2015 Diary- Family, Work, Poker and everything in-between

[UgotNuts]

I think this is the most boring, dragging morning at work I have had to endure for a long time. Being the only human being sat up in Finance is a bit of a drag, I thought I would enjoy the peace and quiet but this reminds me of the time sitting in a Police detention cell after being nicked for being involved in an after school fight about 10 years ago......

Have been using my time productively by looking up the SCOOP schedule(Now my self imposed ban is going to an end), and pencilling the events on a Friday/Saturday nights, so I can avoid playing on work nights, and being a walking zombie during the day, followed by doing my nuts later that evening as I'm too stubborn not to play when I'm tired. This is a common problem when I play online, but not so much when I play Live. I also get so excited about playing the SCOOP, even more than the WCOOP events, I guess they are more suitable to my pretend bankroll.

As a credit manager, you would of thought I would be a bankroll nit, assessing the risk and variance and comparing it to the rewards, but I don't really keep money aside just for poker. I vaguely track how much I'm winning or losing and just go from there. Treat the family when we are winning, and dull it down a bit when I'm not and never slip into using bill money and family money for poker. Its just not worth the gamble. Now that I understand(Apparently) how Poker pros calculate their ROI, I guess they pay themselves a wage, and then add a % to their bankroll to help compensate for the swings. Its basically equates to having working capital to continue to trade, while having a bad debt provision to compensate for your losses.... Easy when I think of it that way.
 

[UgotNuts]

My Mrs is heading to a 2 day Midwifery conference next month, which means It will be the first time in nearly 9 months I will be responsible for two little people. Its scary to think how fast time has come since Zara gave birth to our son Logan last August. I must admit, I'm not particularly great with babies and feel my stress levels after a couple of days will be sky high. I love spending time with my kids, but I'm dreading trying to entertain a 4 year old girl whilst keeping an 8 month old baby from crying the house down. Logan is a very high maintenance baby, very clingy, hates sleeping (Still sleeps in about 20 min busts throughout the day, and a couple of hours at night). If Logan was Ivey's age then I think It would be a much easier task as I could take them out places which they both would enjoy. Might still take them to Cadburys world, as Ivey has been wanting to go since Christmas.

I don't know how Zara does it day in day out whilst I'm working or out playing poker. Zara will be going back to University in a few months to complete her final year of Midwifery, so looking after the children will even out again and I'll get back into the swing of things.

Reading this back It comes across like I'm an absent Dad, who is married to his work and plays out all night. Maybe I'm a bit, perhaps I need to cut out some of the Friday nights out, and now my Pokerstars account is back up and running, Maybe just limit myself to a few hours of cash online rather than grinding schedules of tournaments. Its a juggling act I'm yet to solve.

[UgotNuts]

So I decided to play some MTT on stars with one 6 max 50/1 PLO game to keep me ticking over last night. Busted the big 109,22 and the hot 11 and 16, but managed to run deep in the Big 11 which I eventually cashed for $60 coming in 102 so down around $120 on the MTT front, but being up around six buy in the PLO I managed to post a winning session.

Had a situation come up on stars last night, which I'm not sure if this should be allowed. I has above average in chips in the Big 11, already enjoying a deep run in the cash, when I'm booted off the site. I receive an email asking for ID. Now this isn't an issue as I have my old passport scans on the PC, and I sent them across. However because of this interruption it most likely cost me a final table appearance. Should they be allowed to do this? Why don't they wait for you to finish the tournament and just not let you cash out until the ID has been provided?

I was so pissed of... haven't felt like that in a long while....

[RED-DOG]

So I decided to play some MTT on stars with one 6 max 50/1 PLO game to keep me ticking over last night. Busted the big 109,22 and the hot 11 and 16, but managed to run deep in the Big 11 which I eventually cashed for $60 coming in 102 so down around $120 on the MTT front, but being up around six buy in the PLO I managed to post a winning session.

Had a situation come up on stars last night, which I'm not sure if this should be allowed. I has above average in chips in the Big 11, already enjoying a deep run in the cash, when I'm booted off the site. I receive an email asking for ID. Now this isn't an issue as I have my old passport scans on the PC, and I sent them across. However because of this interruption it most likely cost me a final table appearance. Should they be allowed to do this? Why don't they wait for you to finish the tournament and just not let you cash out until the ID has been provided?

I was so pissed of... haven't felt like that in a long while....

That can't be right surely?

[UgotNuts]

So I decided to play some MTT on stars with one 6 max 50/1 PLO game to keep me ticking over last night. Busted the big 109,22 and the hot 11 and 16, but managed to run deep in the Big 11 which I eventually cashed for $60 coming in 102 so down around $120 on the MTT front, but being up around six buy in the PLO I managed to post a winning session.

Had a situation come up on stars last night, which I'm not sure if this should be allowed. I has above average in chips in the Big 11, already enjoying a deep run in the cash, when I'm booted off the site. I receive an email asking for ID. Now this isn't an issue as I have my old passport scans on the PC, and I sent them across. However because of this interruption it most likely cost me a final table appearance. Should they be allowed to do this? Why don't they wait for you to finish the tournament and just not let you cash out until the ID has been provided?

I was so pissed of... haven't felt like that in a long while....

That can't be right surely?

Afraid so .. got back on tonight.....

[pokerplayingfarmer]

So I decided to play some MTT on stars with one 6 max 50/1 PLO game to keep me ticking over last night. Busted the big 109,22 and the hot 11 and 16, but managed to run deep in the Big 11 which I eventually cashed for $60 coming in 102 so down around $120 on the MTT front, but being up around six buy in the PLO I managed to post a winning session.

Had a situation come up on stars last night, which I'm not sure if this should be allowed. I has above average in chips in the Big 11, already enjoying a deep run in the cash, when I'm booted off the site. I receive an email asking for ID. Now this isn't an issue as I have my old passport scans on the PC, and I sent them across. However because of this interruption it most likely cost me a final table appearance. Should they be allowed to do this? Why don't they wait for you to finish the tournament and just not let you cash out until the ID has been provided?

I was so pissed of... haven't felt like that in a long while....

That can't be right surely?

Afraid so .. got back on tonight.....

That's awful from stars, never heard of it happening before.

I know exactly how you feel when it comes to balancing a family life with work and poker, it's impossible to put in the amount of time to each that you need to.  I'm lucky in the family and work fronts, in that I'm self employed so depending on the time of year I can be really flexible with my working hours, just a couple of 6-8 week spells when I get next to zero poker in.  On the family front I couldn't ask much more from the wife, as long as I put aside at least a day to take them out once every couple of weeks I do pretty much whatever I want poker wise, even got a pass out to Vegas with a poker friend of mine. As long as the hallway is wallpapered and the caravan is sited for the year so she can bugger off with the kids when I'm busy at harvest

Don't know about you (or anyone else) but the worst thing about live poker for me is the travelling, I live away from any cities, 50mins from nearest casino, 80mins dtd, I get home, have tea, wash change see kids for a bit, walk out the door and look at the car and think 'I sit behind a wheel all day, I really can't be arsed with the drive' decent local cash games have dried up, the Internet is getting more and more appealing.  I've even taken to offering mates the buyin for 10% action in whatever bowl comp is on if they drive if I want to go play cash, buts that's not so good for the expenses column!

[mikeymike]

1. can i exchange my mrs for pokerplayingfarmers mrs.
2. will be up to dtd tommorrow for ukipt if your there

[rfgqqabc]

Doesn't sound like the old Stars, not so sure with this motley crew but I would certainly be asking for some compensation. Possibly some cashier action (withdrawal/deposit) flagged something up, but to do it mid tournament is quite out of order!

[UgotNuts]

Sounds like your a very lucky man @pokerplayingfamer!

I agree the traveling is a bit of a killer. I don't drive, so jump on the train everywhere. Fortunately I'm about 45 mins from London and about 90 from dtd. Issue is the trains home from DTD don't run late and I either book a place to stay or have a couple of hours wait at Costa in the early hours of the morning. London/luton is much more forgiving when it comes to the return trip.

I've emailed pokerstars complaining about the timing, and have just got a generic email back saying they reserve the right to suspend accounts at any time when necessary, and they aploigise for the inconvienance caused, and they never ment to imply any wrong doing. This has happened a couple of years back on full tilt, but I was only playing cash games at the time If I remember correctly.

I'm working tomorrow unfortunately, and have family stuff to do on Saturday, so I won't be up at dtd for the ukipt Mike. Good luck though mate, im sure you'll have another deep run! (Plus Im still passportless! You must let me know if they do indeed ask for it, I have heard so many stories!)

[pokerplayingfarmer]

1. can i exchange my mrs for pokerplayingfarmers mrs.
2. will be up to dtd tommorrow for ukipt if your there

She laughed out loud, had to show her, so she saw what I wrote, for extra brownie points!  I should be up to dtd Friday too might see you there.

[mikeymike]

Update to ugo on my friday trip to dtd - please feel free to give me a good slating

Played the 2.00pm - 2 bullets - bombed out at 7.00pm

entered the 7.00pm had 15k at level 10 average i think about 90k

Made some audacious bluffs with 32o and 87o when raised i just shoved and got folded to by level 14 up to 100k.

Down to the last 1 minute 57 seconds of play - day 2 in the bag all i have to do is fold - new player sits down and opens the pot with a 7k raise (level 1500/3000 antes 400) from ep - 4 folds i look at my cards pair of 33 instant shove - knowing that i am way behind - but i had decided that i couldnt be arsed to come back on sunday with 25bb - i know get slating -

anyway chap has about 102k ask how much it is - clock time has finished - he calls - pair of jj - he wins i lose - the 2 short stacks ahead in the sb and bb who both have about 50k start moaning that i shoved and they folded ak and aq - of which neither would have hit

I think i lack any motivation - lol

[UgotNuts]

No slating here Mike. If you couldn't be arsed to grind 25bb stack going into day two and wanted to gamble then that's fine. If you thought it was the right play then we would be having words! :-)

Did you enjoy it? Did they ask for photo ID to enter?

[mikeymike]

no to photo id

in fact couple of guys didnt have there dtd cards and just gave their names and entered

[UgotNuts]

Seems Like I could of played then... Oh well lesson learnt.

Its been a Manic few weeks at work. Haven't been so glad its the weekend in a long while. My two most senior staff have been either on holiday or have been off with sick, I also worked over the bank holiday weekend. Covering two companies ledgers entirely, posting the incoming cash as really keeping on top of my weekly/daily reports, releasing credit held orders, dealing with the incoming calls from our lovely customers and being on hand to answer any questions my newish boss may throw my way and be on hand to help her with the system processes is really starting to take its toll on me mentally. Probably physically too. It has been a constant few weeks, with another one in store next week. This was made evident when I turned  on my computer last night to play some MTT'S on Stars and my eyes couldn't even see the screen, really had to focus to make anything out. I took the hint and headed for a shower before turning in for an early night.

Today I must of posted a personal best time for waking up and not turning on some type of computer device. Instead I spring cleaned the shit hole that I call a home as the kids have wrecked it again, before heading off to see an old school friend with the family. She has a lovely two bedroom semi detached house with a massive pebbled driveway, which could easily be a home for 5 cars. The sun was out and even with a chilly wind blowing, it was nice just to see the kids playing and having a chance to relax and rest the mind in some good company.

As I type this I have busted the first 8 of the 10 $2.50 turbos i have fired up on stars, and have now final tabled two as chip leader by some distance. Slowly learning why the internet is soo good for riding out variance and why correct bankroll management is so important in today's game. Normally I would be playing the big 109,55,11,22 and the hot 75, 16 ect ect instead of grinding these turbo's. Not because my roll is sufficiently rolled to take the hit, but just because I like to take shots and because I have the cash at the time to do it. This approach has had its good times but is just not sustainable for me at the moment. So grind, grind and grind it will have to be.   

Two more weeks before I have a nice week off from work. Plan on using this time to go and sign up to the new gym in Bedford, take the kids for a nice walk through some local woods, and generally just have some time to relax and not worry about a thing in the world. The back end of my week off is the 25/25 in Luton which I will be attending. Hopefully with a clear refreshed mind, looking to do some damage.

[UgotNuts]

I think I'm coming to an end of an era when it goes to my poker playing days. Its just not the same as it used to be, repetitive, boring even. The excitement has just been extinguishing slowly over the last 8 months or so. As I'm feeling like this after a nice little win online last night it is probably best if i just do something else indefinitely.

 I stumbled onto the game, about 8 years ago now by chance really. I was having my local Monday night 7 a side game when a young chap mentioned a home poker game. Now I had only seen it on the TV, but that did not stop me from bluffing that i knew the game and would like to join if a seat was open. So off I trotted to my first poker game a 50 quid SNG and with luck on my side i managed to win it for 300 odd quid. I felt amazing, felt like I could beat the world, so off i went and brought some poker books and was spending every waking moment thinking about hands and strategy and it wasn't too long after i was playing at my local G casino. I never had much of an upbringing and was fending for myself from an early age, finances where tight, and often I was in a spot having to choose between having no gas for two weeks or punting 20 quid on Pokerstars trying to win the Sunday Storm or one of the Bigger Sunday comps. I guess I saw it as a way out of my hell, a chance to make something of myself no matter of the cost, a dream that would soon turn into a gambling nightmare. Not long after I started playing at the casinos I found Blackjack which would almost put me on the streets on more than one occasion, me and my addictive personality was hooked. Mix that with awful luck when it comes to BJ, even the dealers felt sorry for me, I could see it in there eyes.

I guess I've come a long way from then. Have a wonderful wife, daughter and two sons,have a steady comfortable job with career progression and the need for the game has just stopped. As we all know poker can be one of the most time consuming things god has ever created, factor in the travel to and from destinations, or staring at a screen concentrating on multi tabling is just eating into the time i personally feel should be spent with the family. And the money I've lost over the years could of been spent more wisely... could of saved for that mortgage the wife has been going on about :-)

Bottom line is life is too short and if you don't enjoy doing something anymore you should just not do it or find another variable option. I think this is as good of a time as any.