely the wins. I came to the conclusion that God hated me, he did not want me to succeed and for those four years it was true.

It was true not so much because if there really is a God he decided whether arbitrarily or with purpose that my business would fail, or for every new door that would be opened it would somehow be closed. Oh I could cite every instance where this actually occurred, I kid you not when I tell you that new laws were passed to keep me from having that dream job I always wanted.

The reason it was true is that I completely forgot something while sitting in my corner of life sulking, sucking my thumb and desperately clinging to whatever security blanket I could find. I forgot how blessed I truly was, or how that no matter how much I want to blame others my life is my responsibility. I as a human being, a man with free will am the creator of my own destiny.

In 2007 I  made promises that if my life had not changed by the World Series of Poker in 2008 that I would take my own life. I said this just weeks after what I consider to be a life saving surgery. That was also the year in which I  dropped over 80 pounds which is now over 140, since that surgery.

I live in a beautiful home in a gated community in Southwest Las Vegas.  We have all the amenities, our own swimming pool, club house gym, and golf course.

I have traveled across the country and been on multiple cruises, seen multiple parts of Mexico.  Most of my days are spent enjoying the company of some truly amazing friends and family.  2009 alone was filled with some memories to last me a lifetime, some of them included me getting to finally see my childhood idols The Blues Brothers, saw concerts like Greenday, Tears for Fears, Joe Cocker, All American Rejects and more, almost all for free.  I went to Grand Cayman, climbed a waterfall and tubed down a river in a rain forest in Jamaica.  Hung out with my buds on a wild three day cruise to nowhere where everything was free, and I’m referring to it being an open bar the whole time.  I have had the pleasure of watching two of my greatest friends and mentors get inducted into the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame two years in a row.

I am now enjoying the experience of life, the good and the bad.  In the last year and a half, I have had two biopsies but no cancer and I am learning to deal with my own mortality, which is opening me up to even more exciting adventures and experiences.  I now live with a sense of purpose and drive, like I haven’t felt since I was a young man.  I have met even more friends and the future is just so bright, but I am learning to live just for today.

But most importantly I am loved and respected by these amazing friends and family alike.  I am blessed! I don’t how many more ways I can say it.

Thank you for stopping by, please drop me a line, or post a comment, I would love to hear your feedback.