What happens when a full time online poker player is confronted with a life changing crisis? How does he retain the focus and discipline required to play the psychological game of poker and emerge a winner?
My name is Mikey and not too long ago I made the decision to play online poker full time. By that I mean that poker was going to be the means by which I earned my living. Soon after embarking on this adventure, the woman I loved for the last seven years announced that she was leaving me. I was shattered as my world came tumbling down. Her announcement came just as I began writing a blog documenting my day to day experiences as an online poker player.
The blog, Of Life and Poker at http://www.oflifeandpoker.com, was to focus on how a poker player manages his life along with his poker playing and the psychological issues which he must confront in emerging a winner. What I had not imagined was that the life component of Life and Poker would be of the magnitude it now is.
The blog chronicles my struggle to survive as an online poker player while having to deal with the most heart-wrenching situation of my life. I write of the parallels one finds in both poker and life and there are many. My writing expresses my raw emotion as I confront the break-up while trying to retain the focus required to play smart poker.
Ths is my story revealed in live time. The following is an excerpt from Of Life And Poker.
This was one of the saddest days of my life and I was playing stupid poker. The truth is I was playing losing poker and I was fully aware of it. This was not a day for me to be at the tables. I was ripe for the picking and the hyenas had their prey in sight - and on this day, I was the easy prey.
After 40 minutes of Hold'em at $1/$2 stakes, I was down $287 and if I continued playing on this godforsaken day, I would surely have blown my entire bankroll. Emotional stress and smart poker are not compatible. They never have, never will be.
If you do visit http://www.oflifeandpoker.com, please feel free to comment on your own experiences in dealing with the times and events when poker and life clash.
-mikey
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