When I was growing up, I aspired to play professional sports for either the Yankees or Knicks. By the time high school came, I was playing sports, but I realized that I was not going to be playing professional sports for a living. Growing up, I always heard how lucky professional athletes are to being paid such high salaries to play a kids game. Now I am in my final semester at Seton Hall getting ready to graduate with a sports management degree. <READMORE>

Over the past few days, I have been on an incredibly bad run of cards. I haven’t hit a set in forever, I can’t win a significant race, my AK has been running into KK, and I feel like people have been sucking out on me left and right. Now this has only been over a four day span, yet I feel like the world hates me. I also have not been the most pleasant person in my home due to this poor run of cards. Apparently, it is my mom, dad, and friend’s fault that I have had poor luck over the past few days. Or worse, I have stayed in a chat room and insulted the person whose KK broke my AA. I was so angry, I acted like the person was a complete donkey for going all in with KK and breaking my AA. Last night, when someone’s 96 clubs beat my QQ with 40 people left in a $100 500 person tourney, I almost broke my computer monitor because I was so frustrated. Luckily I didn’t, but I went to bed steaming mad feeling like the world hates me and I am the unluckiest person on the face of the Earth.

While lying in bed watching television, I just started to laugh and realize how stupid I have been acting. For the past ½ year, my tourney poker skills have developed to where it has essentially become my job, and I have been able to get ranked on this site. Like a professional athlete, I have been able to play a game for a job. I am not comparing myself to a professional athlete, but I am making the realization of how lucky I am, along with a lot of other people who play poker. I GET TO PLAY A GAME FOR MY JOB. HOW UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME IS THAT?!?!

I have a great life and a great family who has come around to somewhat supporting what I do. There are so many people on this Earth who are unsure of where their next meal is going to come from or bust their balls to make minimum wage taking orders at Burger King. I am not knocking anyone who does that, in fact I have respect for them, but that can’t be a great or fun life to live. Waking up wondering if I am going to eat today or have a place to sleep is a reason to be bitter and hate life. Taking a bad beat or losing a race is not a reason to be angry or depressed. Sure, people have the right to be disappointed, but after a minute or two, put it into perspective. I lost a game, there are more games still going (since I am probably multi-tabling), and if not, there will always be more games in the future. I will have a great meal that night and I will sleep in a warm cozy bed.

I coach basketball at an inner-city program where many of the kids' parents work 3 jobs and struggle to put meals on the tables. Most of the parents are never able to see their young sons or daughters play basketball because they are so busy working. If we go to a game and a couple of the coaches buy the kids McDonalds, the kids look at you as if you are Santa Claus. These kids and their families live a difficult life. It is sometimes tough driving home in a nice car and thinking what these kids have to go home too. That is a difficult life to live. Anyone playing serious online poker, who thinks they are unlucky, think of that next time you take a bad beat, and then you will realize how lucky you actually are. Also, this basketball program consists of about 15 teams, while the kids basically pay nothing, and the program is run by all volunteers. We have our annual fundraiser coming up, and we're looking to raise a ton of money to help the program run for the whole year (jerseys, gym time, referees, insurance, etc.) so if anyone wants to donate, it would be appreciated. I hope to set up a post in the coming week about this.

One of the first things I remember hearing that stuck in my head was the assertion that if you enjoy what you are doing, you never work a day in your life. This is what got me into majoring in sports management at Seton Hall. I love sports and figured if I am working in sports, I will always love what I do, and I will never dread waking up and going to work. Over the past ½ year, it has become a real possibility that poker will become my job; only time will tell. But regardless, I know I am so unbelievably lucky. I am playing a game and love every single second of it. When I know I am going to play, I get excited. How many people wake up every morning with a huge smile on their face, truly excited about work?

Tournament poker is not easy to play. The best players in the world are going to lose more often than they win. You can ask anyone. Learning to deal with the ups and down of tournament poker is essential for a person to succeed and do well. I have been able to balance this and come out a winner. While playing, I compete with such a strong intensity. Ever since I was little, I hated to lose; losing would make me close to being physically sick. I might be disappointed when I lose a big race in a tournament, but after that minute of frustration, I will always sit back, smile, and realize, wow I am 21 and living the life.
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