First weekend off - Feeling good.

[jkamowitz]

Well I've played every weekend since '07 began. That's 16 straight weekends of casino life. I'm graduating in three weeks and decided it'd be a good idea to spend a weekend at home, getting ready to move, making sure everything is ready for class finals, tying up loose ends. Can't say I wasn't nervous. Going to a casino on the weekend has become a staple of my life. So it's only natural that breaking this cycle would make me uneasy.

Typically, I leave thursday afternoons somewhere between 5-12pm. I put in a long session and crash and come home Saturday night or Sunday mornings. I was ready to leave (although not really excited) and invited my friend Briana over just to hang out before I left. She ended up staying for around 12 hours. I kept telling myself I'd leave once she left and with it now being 9am I doubt I ever will.

I have to shamefully admit it was hard to not leave. I couldn't think of a reason to go but I also couldn't think of a reason not to go. It has become so routine that I don't even consider not going.

I'm proud of myself though. This was something that I always told myself I could do although everytime I told people I wasn't going I ended up at the tables. I'm happy I'm doing this even if deep down I wish I was playing.

The weekend isn't over and who knows if I'll crack and drive down in the middle of Saturday night. I won't hate myself if I do. I do think however that this is something every consistent poker player should try. It will tell you a lot about how addicted you truly are (even if you tell others and yourself that you aren't.) It's a lot harder than I imagined, mostly because I'm unsure of what to do with all this free time.

I'll let you guys know if I succeed if you're at all interested. I can only see good things coming of this.

Just a rant and a brag, sorry if it was purely self-serving.

TT: Sorry if this is low-content, lock it if you must. I felt it important to tell people that whether or not you win or lose, if you're anything like me it's important to ask yourself every now and then if you can stop. Sorry if this is uninteresting or amateur.

[scoresman]

This is a good thing to do. I do this from time to time. I find it helps me to get focused. When I return, I play better.

I also find it easier to accomplish if you do something fun during the time you would usually be playing.

I am also taking a break this weekend. I'm taking the little women away for the weekend.

[jkamowitz]

Well if you're not going, I definitely have no reason to go. Heh.

[scoresman]

Yeah. I hear ya.

[KurtSF]

Not to hijack, but I just recently took a nice break.

I'm primarily an online player. At FTP they have a promotion where if you play x days a month, month after month, you get bonus points which you can exchange for tourney entries, or if you save for a year or so for cash. I played pretty religiously every day whether I felt like it or not, and I was kind getting the feeling I was playing for the wrong reasons - to keep my bonus points streak going, and not for the poker. My internet went out at the start of April and I couldn't play for a while, and I decided to take the opportunity to break the cord. I wouldn't play in April online. This would allow me to do a couple things I had been thinking about (in addition to being able to play for the right reasons when I returned), namely spending more time with the wife and focusing on my live game.

I got in 6 sessions at the B&M this month, and ended up in the black. This was good especially because my first outing was a 2.5 buyin debacle, and also I found the tables pretty tough given all the "weak" live play talk around these parts. Despite playing at 4x the stakes I usually play, I booked only 1/4 what I would expect for the month online (though I suppose that was to be expected given that I played 1/10 the hands).

But I read a couple poker books I'd been meaning to get to and I got into a nice routine for trips to my local cardroom. I learned a ton about playing live in the process, and I'm rather happy about it in the end. Not to mention the QT with the lady, which was rather enjoyable itself. Sometimes a change of routine can be nice.

[Grease]

The Borgata 20/40 will certainly not be the same without you. I may have to explain to some people that you are in fact not dead, but living and enjoying life outside of the casino.

Have a good weekend. Hopefully I'll see you next weekend.

[punkass]

[ QUOTE ]
...but living and enjoying life outside of the casino.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yea, they're still not going to understand.

[SellingtheDrama]

[ QUOTE ]
The Borgata 20/40 will certainly not be the same without you. I may have to explain to some people that you are in fact not dead, but living and enjoying life outside of the casino.

Have a good weekend. Hopefully I'll see you next weekend.

[/ QUOTE ]

Life outside the casino - you mean driving to and from the casino, right? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[otter]

It's helpful to take time off. You're lucky that it "only" took you 4 months to figure it out, but I'm glad that you did. Some people never figure it out. Hopefully this will help in your life; both poker and personal.