A Poker Junkies Lament

[HomeStar]

I need some help from my fellow players. I'm a student, kind of young, but not young enough to play a really good game. Everytime I play on UB or Pokerstars, I do really well. Not just moderate sucess, but I make somewhere from 300-600 bucks a day when I play. My problem is, I am so addicted to the game that when I play, I can't go to bed, stay up literally until 3 into the afternoon playing. The problem that lies within that is that I'm so tired, by the end I usually end up losing it all. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas to help me to stop playing, let's say at a decent hour, like 4, and get up and go. I am going to take next semester off to play full time, and it might even end up turning into what I want to do full time, but if that does happen, I need to find a way to get up and leave with what I make, or else I won't last long. Take last night for example. I put in 25 dollars in my UB account at 2 PM. I turned that into 900 by 10 AM, cashed out 300 when I only had 350 in my account, ended up winning 600 more from that 50 but losing it when I became over tired. I hate that I do this, but I guess atleast I kept some this time. Most of the times, it all goes down the drain. Thanks for any help I can get.

[Copernicus]

If you are thinking of playing as a professional and taking time off from school to do it, the time to start acting like a professional is now...before you commit to what may be a huge mistake.

Set fixed hours when you are going to play, and dont extend them unless you are in a fishy game that you would be a fool to leave, and you continue to win in it. If you think its fishy but youre losing, you may be too tired to evaluate it.

Don't keep adding and withdrawing money. Separate your poker roll from the rest of your money, account for it carefully, and keep accurate statistics on win rates.

Get your priorities straight. You are in school now, it should be your top priority. There is plenty of time to pursue poker, the games arent going away. If you dont have the maturity to follow through on that commitment you probably dont have the maturity and discipline to make it as a full time player.

[Louie Landale]

[] Get addicted to something else like computer games. When you know its time to quit poker because you are too tired, start playing Master of Orion III for a couple hours.

[] Start thinking: do I want the short term reward for continuing to play, or do I want the long term reward of extra bucks in my pocket.

[] Buy something expensive, nice, and self indulgant with your poker winnings. Put this thing within sight of your computer.

[] Put the adds for a cruise to the Bahamas in sight of your computer.

[] Do poker research on the computer at the wee hours.

- Louie

[HomeStar]

School was deffinitely where my priorties were for a while, but I'm just not sure that's what I want anymore. I know the games will never go away, and I'll probably return to another school at the beginning of next year. I'm taking time off to clear my head and try out my dream of playing full time. If it doesn't work out, then I'll deffinitely go back. But right now, I guess I am just going to take off the next 6-9 months, and play during it at times. I think the tips I got from you and one other will help. Structure is probably the key.

Thanks

-Star

[morgant]

I dont have enough poker experience but i have plenty of life experience to give you some advice. First off, if you dont have the discipline to leave a game when you have made a substantial winning, what are you planning to live off of, if you cant keep your winnings, you think that all of sudden you will stop this behavior one day...i think it will take some work. I gather some of the poker-pros best assets are his discipline and patience. It sounds as if you have some work to do in those departments. It is easy for me to give this advice as I dont have to take it but wouldnt a degree be a nice thing to have? How long have you had these kind of results on UB or playing any poker in general...Are they attainable long term? Do you have enough loot to live off to get through the cold streaks, which will happen. I have no clue how thoroughly you have thought this through but there are many variables to take into account. If you are so young, what is six more months. Take classes this semester(even part time) and try to develop some discipline in your game and set some rules and boundaries, ie. only playing 40 hours per week(in 6 separate sittings!!!!!), set a monetary goal, i would imagine while going to school part time, you can get in just as many hours at the tables as without school. then see if you can live up to your goals and then reevaluate your dream of going pro.....either way i wish you the best
morg.

[morgant]

also, i can relate with not being able to stop playing, it used to happen to me online moreso than now. but playing live i have a very hard time leaving the tables...i am going to ac tonight, last time i started playing friday at midnight straight through to sunday afternoon, it started off my work week terrible and my bankroll fell significantly late sat. into sunday from its peak....so tonight i am playing need to be off the tables by 330am so i can get some sleep to play in tournaments tom. i dont know of things to help get you off the computer besides setting yourself a time limit, growing up, and following through....so i am off to AC and i hope i can listen to my own advice......cheers

[LetsRock]

You need to set some limits for yourself whether it be dollars or time.

Time can be tricky because your quitting time just may correspond with the conditions that you've been waiting for to make a killing. But you obviously have a problem quitting, so consider setting an alarm clock and quitting, with no exception when it goes off.

You can also set a dollar goal to reach for each session. Say you consider $400 as a good session. You can either quit when it reaches $400 or keep playing and quit before it drops below that amount. I use a similar type of system when I'm in casinos (playing slots or what ever). If I hit a decent profit level, then I set a loss limit. Say I'm up $200 - if I drop to $150 I cash out. This gives me chance to keep working a hot streak but if it doesn't come, I walk away a winner. (At least from that machine or table.)

You need to set some kind of limits and follow them strictly. By the way, this advice was given in a book I read (Ken Warren, I believe) about on-line poker.

Being a 24/hr a day poker zombie will not only burn you out real quick, it will cost you a fortune and eventually make it not fun.

[CORed]

Either set a time to quit and stick to it, as others have suggested, or quit when any of the following happen:
1. You start to nod off in front of your computer.
2. You feel tired and make a dumb mistake: Click the wrong button, misread a hand, play really stupid cards, etc.

[karlson]

I think that you need to reconsider why exactly playing poker full-time is your dream.

If you do decide to pursue it, keeping accurate statistics of your results, with as much detail as possible, will be an excellent step.