People frequently ask how to be more productive and find time to do the things that they love. Experts write books, publish articles and give an array of advise on how to make more time for yourself. In the end it is you who must understand what is important, how you balance and spend your time.
For me and most aspiring poker pros, I play poker as a second source of income. This results in many times where I do not have time or the mental energy to play, this rings true for the past few months. My job requires me to take few vacations and be the main producer of work, resulting in my only free time coming on weekends and a few hours after work. So I know what you are thinking, "That's lots of time to play!"... but these are never the only sources of my time. I still have to balance my girlfriend, hobbies, family, health, pets, third sources of income.... the list goes on.
So you would think the best option is the most available to me, online poker. This is a great option and I have tried it many times, but for me I make much more at live tournaments and find it a constant grind online. Sure I win in the end but with the profits/hours spent I may have been working at McDonald's. I have got down all the aspects of the game that make a good poker player but the main thing that takes me over the edge is a natural instinct in reading people. A skill that does not get you much when you are looking at a small avatar.
Before this post becomes some sort of sad sack story. I am looking for some advise.
Should I stick it out online and the results will get better? Use my vacation time to play at the expense of myself? What do you do to play frequently?
What do you think I should do?
Cheers,
The Ninja.
I am like you and prefer live over online poker. It probably is easier for me to get time off of work then you, but I usually pick out the best live tournaments that I want to play.
ReplyDelete- usually a week in Vegas for WSOP and other tournaments going on, this results in me taking vacation time from work.
- a couple of the Fallsview Poker Classic Events
- The The Great Blue Heron once a month if I have the time, or at least once every 2 months.
- Brantford has re structured their bigger buy in tournaments on Sundays but I just don't have the time to add them to my schedule.
- I would also like to get out to the BCPC, and back to Atlantic City for WPT, WSOPC, or Borgata Open events.
I have a family and also run a poker league, so adding Brantford, BCPC, or AC to my poker schedule will be tough.
I also try and book a 2nd week off of work for a family vacation somewhere, just to balance things out and keep the family happy, and for me to put poker on the back burner for a little while.
I have also made a couple of my WSOP Vegas trips into a family vacation. Lots to do in Vegas with your wife/girlfriend while you are not grinding the WSOP events.
http://www.stevenkerrlive.com