Ouch_
05-25-2005, 07:35 PM
Hello, Let me introduce myself. I am new to this group. I have played poker, for real stakes (5/10, 10/20), for about 3 years. I have been “successful” for the last year. I play on party. I played 10/20 limit hold’em 6 max mainly until party increased the number of 30/60 games. Recently, I have been playing the 30/60 tables with 3 to 5 players. I have made 140K in the last year. Before these last 12 months I was up about 10K in total. My poker activity has altered my life in a number of ways. It is difficult to relate to people that do not have a similar experience; so, I write to this group. I would like to share some of the ways it has changed my life.
I have worked as a statistician for the last 6 years. I work an average of 37 hours per week. However, I have been playing poker for an average of 28 hours per week. Consequently, I have lost interest in my job. Since the same brain power to play poker is used when I work, I find I have much less energy and interest in work. I also have little time for other non-work or non-poker activities. I have given notice that I am leaving even though I am held in high regard at work. This is not a bad thing because I can go back. I have given three months notice (one month ago.) I did this so I can finish up some project work. However, I would have liked to be done before the WSOP.
I dated a woman for about a year. We broke up 2 months ago. I basically did not make time for her because I was playing poker most evenings. I am not too broken-up about this because I didn’t want to marry her and she would have wanted to get married if we stayed together.
I think that my biggest problem is the gulf my poker playing makes between myself and my friends. I want to talk about my success with them and I know they feel alienated, even the people who are poker players themselves; but especially, the hard working people that require a paycheck to pay this months mortgage. People don’t get what it is all about.
Poker has been my primary focus for the last year and has changed my life. However, there are some negative consequences. Does anyone out there have similar experience?
Ouch
I have worked as a statistician for the last 6 years. I work an average of 37 hours per week. However, I have been playing poker for an average of 28 hours per week. Consequently, I have lost interest in my job. Since the same brain power to play poker is used when I work, I find I have much less energy and interest in work. I also have little time for other non-work or non-poker activities. I have given notice that I am leaving even though I am held in high regard at work. This is not a bad thing because I can go back. I have given three months notice (one month ago.) I did this so I can finish up some project work. However, I would have liked to be done before the WSOP.
I dated a woman for about a year. We broke up 2 months ago. I basically did not make time for her because I was playing poker most evenings. I am not too broken-up about this because I didn’t want to marry her and she would have wanted to get married if we stayed together.
I think that my biggest problem is the gulf my poker playing makes between myself and my friends. I want to talk about my success with them and I know they feel alienated, even the people who are poker players themselves; but especially, the hard working people that require a paycheck to pay this months mortgage. People don’t get what it is all about.
Poker has been my primary focus for the last year and has changed my life. However, there are some negative consequences. Does anyone out there have similar experience?
Ouch