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Any successful poker players ever lose passion for the game and just quit?

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  1. SCTrojans SCTrojans is online now

    Los Angeles, CA
    United States

    Posts: 6,026
    Joined: Aug 06

    Jan 17th, 2008 (1/17/2008 10:00pm) in reply to SCTrojans

    Thanks for all the replies.

    Recently (over the last few months) I've tried only playing 3-5 days a week and only the 4-5 large tournaments during the week, and the reduced volume hasn't really helped. Also another thing, I haven't really been running that bad, I've had much much bigger downswings, so this really doesn't have anything to do with it.

    Balance has always been an almost impossible thing to sustain in my life, for whatever reason. I go through spurts where I live a healthy lifestyle but I become attached to something and revert back to my old ways. I wish it was that easy. Self discipline has never been my strong suit, except with my current "passion".

    Regarding the psychiatrist issue, have any of you honestly used one successfully? I've never really considered it and kinda thought it was unnecessary, but it was mentioned by multiple people, I dunno. Seems kinda weird.

    Thanks,
    Scott
     13
    Thread Starter
  2. JACK WELCH JACK WELCH is offline

    Posts: 495
    Joined: Apr 07

    Jan 17th, 2008 (1/17/2008 10:27pm) in reply to SCTrojans

    I have had the opportunity to consult with a few pyschiatrists in my life. It's been a number of years now, but I recall all but one was helpful. (Choose carefully.) The sports psychologist suggestion seems apt. It's the sane people who actively seek mental health. A shrink is just another tool for improvement.
    The classic answer to most poker questions is, "It all depends." I believe this answer works for your situation.
    Balance is always - always - the key. Become compulsive about self-discipline.
    Life is not about what happens to you...life is about how you deal with what happens. (Think I saw that on a bumper sticker but it is precisely correct.)
    Evaluate your entire life. You cannot separate poker from the remainder of your existence.
  3. USDA_85 USDA_85 is offline

    Covina, CA
    United States

    Posts: 44
    Joined: Dec 07

    Jan 17th, 2008 (1/17/2008 10:28pm) in reply to SCTrojans

    Scott, you probably just need a really good 2 week vacation away from poker with some close family and friends. You need that sometime.
    But if not I hope u invested all your poker winings in something good and go back to school.

    Or hey its always Crystal Meth I heard it does the body good LOL!!!!!!!!!
  4. emcee21 emcee21 is offline

    Orlando, FL
    United States

    Posts: 15,891
    Joined: Feb 06

    Jan 17th, 2008 (1/17/2008 11:33pm) in reply to SCTrojans

    poker sucks. you're too smart to waste your life on it. time for a new obsession.

    Edit: i tend to scoop multis first day back after long breaks.
  5. donkkkkk donkkkkk is offline

    Canada

    Posts: 546
    Joined: May 07

    Jan 17th, 2008 (1/17/2008 11:38pm) in reply to SCTrojans

    we might as well put together a god damn book with all these responses.
  6. USDA_85 USDA_85 is offline

    Covina, CA
    United States

    Posts: 44
    Joined: Dec 07

    Jan 18th, 2008 (1/18/2008 1:38am) in reply to dtools22

    ^^^^ AGREED
  7. hammertim hammertim is offline

    Lancaster, CA
    United States

    Posts: 166
    Joined: Jun 05

    Jan 18th, 2008 (1/18/2008 2:01am) in reply to SCTrojans

    I know that I'm prolly repeating some things, or not.

    I've played for a little over fifteen years. I'm sure there has been several times that I didn't play for months at a time.

    Goes in spurts, I really still enjoy the game and seeing a lot of the younger crowds in the cardrooms and hope that poker continues to sustain and maybe expand a bit more as well.

    When I was in my 20s, I was usually if not always the youngest guy there at the stud tables. Most of the time by 25 years or so.

    I've grinded it out at times 3 sessions live per week for a couple months at a time. And just when the wife starts to depend on the extra cash I am ready for a break or awhile.

    It's a great hobby with the bonus of making some money and meeting new people. Albeit, a lot of poker players are borderline degenerate gamblers that really do treat poker like bingo :-)

    I still see the really young guys come in and tell me how good they are, they're working on their bankroll to play in the WSOP, WPT etc...
    Amazing the role TV poker has played. I started playing as I was in Las Vegas working away from home temporarily in the early 90's and some of the oldtimers/locals explained to me that you can beat other people, but you really can't beat the casino's for any amount of time. Was taught some of the basics of stud, got my but kicked for a while and started doing better.....

    Lifetime Game! Don't play so much you begin to treat it like a job. See you at the tables

    GL

    Tim
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