When you have
a hobby like poker, where does work fit in?
“Time is money”
goes the modern businessman cliché, a phrase so devoid
of logic that it’s likely to make anyone feel simultaneously
intelligent and dimwitted just for saying it. The fact of
the matter is time can be lots of things. It can be the reason
for all the dollar signs on your paycheck, it can be a nice
weekend getaway with family or friends, and it can be the
difference between a gold and silver medal at the Olympics.
Most prevalently today though, time seems to be what runs
our lives. It’s two direction arrows rotating around
a circle telling us when to go, when to stop, and at what
pace, frequently bringing about tons of unneeded stress and
pressure. In many respects, time is not on our side.
When it comes to poker
(did you notice I wrote an entire paragraph without using
the word “poker?”), time is an invaluable asset
to have at the table with you. And I’m not just talking
about when you’re short-stacked in a tourney and the
impending blinds have just gone up another level, when even
your chips start sweating. I’m talking more so about
having the time to begin with to sit down at a table, live
or online, and play some hands.
When I was in college
last year, I would habitually go back to my oh-so luxurious
on-campus housing partition, plop down on my bed, and partake
in the usual 3 o’ clock multi-table tournament on my
favorite online poker room. It was always a pleasant break
from the daily grind, even if the cursed pocket Kings appeared
early on and led to my ultimate demise… again.
But before I knew it,
I had to put on a robe and funny-shaped hat with something
that entertained me for hours, walk across a stage to pick
up a blank sheet of paper, and pass into a transcendental
dimension known only as “the real world.” And
for those of you that may be wondering, the answer is no –
it’s nothing like the sexed-up nimrod-fest broadcast
on MTV, although there are quite a bit of nimrods… but
that’s not the problem here.
The problem is that time
seems to become scarcer and scarcer, and many of you reading
this have probably already found that out years ago. When
you have a hobby such as poker, that often demands certain
allotments of significant time, how do you squeeze it in with
all sorts of jobs, relationships, housework, and other miscellaneous
grownup stuff? Well there are two obvious solutions: (1) Make
it your job! Go pro! And (2), Play on the job! I’ve
heard accounts of both taking place, and for most people,
I wouldn’t recommend either one of these. Sure it would
be nice to live the life of Johnny Chan, Chris “Jesus”
Ferguson, Phil Ivey, and the likes, but chances are you ain’t
got the skills or the intimidating looks (not to mention the
bankroll) to make it to that level. Sorry kid, that’s
just the odds talking.
It’d also be nice
to think, “hey, I have a computer at work… why
not just play while I’m working to make a few extra
bucks?” Well look at it this way – if your boss
catches you playing at work, you just might have to follow
those WSOP champion dreams of yours.
So that leaves you with
playing poker in your free time, possibly even considering
it a part-time job, as it can be a source of income. Keyword:
“can.” My primary thinking though, is that if
you really like poker, then you should be able to see it more
so as a little R&R and less as just another hassle in
your day. If you’re worried about entering an MTT when
you have somewhere else to be in a few hours, or if you’re
getting impatient just waiting for the big blind to start
you off at a cash table, then you might need to just back
away and wait for when your schedule is a bit more flexible.
The last thing you want is to tilt at the tables because you’re
mentally juggling all the crap you need to do. The only clock
you’re running on at the table should be a tournament
clock.
The reality is that sometimes
you’ll have to accept the fact that there’s less
time in your life for poker or other hobbies. This has been
the case for me, as I’ve had to cut down on MTT’s
and even SNG’s as my free time becomes more sporadic.
When I do play, however, I make sure that my schedule is open
and my mind is clear, as the last thing I want is to put my
play under unnecessary pressure. Doing so would likely make
playing poker neither fun nor profitable, and would only add
to the stressful events of the day. And I think anyone would
agree that that’s not a good strategy to have for poker,
or for life in general.
Best of luck at the tables.
Mad Terp
Editor's note: The
Mad Terp, as we so fondly refer to him because of the university
he attends, also has his own website where readers may rate
their favorite poker site, or join in the discussion forum
of poker players.
http://www.imopoker.com/
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