By Tony Dunst
The poker games in Las Vegas have been surprisingly quiet during the fall, and weekends were usually the only days worth playing. That created plenty of free time during the week, so I decided to make it a priority to try new things around Vegas.
I’ve been living here for a few months now, and it’s easy to stay in the comfort zone of gambling, sports, and eating. Before moving here, I’d been nomadic for years and had a number of things I always ’meant to do’ but never actually tried. I was often telling myself it was a lack of routine that stopped me from following through. With that excuse removed, I felt that if I didn’t act, I was just a fraud.
I started by creating a YouTube channel called Panoramic Sports, with the aim of creating content about sports-betting, fantasy sports, and gambling culture. I wanted to create a channel on those topics because the Supreme Court recently struck down the law preventing individual states from legalizing sports betting, and everyone in gaming expects the demand and access for sports-betting to grow rapidly in the coming years. I also wanted to create content online because I know that’s where younger generations consume media and lacking a meaningful presence online could close doors in my career.
What I’m enjoying most about the channel is starting a new skill from stage one. I’ve gone in accepting that my early attempts inevitably won’t be very good and that they’ll improve gradually as I practice and study the medium. To build the channel is about more than writing and filming content. It’s like a primer in internet marketing. You need to understand what drives traffic and engagement, and if you don’t, the channel never resonates and finds an audience.
The other new thing I’ve committed to is yoga. For years I had roommates who were in love with yoga and tried to recruit me, and I’d always say “Yeah, I should get into that,” and then opt for a day in the weight room instead. I could see the value and benefits of working yoga but, like many guys, I just wanted bigger muscles.
Eventually, my priorities shifted, and I wanted to focus on improving flexibility and reducing joint strain. Yoga was the obvious solution. I signed up for TruFusion in Vegas and go twice a week with my roommate. While it doesn’t have the same intensity as the gym, I like that I leave yoga feeling refreshed, instead of burned out. I also like that there’s an emphasis on breathing and being present…it’s a good reminder of the basics for those of us who spend hours lost in screens.