Lifestyle of Poker

The lifestyle of playing poker with any seriousness is at once addictive and repulsive. There are aspects that appeal to things I enjoy and parts that make me want to cash out my bankroll and walk away.

The Ups and Downs

During the Poker Blogger summer convention in Las Vegas, Jay Greenspan spoke of his book Hunting Fish, a cross-country trip playing poker professionally and finding out truths about himself as related to the game. He poignantly described how the ups and downs of poker drive the outcome of his days and greatly effected his moods, therefore effecting the people around him.

I heard every word ring true of my more humble experience with online poker. Bad sessions drive the whole of my day sour, while good sessions lift the day up. Without poker, I am even, I am level; with poker, I am a bubble off in either direction. There is a major fault in letting one portion of your life dictate the outcomes of your days... I despise this part of my poker playing, perhaps it could be different, but I have not found a way.

The Boredom

I love the outdoors, I love my friends, and I love to have a good time. However, when I am playing poker, I will often forgo sleep, a social event or two, and time spent working out or having fun outside. The lure of more money, more hands, and soft tables will draw me away from things I enjoy more than playing poker.

Perhaps this says more about me as a person. Perhaps I should value money less and would then be able to get away from a table when I have something else to do. But, nonetheless, poker feeds my want for money and my want for money feeds my poker. This part of poker drives me away from the game as well.

So, what will I do then. Most likely, I will continue to play poker in stretches and eventually cash out my winnings to focus on the other parts of life. Then days, weeks, or months later I will once again reload and retool for another binge of poker. All things in moderation, except moderation. A player must be able to control the effect of poker on his life and live a full/happy life. If a poker player cannot do this, perhaps it isn't the smartest decision to play.