Poker Discussion Post

cool story, glad to hear ur tearin it up out there, as for me id kill to be one class away lol! anyways definitely hope you finish that class and gl at the tables.

I played my first hold em game late in 2004, when my 5th and last year of college was beginning.  I wasnt very good but by march of 2005, I would constantly see my buddy's away messages about running wel in a tourney or his stories of crushing $50 HU.  So what did I do?  Of course I deposited $50 onto pokerstars and signed up for the first $5 MTT available. It was a 8pm tourney with 1050 entrants.  Almost needless to say, I played atrociously raising every ace I got beating AA with AQ and ended up chopping the tourney for $1250.  I was on top of the world as Im sure most of you felt after winning your first big score.  I quickly went to a 1/2 limit table and was up $200 within an hour.  So I thought, this is easy!!! I can do this whenever I want and be rich!!!  Well after most of that $1250 went to spring break which was a week later (I remember how great that week was cause I felt like I was spending free money the entire time), I kept playing tourneys with little success.  I had lost the rest of it..WTF??  So then the cycle continued, Id continually deposit $50 though neteller and lose it soon after.  When I won $80 or so in a MTT I would be ecstatic.  I probably played 16-18 hours a day and not that I was a good student beforehand, but my attendence in class was getting even worse than it was before.  I even had a teacher approach me about playing because I continually missed his 8am class.  Halfway through the semester I was failing and to be honest, it wasnt on the top of my mind like it should.  Ive always passed classes with relative ease but since I wasnt going to class ever, I even missed presentations and such.  Luckily this teacher has a merciful heart and told me to start coming to class and do ok on the final and I would pass.  This still didnt really make me work any harder because I was doing two foci within management and this was a class to just fullfil one of them.  So basically I told myself if I passed 2 of my 3 important classes ,I would still graduate. 

Poker is addicting.....I know this because of stuff I put off to play when I couldve waited a day. Once I had a 20 page business plan to do for a class but didnt even start it til 4am on the day it was due (It was due at 330pm).  I ended up doing the biz plan on a pokeroom cause thats all I could think about!

I have gotten a little better about things, I try to not play tourneys that end so late that I am dead in the morning if I finish high (excluding last night lol) and I try to keep my br managed a little better.  Id be freaking rich by now if it wasnt for spending $480 in 11r and $200 in 3r on those nights I was on tilt and going crazy.  I find if I manage my BR better, I can avoid tilt and the feeling that I need to quickly make up what I have lost recently by moving way out of my BR. 


I understand hwat people are saying about playing best when they are consumed by the game but it isnt healthy if you have no other life.  You need to go get drunk with friends-you need a work play balance.  And if you play 18 hours a day, it is more work than play.  Sometimes, I just get relief by going to the play money tables and going all in eveyr hand...


GBoro, I totally understand where you are coming from as I had the same class senior year and had the same exact thoughts everytime I was at school.   Bottom line, get your degree if you are that close to it.  College isnt easy but it isnt exactly the most difficult thing in the world.   Just suck it up for the hour youre in there or get notes from someone else.  And its not like you actually have to pay attn most of the time to pass anyways.  I totally understand your guilt issue, I think you just need to somtimes tell youself-OK I am going to get drunk as hell tonight! I know some people might consider this unhealthy but I find that going to a party that is fun often takes my mind off poker for the night and I come back the next day refreshed and feeling good.  If youre at parties you are probably spending time with friends and building bonds which will make you feel better about yourself.  If its not partying, do something else with pals.  I just find that doing "active" stuff makes me feel much better than something like going to a movie because its sedentary and not much different than poker other than what I am looking at.  Play more sports if you can, instruments, etc


GOOD LUCK

I remember growing up...wanting to be the next Tom Watson. I loved golf as a kid and got quite good at it.

My parents never stood in my way, but made sure that school always came first. You have the rest of your life to choose your career, but the education?

Many think that quitting school because of a little online poker success is the way to go. Many of those that make that decision need to think harder. Finish your BA or whatever you are studying. Then hit the tables. That degree is the key to you ever getting a job in the real world if poker doesn't work out. No one hires in the white collar world hires a non-college grad. That simple.

IM AT WORK AND THATS ALL I DO TOO, LOL REFRESH...REFRESH....REFRESH.....