Do I spend too much time on poker?

[MagicMan08]

How many of you guys spend a decent amount of your freetime either playing poker, posting poker, reading poker, or thinking about poker? I know I do because I truly enjoy the game and being sucessful at it. Some people say I spend too much time on poker...

[smurfitup]

hey magicman,
i'm a college student, and i've been playing online for about a year... i've given thought to this same question many times and i've concluded that i probably do play more than i should and i'd be willing to bet (yes, i see the irony) that the majority of the posters here play more than they should. i don't think it's necessarily a gambling addiction, but it is most probably at least a mild form of obsession... my dad is a chess master, and he has told me countless stories of people whose lives were ruined because they became so consumed by chess, and i'm positive the same holds true for poker. it can be a very complex and very competitive game and depending on one's personality make-up, it could very well be consuming. i'm planning on taking a break from poker once school starts... maybe you should consider one to.

sorry for rambling...

[Net Warrior]

I've been a game player all my life. I love chess and many other strategy games. I'm a baby boomer and I guess this is the way I get to satisfy my competitive impulses. I have a very non-competitive job. I also love sports games like golf and handball. Here I get both exercise and competition. What could be better than that!

About 7-8 years ago I started playing Hold'em on line. I started with play money and when I knew I was competitive and switched to real money. If you can believe it, I was given a $10 real money "bonus" from my play money site and I parlayed that into my current $10-$20 bankroll. Now I get all the compitiion I want and make money at the same time.

Like chess, you have to keep learning more and more to play this game well. Learning is good for the mind, just like exercise is good for the body. I guess it all comes down to how you like to spend your time. Keeping mentally fit while earning & playing seems cool to me /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[TStoneMBD]

i have over 5000 posts on this forum all within a years time. does that answer your question? /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[mosdef]

the key is the following question: Is poker interfering with my the rest of my life?

1. are you underachieving at work/school because you are not spending sufficent time on it?

2. are your relationships suffering because you spending more time on 2+2 than with your gf/bf/wife/husband/kids?

3. is it impacting you financially? even if you're a winning player, if you are late paying bills, not getting that new car you wanted, etc. because you have so much dough tied up in your poker account, then that's too much.

see what i'm getting at? if poker fits into the rest of your life, then you're fine. if poker subtracts from the rest of your life, you're in trouble.

[ QUOTE ]
1. are you underachieving at workbecause you are not spending sufficent time on it?

[/ QUOTE ]

2+2 owns me! /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[autobet]

[ QUOTE ]


1. are you underachieving at work/school because you are not spending sufficent time on it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I only spend 1-2 hours of my work time on 2+2, so I don't see a problem.

(My boss is never here, so he doesn't see anything)

I would say 50% of my work hours are spent on 2+2, on average. From what I hear from other posters, this seems to be about twice what is normal. Like I said, it owns me.

[autobet]

Slacker! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[MagicMan08]

I also spend a lot of work time on here...lol...

[veganmav]

for me, poker is a job, bu tnot only that, it's a job I enjoy. I enjoy reading more, studying more, and improving my play, becuase I think poker is a beautiful game. I love the intricacy, and challenge.
For many people, poker is a hobby.
For me it is a hobby, that I get paid to do.
what could be better?

No one looks down on someone who does crosswords as a hobby, or knits, or reads the newspaper. I enjoy my hobby, and love getting paid to enjoy it.

[pokerjoker]

Its like one alcoholic asking another at the bar if he should quit drinking.

great post Smurf. As an adult with a full time job, I still put a good bit of hours onto the table -- but I wouldn't do it if I wasn't making "x" amount of money per hour. I'm grateful that online poker wasn't available when I was in college. Let's face it, sometimes you don't want to hit the books and I think online poker would have been too enticing for me to avoid. Grades are important for those first couple of jobs. I also wonder if some college students who excel in poker are creating a -EV situation for themselves in the future -- missed opportunities, gaps in resumes, and perhaps for some, disatisfaction ten years down the road for choosing a career that, in my opinon, might make you feel empty.