Time Consumption

[Pocket Trips]

I will finally have internet access at home again next week after moving around like a damn gypsy for the past few months and I specifically did not buy GTA san andreas this weekend b/c I KNOW i will be playing poker after work for the next few weeks till I get it outta my system.

I tend to go in streaks where I play all the time then I will drift away from it then get back into it pretty intensely for awhile, but after not being able to play online for the past 6 months, I am salivating like a dog at the thought of being able to play whenever I want to again.

[LetYouDown]

[ QUOTE ]
Just tell me it wasn't the latest Oddworld installment.

[/ QUOTE ]At last, the similarities end...although it was an XBox game. I think I'm going to start specifically scheduling time for poker and sticking to it. If I were to plot out exactly how much time I spend playing, I think it might be somewhat alarming.

[toots]

Although I also played some Doom 3...

[Mark H]

you soynnd a lot like me. I enjoy almost every moment ot though.It still beats watching TV,vido games,the bar scene and most other hobbies. Mark H

[RicktheRuler]

I am sure a lot of people on here can relate. However, if a counselor read this, they would think you had a gambling problem--whether you do or not I cannot say.

I have found that when I am doing other things (family, friends, sports etc etc) I am a better poker player, plain and simple. I would suggest you try to achieve a less "absurd" balance.

Don't worry about playing enough hands to get the long run results you are looking for. It is just that the LONG RUN. Poker is not going anywhere and neither is the endless supply of fishies.

[Jonny]

Here's how it works for me. I proably play an average of 2 hours a day.

If I have something worth doing i.e. hanging out with a girl, going to a party, hanging out with friends etc... I will never not do that because of poker. I would rather be doing fun stuff.

On the other hand. I NEVER play video games anymore. I view them as a waste of time. Making $50/hr playing a game, or making nothing. I also watch about 20 MINUTES of TV per week, when I eat breakfast.

Lastly, I make time for other hobbies such as guitar and listening to music because I get sick of playing sometimes.


My advice is just to play instead of watching TV or playing video games. It works for me.

[vindikation]

Wow this thread hits me hard. I remember buying DOOM 3 opening day and getting home and started playing poker and not even installing the game. How many years did we F'n wait for DOOM 3? I'm still trying to finish GTA:SA (awesome game). One game that COMPLETELY took me away from poker was Resident Evil 4, best game I have ever played on ANY platform. I even bought a Game Cube to play the game and have no regrets.

I quit online poker for about a month because I was spending too much time (where did my weekend go???) after I month I came back and only deposited what I had won. So I am currently only playing with money I never had before I started playing poker. I'm also only playing within my bankroll (500 BB or 50 SnG buyins) and trying to limit myself to aournd 1 hour on weekdays and 1-4 hours on the weekends.

It seems like I waste a lot of time playing poker (even though I make money) but I waste just as much time watching stupid police documentary stories on Court TV, A&E and the Discovery Channel or even more time surfing the internet.

[hurlyburly]

Isn't that ironic? I took a month off over the holidays, let my money sit untouched for a while, then came back and made my first $1k cash in an MTT. Haven't been able to duplicate, even though I've put in a solid 20 hours/week since then.

I've decided to cut back and only play 3 MTTs a week for a month, and when I'm jonesing, just re-read or go over past hand histories. SNGs and Rings are fun and profitable, but definitely a grind...

Yuck, that means I'm taking tonight off then... Maybe I'll cut back next week instead...

[vindikation]

Man I did it again last night.

I decided to play my 1 hour 2 tabled $10+1 SnG. I busted out 6th in one and placed 1st in the other. I had just gotten back from the dentist so I had a few beers and decided I would play my 1 hour of poker and then practice guitar and then play GTA:SA.

Well I felt so good at winning 1st that I screwed around at the 5 handed $0.50 games then moved to the $1NL ring games. The main reason was to see how fast these games help to clear my Poker Room bonus. All in all I lost $15, no big deal (+$65 & -$70) but I ended up wasting around 4 hours drinking and playing poker when I KNOW I shouldn't have.

I need to re-evaluate my time limit "rules" (possibly my drinking as well).

[revots33]

I've definitely experienced some of the the sleep issues you mentioned. I think this is a problem for many of us who love the game, but who also have full-time jobs, etc. We want to play, we enjoy it - but there aren't a lot of free hours in the week. I work 2 jobs (work most weekends too) - so the only time I have to play is at night. Problem is, I don't want to log on and play for 45 minutes. Playing a few SNGs takes time. So I find myself staying up later than I should, and not getting enough sleep.

Not sure if there's an easy solution to this, but I'm trying to force myself to play less, go to bed earlier, and play long sessions on the occasional nights when I've got the next day off.