| Well... here goes... I simply love Holdem. It is the game I've always been looking for. A mix of skill, judgement, patience, balls, management. The lot.
I started about 2 or 3 years ago. I lost $100 learning how to play on PKR. I'm also kind of sensible so I told myself I'd put $100 more into the game, and if I lost I'd quit. I've never re-deposited.
I'm currently travelling, so I can only play when I have reliable internet. Which I currently do. Back at "home" I'd play most nights. Somtimes all evening, sometimes one game. My PC was setup in my living room so I'd be "with" my wife, watching telly and chatting all the while so it's never been intrusive in my life. She spectates when I make final table. She's not alowed to talk though! :-)
I play most every chance I get when we travel, but always, it's in "down" time. i.e in a hammock, in a hotel room while she watches tv. Never is it something I do at the expense of experiencing real life. Easy to acomplish - I pretty much always stop playing if I lose a game.
I've played live in Vegas, Fort Lauderdale and London. I won big (in my terms) in London, but was the bubble boy in Vegas and a donk in Ft.L!
Currently I'm planning a Vegas "month" next year - my fair lady is going on a riding/ranch type break and I'm going to enter MTTS in Vegas for 4 weeks to see how I get on and how much I can work on my live game (which is a different world from online).
I feel I've balanced my regular life with my poker. I don't piss off those close to me, I've not lost any money, I've won money. But most importantly , I'm in control.
Poker is yet another obsessive hobby to add to my list! (model helicopters, computer gaming, snow boarding, electronics, beer).
Has it affected me badly? Maybe at the start when I'd get in a mood after being busted, or donking off a tournie lead, but now, and it's taken a good year or two to master, I don't get annoyed when I get a bad beat. I think that's because I'm getting bad beats, not donking out, though I still do it here and there :-)
Has it affected me positively? - I think so. I've learnt a lot about control and taking time to think about things - not just in poker. I've also made a few new friends through poker. Of course, the flip side is I now no longer trust anyone wearing sunglasses :-)  |