How to Prevent Burnout When Playing Online Poker for a Living
- Published 2005-05-11
- Author Pokeraddict
Burnout can be an issue in any profession. Many poker players over time became big winners and decided to quit their profession to play poker full time. Most if not all of these professional poker players thought this was a dream come true. These pro poker players find that after many months or years a serious burnout occurs and now this once fun profession has left them burned out just as the career they left to play online poker made them feel. Dealing with this burnout can be a critical key to long term success.
To many the biggest burnout is not having a hobby. Now the hobby they once loved has become a job and a grind. For many players poker was one of their few hobbies, for some it was their only hobby. These players find it hard to get excited about going to work like they once did, and many get into poor sleeping habits of staying up until the middle of the night or sunrise and sleeping all day. This lack of daylight can also cause a depression which leads to more burnout. Below are a few ideas on relieving some of the burnout.
First and foremost it is important to get another hobby, especially if poker was your only hobby before going pro. Finding another online game to play can be the easiest. Playing other card games for fun like spades or hearts works for some and for others it can be finding an action or sports game to play. This may not work for many though as they are still spending time in front of the computer in their house. Another idea if you wish to stay in front of your computer is to build a website or start a blog. These can give hours of entertainment and you will have something to show for your efforts in the end.
Another idea is to get into an exercise program. Face it, when you go from working at a job in a restaurant or even an office it was more active then sitting in your computer chair at home. Going from being inactive to joining a gym, buying a bike or even taking a walk around the neighborhood once a day can be great for getting out of the house and will be great for your body too. When was the last time you took your dog for a walk at the park? All of these will lead to better health and help clear your mind.
If you are married or in a serious relationship it can be easily agreed your spouse does not think you spend enough time with him/her if you play poker ten hours a day. Go out for a nice night out. Depending on what your spouse likes you could go to a club, enjoy a nice dinner together, spend the night in a luxury suite or just walk through a party district part of town. Maybe a nice romantic night in the mountains, a nice cabin with a fireplace on a cold night could be just what you both need.
For some simply going and playing in a live game can release the burnout. Go spend a weekend in a casino town. This can be slow and boring because an internet player is used to playing at least four games at once. The positive in this idea is meeting people and being able to work on your live game and tells. In most cases a live game will be a much better, looser game as well. If you get bored with live poker go find a 99%+ payback casino game. A loose rule blackjack game, full pay video poker machines and playing line bets with full odds on craps will all fall into this category. Who knows you may even hit a jackpot but at the least you will rack up comps with little risk. For me just getting out of town and away from the computer for a few days can be therapy enough.
Playing in home games can be a big help too. Even if it is a much lower limit game it can be good to socialize with others and get out of the house at the same time. Even games like Baseball will not be so boring if you have been playing 10,000 hands a week or more of Texas Hold'em. Have a good time and a night out while still keeping with the poker spirit.
If you want to try and end the burnout without giving up online poker then learn how to play Omaha, Stud or even Pineapple. These games are even better if you can learn high/low. When someone is a fish at Hold'em they are bad, when someone is a fish at a non holdem game they are really bad. Omaha high/low pot limit brings in all sorts of bad players. These players will call the pot on a low draw where they will only get half of it back if the even hit. If you play tight a good player can kill these games. They are also great with working off bonuses. High/low games will create many more raked hands that will qualify towards the bonus requirements then a holdem game at the same limit.
Burnout may be the number one issue facing hardcore online poker pros. Finding a cure for this burnout can mean the difference between being an online poker pro, and going back to that old job you hated when you started playing poker for a living. Many people that I tell I play poker for a living think it is the best job in the world, but those of us who do it know it is not all glamour and we all have to do all we can to prevent it from becoming a miserable grind.