The Poker Quest for Balance
Thankfully this quest for balance does not involve me walking in a straight line for a Policeman. Far from it in fact. It is my quest to ensure that my life remains balanced and that my poker interests both personal and business do not become unhealthy. In this article I will discuss the various ways in which I maintain this balanced lifestyle.
Poker is a pursuit that has brought me great entertainment and even some profits. I am well aware having written extensively on the subject about the potential pitfalls of poker, these pitfalls are often brushed aside by the poker media as something we would rather not think about. After all, it might put us off our gambling! I am fortunate in that as a writer I have the ability to think outside the box and analyse myself and others. This is a skill many people are unable to do honestly. I can look at pokers involvement in my life and other people’s lives and give some recommendations to ensure people always get to enjoy this great game.
If you play a lot of hands you must have another avenue in your life that you find interesting. This gives you both an alternative to keep poker from becoming boring and a perspective on the pursuit so it does not become addictive. In my case my other interest is Pool. I can practise either 8-Ball or 9-Ball for hours without it becoming boring and I would not trade Poker for Pool or vice versa. I enjoy doing both and I enjoy the challenges that Pool offers me. I will always enjoy both hobbies as without one the other could become slightly obsessive. The fact that poker is essentially sensible gambling if you do it right you still need to be careful that it does not start taking over your life as this change can be very subtle over a period of time. I have been involved with poker and gambling long enough where I have proven my control to myself, but others may find it harder. I hate to see people who love the game fall foul to its temptations and passionately believe that everyone can control its influence yet still enjoy all the positive things the game offers.
I do not play poker online everyday, as I write a lot about it. I find that writing feeds my poker fix and gives me a different perspective on the game. It also helps my learning. I would recommend everyone to have a blog and keep it updated. It can be interesting and very rewarding. The more hands I played in the past the more I enjoyed writing about it. One of the difficult aspects of poker is that it is self serving. If you are not fulfilled just by playing and winning the whole thing can seem pretty pointless. For me, using the blog as a way of entertaining others through my play gives my poker play purpose.
I would recommend each player start by assessing their own character and personality. I know that I am a 100% type of person in everything. If I sprint, despite being totally the wrong build for it I am comparing my times with Usain Bolt! It is therefore unhealthy for me to think about poker all of the time. For some people, their wives, friends, TV & Internet are all discussing poker or researching poker. If this is ok for you then by all means continue, but make the choice rather than just live one way because it has worked out that way. Work out whether you are happy to be 100% poker or whether your life and your game would benefit from enjoying other interests.
By actively controlling my involvement in poker and its role in my life I can say with conviction that I know it will continue to play a fun part in my life without ever becoming a problem. I will take the odd shot at big money tournaments without worrying about how my van payment will be made. That makes life easier and poker can so easily work the other way. Once we control poker we can then seek to master it, so check out all the strategy articles on this site and starting winning at poker today.