MBN to run like you. WP, gg, must be horrible having to endure a month long, 100 buyin downswing...
not sure what my abi is but $12k can't be 100buyins lol, probs 200-300, so gfy! Yeh it wasn't exactly brutal at all, i'm sure worse ones are coming though. Absolutely on top of my game right now, never played so good so consistently before.
Realised this trip that I'm actually pretty addicted to playing poker lol. I don't think I've had more than 2 or 3 days off in a row for a very long time. Last summer was probably the last time when I was in Rome and Tuscany.
Although my hours don't show that I play that much (averaging 30 hours per week for last 2years), I do feel like I'm actually addicted or obsessed by it, which I never really thought before was a problem but I'm starting to feel like it is. I always thought, it's my job, you need to be a bit obsessive over it to get good enough, you need to commit a lot of off the table hours to succeed, all of which is true, BUT you need
BALANCE.
I had an argument with my Mum and brother Mark when I stayed with them at the start of the month. I wouldn't say it was common to argue with my Mum, but it's not rare for us to have cross words or get on each others nerves a bit. However, I NEVER argue with my brothers. The last argument I had with Mark was in Mauritius in 2005, and I literally can't ever remember arguing with Bobby. Actually I can lol, we were skiing and me and Mark were just relentless in playing practical jokes on him and taking the piss. He took it so well though we honestly thought he enjoyed it!
One time we were queuing to get on the chair lift, all standing side by side, then when it was time to get on the lift, me and Mark stopped at the last minute so Bobby had to get on by himself. He went mental it was hilarious. Then there was the old trick where you stealthily creep up behind him and unclip his skiis so that when he sets off his skiis come off and he invariably falls on his arse. Good times!
Anyway, where was I? (this is becoming like one of lil daves blogs fml).
So Mark and I having an argument really got me thinking. Do I have enough balance in my life?
I can't honestly answer yes. We play football once a week, we do random stuff like table tennis, badminton, sports days in the park which is really good and healthy. We eat out a lot, and go on nights out etc but is it really enough? Do I have enough in my life apart from poker? Do I have enough balance?
What can be done about it? Playing hours isn't the problem. 30 hours a week is not a lot, it's on the low side in fact, most people work 40 hours a week in a normal 9-5. Should I reduce time off the felt doing poker stuff / talking / thinking about poker? This would mean less PHA, less blonde surfing/posting, which isn't really something I want to cut out, it all helps me improve and keep sharp. I think the problem is having blonde on my phone and getting emails telling me when someone writes on my blog etc, it means I'm never 100% switched off. When I'm having dinner with my family, I should be 100% switched off imo. I should spend a certain amount of time off the table doing poker stuff, but when that's over, I should focus my mind on other things and not be checking pha or posting on my diary.
All my close friends are in the poker world. Here lies the problem I think. I live with poker players, I socialise with poker players, I go on holiday with poker players, I work with poker players. I think I need another hobby, one that'll allow me to meet new people totally unconnected with the poker world. Phil Galfond did improv and has lifelong friends from that, completely seperate from the poker world. I think that sounds really healthy. Hannah was a wonderful influence on me. Yet when I was with her, I liked it when she asked questions about the poker world etc, I enjoyed talking about it with her. I met an american guy today who was fascinated by what I said I did, I enjoyed answering his questions and talking about the sort of things I do and what it all entails. I do love poker, the lifestyle, the game, everything about it. Do I love it too much? Is it unhealthy?
It's unhealthy when my family think I can't switch off from it, and it's unhealthy when it leads me losing touch with my closest school friends for example, or leads to me losing my passion for music. I haven't lost that passion at all, but I don't do enough with it.
That what I need to follow, something to do with music. But I have such bizarre tastes, I've no idea what to do about it! Anybody out there like a merge of Rachmaninov, Hans Zimmer and Elton John?!!
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