[jailhousejoe]

When I was a student, I used to play a couple of evenings a week when i could get to my local cardroom. Then when I first started working, I was young and free of other responsibilities (heck, i only used to wash dishes once a week!), and thought nothing of coming home from work to play 6 hours of poker online, followed by 4 hours sleep, then off to work again. lather rinse repeat.

Then I got a steady girlfriend.. my job became more important.. and it became harder. I had lots of friends, and there were many exciting things to do and places to see. By my mid-twenties it was a case of 1-2 nights a week getting 2-3 hours on the puter (and if that was without interruption i'd feel blessed!).

Then I got to my late 20's.. marriage loomed, as did kids. My family started calling me for favours.. I bought a house.. my day-job very time consuming and taxing.. all of a sudden it became a case of getting two days a month set aside for poker.. or times late at night when no-one else can bother me!

Its not all doom and gloom though!

Now i'm in my early thirties.. kids are past toothing and are old enough to be a bit quieter than babies, yet young enough to be asleep by 7pm. I'm much more experienced in my day job now.. which means life there is not as stressful.. plus having a family puts all that into perspective. My wife loves the poker related treats I buy her, so she gives me all the time I want to play. My friends all have families of their own, and my family dont even pester me any more, coz they know I'll be after a baby sitter in return for any favours ;-)

I wouldnt worry about when you start working and not having time for poker. Its one game that lasts your entire life, as an elderly man in vegas once told me.