Posted Sat May 05, 2007 12:42 am GMT by snoogins47
This post seems bit self-centered and strange, but hey, that sums me up perfectly. Since a few people had asked about it, I figured I'd throw this out there to inform the folks that may care. Note: if you don't care about me, you won't care about this post.
So, I have 'retired' from poker. It's nothing serious, nothing set in stone, and a ludicrous term to use, but I like it so I'm sticking with it. It's been no major secret that I've been dealing with some fun emotional instability and the fact that I absolutely suck at sleeping for the past few years, and that I got majorly burned out on poker all the time. Basically, the short version is thus: with all my 'breaks' and periods of never playing, I played just enough to keep myself out of financial trouble. That wasn't much: it worked out to (I'm guessing here) about 8 hours a week. I can't look at anybody with a straight face and say "I'm totally unsatisfied that as a 19 year old college drop-out, I was able to make a comfortable living by sitting in front of a computer playing a game 8 hours a week" but the game has just lost a lot of its ability to resonate with me... or more likely, vice versa.
As time went on, the burn-out became more frequent and stronger, the periods where I was regularly playing became shorter and less intense, and I was more prone to the emotions affecting my play. The emotional stuff came to a head, and finally I just decided that I wasn't enjoying the game (or yes, the money that came from it... it's quite frustrating to look at my earning potential over the past few years and see how little came of it, but perhaps I should take some sort of comfort in the fact that I don't care about money that much at this point? Tricky) enough to merit continuing. The legislation in Oct/Nov kinda messed with my head too, and finally I just decided to, instead of calling myself a 'pro' on a break, just go the whole nine and call it a 'retirement.'
I pretty much need to get my life back on track. Well, maybe just on track in the first place. I gotta find a track too. And it really wasn't seeming like my life as a 'poker pro' was doing that for me: I haven't had the motivation/passion to really dedicate myself to it and take my game to the 'next level,' that I am quite sure I could've achieved merely by putting in a lot more hours. But c'est la vie. I had enough money to free-load for a while, handle the rent/food/etc on my apartment until my lease is up (end of this month) So I stopped fighting it, withdrew the large majority of my bankroll and said 'screw it..... ... for now.'
I won't disappear from here (as you can tell, I haven't really played seriously for months but I still show up here from time to time. You can probably run into me occasionally on FullTilt playing nl25 or nl50, maybe some 1/2, and some of the smaller MTTs. I have no clue if I'm going to ever pursue the game seriously in the future: smart money is on 'yes, you moron' but I'm not certain, and more importantly, I'm not going to bother trying to figure it out. It's obviously not out of the question.. I mean, I originally built my bankroll from $1.50, so it's not hard to imagine running the couple hundred I still have online into something substantial, y'know? But it won't happen soon, barring some massive tournament score... and even that, I think, wouldn't get me back into the grind. It'd just give me a few bucks to make my putzing around be for slightly more money.
So that's pretty much it: that's why I say I'm 'retired' and why you see me playing nl25. And it actually feels kinda good.
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Posted Sat May 05, 2007 1:04 am GMT by MrDarling
Wow, I can't even try to grasp how a 19 year old can retire from anything 
Here is a small advice from someone who "Been there and done that" , and I mean life - not poker. In poker life terms I'm a toddler compare to you pro kids. Don't try to hard to find a path.
thats it, it is as simple as that, but most people can't seem to follow this. Seeing the way you poker kids lived so far, there is a chance you understand this. But don't try to decide that you need a real life = Real Job, Real wife Real hair cut etc...
warning = some tree-hugging-free-loving-hippy crap is coming Just follow your hart. Wake up in the morning and see what you feel like doing today - and do it. Don't do anything you do not WANT to do. Don't set too many rules for yourself etc...
Its always great to know that if all fails, you can always fall back to poker for a quick $ if necessary. I have the same with my other qualities.
Good luck.
Danny
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 1:05 am GMT by snoogins47
| MrDarling wrote: | | Wow, I can't even try to grasp how a 19 year old can retire from anything |
Well, to be fair, I'm 22 now. I was 19 at the outset ;P
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 1:52 am GMT by supafrey
tl;dr
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 3:08 am GMT by JohnnyCache
I'll tell you what I do when I get bored: I get back to my 'roots' - find a new home game to play in.
Sure, home games can be tedious in a certain way, but quicker then you can say "Hey, are you guys playing that 'TV poker?' It's pretty easy, right? You got room for one more?" you're getting back to why you played the first time you played.
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 3:52 am GMT by Phil14312
Don't do something if its not fun. You'll be much happier that way.
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 8:44 am GMT by Dave B
I always think that I would like to try playing professionally. Then I make a trip to Vegas and look at how completely depressed and angry all of the people look who are in there every day trying to grind out a living. Heck, want to see depression, just look at Supa.
Few people get rich playing poker, many more burn out. Find work that you enjoy and save and invest. Unless there is a complete meltdown, I should have $3-4 million by age 50 without saving a lot or making a dime at poker. Just start early and play ahead and it doesnt take much to get there.
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 4:18 pm GMT by Phil14312
| Dave B wrote: | I always think that I would like to try playing professionally. Then I make a trip to Vegas and look at how completely depressed and angry all of the people look who are in there every day trying to grind out a living. Heck, want to see depression, just look at Supa.
Few people get rich playing poker, many more burn out. Find work that you enjoy and save and invest. Unless there is a complete meltdown, I should have $3-4 million by age 50 without saving a lot or making a dime at poker. Just start early and play ahead and it doesnt take much to get there. |
Hey Dave this is Snoo's soapbox. Please step off. 
I do toy with the idea of trying to play pro, and then go play live and see the type of scum I would have to be with for 40 hours a week. Its enough to convince me every time.
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 4:22 pm GMT by tame_deuces
I have to honestly say, I couldn't stomach poker as a 'job'. It is fun as a hobby, but those times when I played too much it could really take a toll. I guess maybe some can, but too me it seems like a harsh life.
Gl man.
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 6:37 pm GMT by supafrey
this sure is a lot of attention whoring for a guy that's going to play in like.. two weeks, once, just like he has on and off for years.
zzzz
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 9:06 pm GMT by exit music
notice this pattern:
college drop out
poker "pro" who grinds 8 hours a week online
"retires" from this "job"
try dedicating yourself to something - scratch that
do dedicate yourself to something
Posted Sat May 05, 2007 10:04 pm GMT by tame_deuces
| exit music wrote: | notice this pattern:
college drop out
poker "pro" who grinds 8 hours a week online
"retires" from this "job"
try dedicating yourself to something - scratch that
do dedicate yourself to something |
Is this post a joke?
Posted Sun May 06, 2007 12:08 am GMT by groton
I dont know If i can save somemoney I could go Pro for a few Mounth's to try it out if only i did not have Credit card Debts
Posted Sun May 06, 2007 2:25 am GMT by snoogins47
| tame_deuces wrote: | | exit music wrote: | notice this pattern:
college drop out
poker "pro" who grinds 8 hours a week online
"retires" from this "job"
try dedicating yourself to something - scratch that
do dedicate yourself to something |
Is this post a joke? |
Could be, but he's got a point
Also, shut up Supa.
Posted Sun May 06, 2007 3:10 am GMT by exit music
| tame_deuces wrote: | | exit music wrote: | notice this pattern:
college drop out
poker "pro" who grinds 8 hours a week online
"retires" from this "job"
try dedicating yourself to something - scratch that
do dedicate yourself to something |
Is this post a joke? |
post to be taken in jest, with underlying truths
Posted Mon May 07, 2007 3:37 pm GMT by UrAteUp
Snoo...at 22 you got a long life ahead. Get back into school and finish college. Get a good education while you can.
As for poker...who needs it...I pretty much stopped playing when the ban went in too.
Just get on with your life and enjoy it. Poker isn't the world.
Don't be a donkey in life as you are on the tables... 
Posted Mon May 07, 2007 6:05 pm GMT by jeffonline
Changing directions, changing the way we look at things, experiencing what life has to offer in other areas, giving up something taking up something else, going back to what we have done previously, some changes happen naturally, some accidentally and some are forced upon us, but change we can and do. Part of life’s journey, enjoy!
Posted Mon May 14, 2007 11:57 pm GMT by crack
Posted Tue May 15, 2007 3:32 pm GMT by UrAteUp
Confusious say " Man who quotes Supa is not Supadupa"...
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