[Acevader]

Nation is 100% right. I recently started playing for a living and have been really hard on myself for not managing to put in the sort of hours that I used to in my desk job. However, in my deskjob I probably didn't sit and intensively concentrate for anything more than a few hours during the day. I'd surf, make tea, have a dump, chat to fellow workers, surf, send emails, etc, etc.

Poker actually gets you from all angles: it taxes your brain non-stop for the entire time you play but it's also monotonous like working on a factory line. There are few jobs that do both - most people that use the brain intensively do so in fits and starts and most people that work in monotonous production line type jobs mentally switch off and run on auto-pilot. What I'd give to be able to auto-pilot poker at 4ptbb/100!!