This past two months I've seen countless poker players. It's becoming an issue. You may have experienced it yourself.

On the varsity run, prior to the summer holiday began, I saw Mike McDonald buying milk, and Steve O'Dwyer looking forward to a bus. A COUPLE OF weeks later there has been Jake Cody at the High Street. On the super market I saw Shaun Deeb, and Justin Bonomo was taking a walk in my home town by the beach, pink hair an' all. After I saw Mickey Petersen I waved.

It wasn't just players. Toby Stone was within the local green grocer, and that i saw Kevmath (Kevmath!) walking a dog along the road where I live. All of this in my quiet sleepy home town, some 35 miles from the closest poker room.

Only I DID NOT see them.

I only thought I saw them. Because I'm suffering a little bit understood condition, attributable to the absence of high stakes poker on your life, called high-stakes-hyper-familiarity, or to offer it its more common name: "Hey, I DO KNOW that guy!"

It's been greater than three months since reporting on a massive poker event, three months since watching a high stakes hand of poker, and 3 months for the reason that likes of these listed above were a part of a standard working day. Quite frankly I HAVE TO come back to work. After all that wasn't ElkY, peroxide hair and all, waiting in line on the post office, I HAVE TO pull myself together. In our town, individuals who dress like ElkY stand out like men from outer space.

But I see players everywhere. The child in Sixth Sense saw dead people. I see poker players. Walking around like regular people. They do not see one another. They simply see what they would like to peer. They do not know they're poker players.

It's not good for me.

Thankfully though, there is a cure. It's one devised over 12 years of dedication, labor and experimentation, not by women and men in white coats so much, but women and men in black suits, co-ordinated ties, and who can explain the colour-up rule.

It's called Season 13 of the ecu Poker Tour.

The dosage, available without prescription, is understated and assured to succeed: a festival in August, followed by two more by the top of the year. I'm told I WILL BE back to my old self almost immediately.

These symptoms may sound familiar to you. Through which case there is not any wish to go on suffering alone. The cure is freed from charge and is delivered by internet.

Ready to enroll in PokerStars? Click here to get an account.

Luckily I WILL BE getting the whole immersion treatment, as will all of the Blog team reporting at EPT Barcelona from tomorrow, when the Estrellas Main Event and €10K High Roller begin. That is the recommended route back to full strength. However, the long distance version, undertaken from home, gets rid of everything except your competitive spirit.

So after ten long weeks, not more poker players on the street. As Haley Joel Osment would say, "I'm able to communicate with you now".

Or a minimum of I'LL BE in exactly a moment. I just saw Jason Mercier go past on a bicycle doing his paper round. Amazing. If I'm quick I WILL BE ABLE TO catch him to mention hi!

Live updates at the PokerStars Blog begin on Wednesday with coverage from the Estrellas Main Event. Bookmark this link to get the entire latest news from the Barcelona festival.

Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog. Follow him on Twitter: @StephenBartley.

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: European Poker Tour]