So I haven't been tossing around too many virtual cards lately. I played a few 9-man single table sit n goes tonight after getting my ears lowered. Finished 1st, 2nd and 6th in $60, $60, and $38 games, respectively. Top 3 get paid in these games. Haven't really had much time or patience for the big MTTs lately, but will probably be dominating some in May when the SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) rolls around. It's a 3 week series of sick tournaments, with big guarantees and offering low, medium and high buy-in versions of each event. I was fairly engulfed in the Hawks/Canucks series the last couple weeks, as well as a bit of spring fever to get outside and participate in some sunny activities such as kite flying and hop scotch. I even set up a lemonade and free hug stand which was reported to the police by Neighborhood Watch for some reason. Maybe they felt it was unfair that I charged 25 cents for lemonade but the hugs were free? I didn't understand.
So a very intelligent friend posed some interesting questions to me the other day. They were more or less as follows "In the poker community, where is the line between a hobby/profession and an addiction?" and another one along the lines of "Do you think any of the successful professionals have addictions, or could they only be that successful with a clear head?". Good questions, and it provoked some thought and interesting conversation. She suggested it be the topic of my next blog post, so in honor of Ms. Jenn Hedayat, here are my thoughts:
Let's use the terms hobby vs. addiction for simplicity, but hobby could also be a profession. My simplest answer was that when it's a hobby, you control it. When it's an addiction, it controls you. I think those simple statements hold true with anything, not just poker. I don't think an addiction to anything is particularly healthy since you are losing control over your actions. Obviously I can't speak on behalf of the many very successful professionals (or not so successful), but I do believe the ones that are consistently successful over a long period of time are not addicts. To be successful in this game over a long period of time, you have to take a very calculated, controlled and responsible approach. Long term success is determined by skill and patience, mostly. Not just while playing the game, but in how you manage your bankroll, your downswings, your attitude etc. You weigh your risks, your rewards, calculate odds, observe patterns, maybe get a second opinion from your gut, then make decisions. If you're making the proper ones more often than not, you will be successful. If you're foolishly throwing your money around, you will not be successful. When you lose money foolishly you get a feeling of wanting that money back right away, and therefore proceed to take poorly calculated risks to do so. That's where the cycle begins and people cross the line, in my opinion.With anything, I feel it's important to strike a healthy balance. Too much of a good thing, or of any one thing can be a bad thing. I have one golden rule when it comes to poker: I never let it trump any good opportunities for quality time with friends or family, or any other good opportunities. Sunday is typically "poker day", but I make quite a few exceptions. It's all about balance and perspective.
When talking with Jenn she kept referring to poker as a passion of mine. I don't think I've ever referred to it as a passion necessarily, but she said she sees it in my writing. She might be right, I still don't know if it's a passion, or if I would be willing to try it professionally some day. Some days I think life as a poker pro would be pretty sick, and some days I think it could be a serious grind. Right now it's something I enjoy to do when I can, I'm good at it, and like I've stated before it's hopefully a means to a better life and increased freedom. The actual money itself isn't important to me, but the freedom money provides in this world we've created is important. I'm not looking for freedom to live in a mansion and have a chauffeur named Geoffrey drive me to the yacht club every Saturday, just the freedom to help make the world a better place. They say money is the root of evil, and I tend to agree. Among other things, it tends to wreak a lot of havoc on our planet. Not to mention the havoc Gluteus Weekly has caused on the world wide web. When one states such conditions of glutes, and the conditions aren't so, it leaves much to be desired by gluteus enthusiasts everywhere.
Thanks for reading.
Josh
It's an interesting question... are all addictions inherently bad? Is it possible to have a "healthy" addiction?
ReplyDeleteI guess it's only an addiction if you're losing, eh? To be honest I don’t even know if it’s fair to call anything but a physical dependence a true bone fide addiction. It’s like Tiger’s “addiction” to sex. Give me a break. There should be a distinction, at least. Being addicted to heroin is not even in the same realm as being addicted to, say, glutes.
I mean, on one particular night, when I was out scrounging for asses, I found myself in a desperate stupor... I didn't care whose glutes it was... I wanted it, nay, needed it. It was at that moment that I realized that I was an “addict.” With therapy, and a proper outlet (my blog) I've managed to control myself. I avoid the meat section at the grocery store for fear of running into any conspicuously placed beef roasts or hams, and jogging trails of course. One day at a time I tell myself. I don't know why I’m telling you this. I guess I just get really lonely sometimes, you know? It's just... well just... you know... *sniff* oh god.
Stay strong, C. It's difficult when those Safeway honey hams are calling your name, but I know you have it in you to just walk away.
ReplyDeleteSo does “it’s only an addiction if you’re losing” hold true outside the realm of poker?
Person A loves playing poker, hasn’t really studied the game much and is probably not as good as he thinks he is, but wants to take a serious crack at it. He uses his savings to start a poker bankroll and quits his job. He plays for a year, but eventually loses all his money, has no source of income and goes deep into debt. He picks up a job to try save up some more money and manage his debt, and then takes another crack at poker. Once again he loses all of his savings, goes further into debt, and is eventually forced to file for bankruptcy. His friends and family intervene and suggest he give it up, and seek help for a gambling addiction.
Person B is an entrepreneur at heart. He hasn’t always had the best business sense, but he has a passion for it. He decides to quit his day job and use his savings to start a small business. He busts his butt, but after a year it goes belly up, he loses everything and goes into debt. He goes out and gets another day job, pays down some debt and saves some more money. He has another business idea which he is really excited about. He needs some extra money though, so he goes to his parents for it, and they oblige. After only 6 months his business idea goes belly up once again. He loses everything, including his parents’ money, and has to file for bankruptcy. His friends and family reach out to him during this tough time, chalk it up to some unlucky breaks and a poor economy, and commend him for being a "go getter".
Wait a minute…so if Person A is an addict under that logic, shouldn’t Person B be considered one too? For all intents and purposes they've both lost the same things. What is Person B addicted to though? Business ideas? To put it simply, nothing. I think the line that gets clouded is often between addiction and stupity. What do person A and person B have in common? Not an addiction, they might just be morons. Since poker often gets lumped in with all forms of gambling, it’s easy to deem one an addict when making bad choices in that sense, rather than in other faucets of life.
Life is pretty much a big poker game, or a business venture. Every single move we make is essentially a calculated risk to get us further ahead, whether we realize it or not.