Joseph Galazzo took time off from poker in 2016 to focus on his health and is seeing a positive change. (Will OC photo)

The Borgata Saturday Series is one of the most popular and grueling daily events on the East Coast. The $400 buy-in $100,000 guaranteed event is a weekend staple at The Borgata and for those who are able to make it through the 16 hours of play it takes to reach a winner are paid handsomely.

Just a few months ago, Joseph ‘JOEYdaMUSH’ Galazzo barely had the physical capacity to sit for the long hours required to make a Saturday Series run. A regular figure in poker rooms on the East Coast since he started “embracing variance” in 2013, Galazzo made the drastic decision to cut back on his time playing the game and to focus on his health in February 2016. It wasn’t an easy decision for Galazzo to make but as he puts it, he was terrified of what might happen if he didn’t intervene on his own behalf.

“The feeling had been building up in me for years that I would soon cross a threshold regarding my health from which there might be no return. It was constantly eating at me when I saw a picture of myself from the Parx blog in February of last year that stopped me dead in my tracks. I’m not even sure why it had that effect on me because it wasn’t even close to being my worst photo, but a light inside me clicked on for good that day.”

Galazzo put out a tweet announcing his plan to revamp his health and was humbled by the outpouring of support he received from the community.

Once he announced his plan, he realized that he had more than himself to prove his results to.

“I tweeted that I was taking a break from poker to focus on losing weight, I think mainly to hold myself accountable so that I would take it seriously and not back down. It’s one thing for me to say to myself that I’m starting a diet only to cheat the next week and give myself dirty looks in the mirror (but) it’s another thing, I thought, if I proclaim to change my life on Twitter and receive all this positive feedback from my poker friends, only to go off the next week at some tournament, eat chili dogs on break and receive disappointed looks from all of them. Even people I didn’t know who didn’t follow me were wishing me good luck.”

Joseph Galazzo in January 2016 (L) and August 2016 (R). (Submitted photo)

Since he announced his plan to change his life, Galazzo has lost 90 pounds and feels more comfortable at the table than ever before. Instead of eating standard “casino food” as he once did, Galazzo’s new diet includes five or six small meals a day, which include protein shakes, water, yogurt, Kind bars, beef jerky and, nuts, followed by a salad on dinner breaks.

Galazzo notes that preparation plays a major role in his newfound lifestyle as he packs his meals into a cooler that he has with him at the table so he can eat whenever he’s hungry and not have to worry about finding the nearest fast food option.

As a result of his new diet and overall physical transformation, Galazzo adds that he also feels more mentally sharp during long sessions when fatigue starts to set in.

“The biggest differences I’ve noticed on this journey have been mental for sure. I was completely uncomfortable in my own skin prior to making my lifestyle change but now I have a ton more confidence in myself. I’ve had bouts of depression the last decade because of my weight issues that I felt were starting to affect my results,” said Galazzo. “It’s very hard to concentrate on a skill game like poker while trying not to think of a problem that you can’t stop worrying about. Even though the results haven’t been there during the past year since I’ve started grinding again, I feel much more assertive and attentive while playing, being able to focus solely on my play.”

When the dust settled in last weekend’s Saturday Series, it was Galazzo who took home the trophy and $15,885 as part of a six-way deal. The long day required to win the event is the highest tournament landmark reached by Galazzo since he returned to the game last summer.

There are more long days ahead for Galazzo and with his new image, is more than ready to take them on.