I've spent a lot of time in London lately. I was down there for the UKIPT and the EPT, but didn't end up doing well in either event. Well... there was the matter of the media tournament. It was a charity event and both Chris Moneymaker and I ended up making the final table. Chris Moneymaker is, for obvious reasons, quite a big hero of mine and this was one of the first times I've played with him. I went on to take first place and gave all the prize money to charity. It was actually the first win I logged in 2013 and at the time, I wished I'd run better in one of the bigger ones. A few weeks later I got my wish and won the first-ever UKIPT Series tournament at the Hippodrome for £19,000!
It was awesome to notch that win, but to be honest I'm not the hardcore grinder I used to be. Playing online every day for 16 hours led me into a really unhealthy lifestyle. I've always gone to the gym and have never been terribly out of shape, but I've never eaten that well.
So in order to improve my eating habits, I'm teaching myself how to cook. It's been...interesting. While there have been a few success stories, there have been some really spectacular failures. I've cut out crisps and sweets from my diet and have been trying to eat really clean--things like brown rice, chicken, and fish. However, one thing I can't give up is peanut butter. I'm obsessed with peanut butter. I put it on everything. And one night I tried to make a peanut butter and pasta dish. I put loads of peanut butter on the noodles and it turned out just thick and goopy and really, really bad. Evidently peanut butter doesn't go with everything.
I'm the type of person that gets really fixated on one thing (witness my relationships with poker and peanut butter). It can even be something as silly as an iPhone game. If none of my friends are playing I won't be interested at all, but as soon as I find out someone's top score I'll be playing it all day to try and beat them. Now I'm trying to channel my competitive nature into working out and getting healthy. I really just want to prove to myself I can do this. I don't have the greatest amount of willpower. If I slip up, I tend to slip hard and will end up drinking or forgetting about the gym. But as long as I stay in my routine I'll be well into it. I've been trying really hard the last two months and this is the best I've ever done.
I hope to put on muscle and lose some body fat, but my primary goal is to be really fit for this year's World Series of Poker. I adore Las Vegas. I can't get enough of it. But the WSOP is the biggest two months of the year for a live tournament pro. I plan on playing every event I possibly can. I really want another bracelet and I'm going to work my ass off to win one. Hopefully Sin City won't prove to be too big a temptation.
Jake Cody is a member of Team PokerStars Pro