Are Dads Better Poker Players?

On the surface you’d think that fatherhood and poker don’t play well together, as late nights out drinking beer with friends is often at odds with being a good dad. Appearances can be deceiving, however, as many professional poker players have credited fatherhood with one of the key factors that turned them into much better overall poker players. Whether you play online poker or primarily in live games, it’s likely that many of the lessons below can apply to you as well.

Patience: Poker is one of the few gambling games where skill determines the winners and losers instead of luck, but it’s hard to practice skill in a vacuum. Otherwise excellent poker players can be losing players in the long run if they’re impatience and don’t wait for opportune spots, and fatherhood is one of the very best ways for an impatient person to finally learn the value of being patient and taking things as they come.

A Greater Good: It’s much easier to take unnecessary chances when you’re young and single and no one else depends on you, behavior that often spills over to the poker tables and usually with negative effect. Many poker pros have said that it was only when they became a father that they were able to truly take the money involved seriously and to begin treating poker like any other career. Like any skill, consistently winning at poker takes lots of research, study, and practice, and that dedication often comes easier when you know others are counting on you to succeed.

Maximizing Your Poker Time: The limitless time you had for poker before fatherhood suddenly dwindles down, with it being harder and harder to find hours and hours to spend playing in poker tournaments or cash games. On the bright side, some players find they’re sharper and more focused when they do get a pass to play poker, as they know they need to make every opportunity count now more than ever.

     - Andy's Dad

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Andy´s dad is a professional poker player that has a passion for writing in his free time.

Signs That You Need to Change a Newborn's Diaper

As a new dad,  if your baby is breast-fed, you will probably be surprised that that your baby's soiled diapers don't stink. They smell more "funny" than bad, and the smell can be very faint. Sorry, formula dads, you don't get this benefit. Without the smell, how do you now when to change the diaper?

Diapers are not transparent and don't have indicators like changing colors (which would be cool). Before you set your baby on the changing table or other baby furniture, it can be difficult for new dads to know when their newborn has wet or soiled their diaper.

Here are a few signs to look for

1. There's what I refer to as the baby cod piece.  If a baby wets his diaper, the modern super absorbent diaper soaks up the liquid and swells up.  The baby then appears to have a cod piece on.


2. A funny smell, which you will eventually recognize as the smell of (breast fed) baby poop, is a strong indicator of a soiled diaper.


3. The sign requiring the most immediate attention is any poop trying to make an escape from the diaper.  The most likely escape routes are the top back of the diaper and around the legs.


4. Crying, accompanied by one or more of the above.


5. Sounds of flatulence, squirting, or wet bubbling coming from inside the diaper

If you think your baby has wet or soiled their diaper, don't change it right away. You probably want to wait at least 5 minutes.  Baby may be mid pee or poop. Changing the diaper at the moment may result in you getting peed or pooped on in the process.  You may have to change the diaper again because someone wasn't finished before you put on a new diaper.

     - Clark's Dad

Newborn Baby Football

Go Dad! Go!

Here's a new dad analogy: think of yourself as a running back and your newborn as a football (though unlike mine, yours may not be brown).

• Protect the ball - you'll want to secure the ball with two hands.
• Feel free to stiff arm anyone who tries to handle your baby without washing their hands (sorry, doctors' orders!)
• No kicks, punts, or throws - as guys we love to throw and kick things (beers, keys, balls, almost anything).  Don't toss the baby!
• Do not put the ball on the ground.  
• Do not turn the ball over (onto its stomach) to sleep.
• Sometimes you have to go out for a pass (or groceries or other errands).
• Protect the passer (wife/mother of your child/ren).
• Sometimes you need to carry the ball more to take pressure of the passer.
• If you're an experienced veteran, mentor a rookie. Make the world a better place.

The best running backs in football don't just run with the ball, they're multifaceted - double/triple threats.  When they do run the ball, they protect it and don't lose it.  That sounds like a good start to being a good dad.

   - Clark's Dad

The Travel System is for Dads, not Moms

First, what is a travel system?  A travel system is the combo package of infant car seat/carrier, infant car seat base, and compatible foldable stroller. 

So you're thinking that will be great for my wife to transport the baby.  Well, big guy, surprise, it's really meant for you.  When her OB/GYN releases the mother from the hospital, she's advised not to lift anything heavier than the baby for at least 6 weeks.  Clark was a big baby at 8 lb -  4 oz.  The average weight of an American newborn baby is 7.5 lbs.   I just weighed my infant carrier/car seat, it weighs about 8 lbs, the same as a gallon of water, a half pound more than the average baby or a quarter pound (4 oz.) less than Clark.  So, your baby + the baby carrier together are twice the weight new moms are supposed to carry.  So, guess who's going to be carrying the baby around in the carrier.  That's right, you, fellas.

The stroller isn't much better.  I haven't weighed the stroller, but I'm guessing it weighs around 10lbs+.  So, who is going to lift the stroller in and out of the car?  Not the new momma.  The strollers are foldable, but can still take up quite a bit of trunk space.  Even the best of the bunch can be a little tricky to open and fold-up.  So not a lot of new moms are up to the challenge.  So dads, you're it.  Consider it part of your fatherly duties.

Therefore, pick a travel system that you like, because you'll be the one using it, especially for the first month or two.  It's a dad accessory, feel from to as John Witherspoon would say, "CORWD-NATE" the travel system to dad's stuff.

         - Clark's Dad