Quitting Poker (LONG)

[ChrisCo]

Not many of you know me on the forums because I have not posted enough or contributed enough information for anyone to really remember me but I have spent countless hours on the 2+2 forum brushing up my game. For this story to really be of any significance I think I should give you insight into my life about 1.5 years ago, right when I started to play.


I was 16 years old at the time and I had just broken my foot dirtbikng. The injury wasn't that bad, just wrap it in a cast, and don't put too much pressure on it for 6 weeks and everything would be all right. That would have been true if not for incompetent doctors. What the doctors didn’t notice was the 2 extra bones that were broken in my foot. Them ignoring these bones caused them to heal wrong. Only until the cast was removed and I complained of pain did they realize their mistakes. From this I went to a different doctor outside of my insurance. All in all I ended up with 3 screws in my foot and 2 joints in my foot that were permanently fused into place. I had a hard time recovering from the pretty major surgery. Missed quite a bit of school and was left in a wheelchair for 2.5 months followed by another 2 months on crutches and 1 month of rehab. My foot would never be the same. I can no longer bend my ankle side to side for the rest of my life and I have limited movement out of the ankle. My interest in running was ruined and I was hesitant to start riding my dirtbike again. By the time this was all over it was January. I was originally injured in July.


From that you could probably tell that I had a little free time on my hand. I was used to being fairly active. I would either be running cross country, track, or riding my dirtbike. Right after my surgery was when I got involved in poker. My dad would play every so once in a while and I would sit down and play a Sit n Go on party with him. This happened about once a week. Soon he started to let me play by myself under his name. He had taught me a few things and I am a fast learner so I picked up the game fairly quickly. I wasn’t someone that could kill the game but I was somewhere to a breakeven to a slightly winning player. I had made 100 to 200 bucks under my dads account and he agreed to let me set up my own account and transfer me 50 dollars. I kept on reading on 2+2 and steadily progressed in my play. My roll slowly started to grow and I never really came close to busting out. I was fortunate at the start to not bust with a limited roll but after that it was clear sailings.


By the summer I had accumulated around 3k and hit a real dry point in my play. I wasn’t profiting much but I was putting in a ton of hours. I was withdrawing a little money here and there to pay for things I wanted. My winnings did not really pick up until I concentrated on SitnGos. Around the fall I moved up to the 50+5 level and played a lot of the tourneys. I ended up putting in around 500 with a 21% ROI thus getting a healthy bankroll. I tried my hand at 8 tabling 5 10. Also I put $250 into the step 1s trying to qualify for a step 5 and ended up making the climb up the ladder and taking a second in the step 5 for a $2500 payday. I was ecstatic with how much I had progressed. I had turned a mere $50 deposit into 12k+ in 1 year almost exactly.


As any 17 year old would react with being able to make probably a minimum of 1k a month I was encompassed by poker. My grades were slipping and I was becoming pretty anti social. I was in my senior year and I wanted to do something with my life instead of playing poker. I was tired with going home after school and 4 tabling for 4 hours straight while my friends were hanging out with girls or having a good time. And I was tired of struggling in school and risking not being let into the colleges I was accepted to because my drop in grades. I was overwhelmed with all the indecisions I had in my life so I decided that it would be in my best interest to give up poker to focus more on school, and my social life. I was in no need of an extra 10k, it would be nice to have but it was not a necessity for me to have. I believe that if I had not chosen to give up poker for the time being that my grades would have slipped even farther and I would not be admitted into Chico or Cal Poly. I did not want to give up my social life or future to play some card game that I was decent at. I wish you all good luck at the tables but I must remind everyone that there is stuff more important in life than an extra bb or two especially if you are young like myself. It is too hard for a teenager or young 20 something to keep life into perspective when they have the ability to rake in more than any one there age should be able to.


I will probably start playing again in moderation during the summer when I turn 18 and I have more time in my life to play poker and have a social life at the same time.

[richrf]

Hey! Great post. Good luck to you!

[william deangelis]

It sounds like you are pretty leveled-headed. Good luck to you.

[toss]

Very smart decision. Enjoy the college life.

[YoureToast]

A good head on your shoulders....Keeping everything in perspective at your age is impressive....You will dominate those college games (where will you go, by the way?)...When you're done with college, you can consider how poker will fit into your life, if at all....Something tells me we'll be seeing you again in a few years. Good luck.

PS. Try not to feel too bitter about the mistakes your doctors made. It may be tough, but finding who to blame for the problems in your life takes time away from doing whats more important -- looking ahead. (It seems like you know that but I sure didn't at 17).

[lu_hawk]

senior year of high school was some of the best times of my life so far. you have your whole life to make money, but it's more important to enjoy where you are at now. good decision.

[nongice626]

if u were a winning player than i am happy you are quiting.

[aas]

Great post! Knock yourself out. The game will always be here.

[ChrisCo]

Thanks alot for all of the positive responses!

I am most likely going to be going to CSUC in Chico. There is a slight chance that I will go to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. My brother currently goes to Cal Poly but I think Chico would be a better fit for me. Still haven't made my final decision yet.

[alabubba]

If you will put the same intensity into your education as you put into poker, you will have a great career. The benefits of a first rate education in a field you love will give you a better life, just as poker has given you a better bankroll.