By
grapsfan |
Published
Aug 28 2008, 09:55 PM
I had been an excessively regular poker player since I first picked up the online game in early 2003 and for several years before then in home games. In the last two years, I qualified for FTP’s Iron Man program in 21 consecutive months – not reaching Iron status in all of them, granted, but a majority of the time. In many of those months, I also reached Silver or Gold status on PokerStars. I have a lot of stuff bought with Frequent Player Points, from iPods to books to shirts & jackets.
I am among the small percentage of people, poker players or not, who enjoyed watching the game on television prior to hole card cameras. I videotaped shows like the 2001 World Series of Poker documentary on Travel Channel, other WSOPs on ESPN, and the various U.S. Poker Championships. You can see these shows in current rotation on ESPN Classic; I caught them on my VCR when they first aired.
I’ve tried in recent months to quit the game at one time or another, to force myself to take a break when I was playing badly or running bad. I’d put my laptop away for a weekend, or tell myself I wasn’t going to take it with me on a trip. But like any classically dependent person, these breaks never lasted longer than a day or two. I’d spend all day at DisneyWorld with the kids, enjoying a reality completely separate from my own…and have to jump into a quick SNG or two before bed, regardless of how tired I was. I’d pay the exorbitant fees to get wireless access in the airport terminal while waiting for a flight, so I could play. And I never could keep the computer off the TV tray by my couch in the family room.
So this summer, rather than trying to quit (again), I decided to explore the idea of a sabbatical. The word originally comes from the Hebrew Sabbath, a break for spiritual reflection after a week of work. The concept first expanded outside the theological realm as a system of releasing debtors from their labor in the fields, giving time for the earth to renew itself after seven years of planting and harvesting. In the Western world, we think of a sabbatical more in terms of a tenured college professor being given an extended leave to go off and pursue other interests. While on sabbatical, these professors maintain some connection with their primary field if they desire, but no demands are placed on them to keep working. When they return, they have fresh perspectives and new knowledge to share with their students and their colleagues.
A sabbatical sounded just like what I needed. It had been approximately seven years, going back to late 2000 and early 2001, when I had not played in a regular home game or online at least once a week. Previous attempts at quitting cold turkey had failed, so I allowed myself the freedom to play if I so chose. But I also volunteered to coach my son’s soccer team as well as helping him practice for his first year of Little League baseball. I stepped up more as a Cub Scout leader. I worked with my daughter on her A-B-C’s and learning how to tell time. I gave a couple half-hearted efforts in finally reorganizing the junk in my garage. And I got around to reading some books which had been collecting dust for too long. I kept my nights and weekends busy enough where I never played poker just out of boredom or obligation, reasons which never leads to your best game.
It’s been approximately two months, during which I’ve missed out several financial and competitive incentives offered to me by online poker sites. I’ve given up hundreds of Iron Man points per month, and didn’t get Full Tilt’s July qualification bonus (which would have been around $500). Any thoughts of last-minute satellites to the WSOP came and went, as did my VIP status on PokerStars. My PocketFives PLB score has dropped by more than half.
What I’ve gained is so much greater than a bonus or status:
- When I do play, I have more fun, regardless of beats. There are times when I miss playing, which haven’t happened to me in many years.
- I never play to the point of being tired or frustrated…I simply don’t have time to put in long sessions.
- I no longer have the pressure of “having” to play to clear a bonus or meet an FPP status level.
- I’ve had more time to think and read about poker, since I’m less inclined to play. When you’re not pressed to play at least 25 days a month, other poker opportunities are available.
- I feel like a better father and husband…my wife can give a better opinion of this statement’s accuracy, but I know my kids are having a fun summer, as am I.
The sample size is really small…but I had my first profitable month of 2008 in July. August has begun well, with a 180-man win and another final table.
Most people see the need to take a break from whatever it is they do, especially a game as intense and emotionally draining as poker can be. The problem is, we don’t know how. We try to quit playing, but leave everything else in our lives the same. Nothing else fills the void, and we log back in knowing we shouldn’t be playing, but are lacking another gap-filler.
Think of your next move away from the tables as a sabbatical, rather than a strict break. Plan other activities. Try a new hobby. Enrich your life. Know what else will occupy your time and mind.
Your game, and your soul, will thank you for it.
