Balancing Life And Poker

[jjgoldy5 0]

I need help.Currently, I'm a poker junkie, college student, have a full-time job, and a girlfriend.Here is my dilemma. I love poker and have managed to turn myself into a decently profitable player, however lately, I have little to no time to play.Each week I spend 16 hours in classes, 30-35 hours at work, another 15 or so hours studying / doing homework, and when you factor in time with friends (going to basketball games, partying, etc), time with the girlfriend, and the essentials (eating, sleeping, bathing), I find that I have little to no time to play serious poker.My girlfriend is taking a serious interest in poker, and eventually I think she will be a formidable opponent and good to go to tourneys with etc (she woke up the other day and told me that she had dreamt she won 58k playing hold'em)In the mean time, is there anything I can do outside of reading forums while I am at work to feed my passion? How do other people balance extremely busy lives and serious poker playing?

[Jordan 1]

you quit your job.- Jordan

[swiftD777 0]

How do other people balance extremely busy lives and serious poker playing?

Everyone only gets 24-hours a day and most of us need 5-8 hours of sleep somewhere in there. It's about managing priorities and managing time. Two things that poker players are often not very good at.Let's say your "essentials" take up 8 hours a day. This may vary depending on how much you sleep. That leaves you with 16 functional hours in the day. There are 7 days a week, so 16 * 7 = 112 hours112-16 classes-35 work-15 studying=46.So you have roughly 46 hours a week you are using for entertainment/leisure. That's enough time to work another full time job. Figure out where your time is going and make use of it more effectively so that you're getting what you want out of life.Or you could drop out, break up with your GF, and grind until you go broke or MM.It's up to you.

[jjgoldy5 0]

My job is too good to quit.So is my girlfriend Lets take a realistic look at a day in the life of me.Wake up at 8, at work by 9-9:30Work til 1Drive from work to class, in class til 2:45Back to work from 3:30-7Drive Home / Eat dinnerDo 2-3 hours of schoolworkBy now it is close to 11 and I havent spent significant time with the GF, friends, gone to a basketball game, or played one hand of poker...One solution I have come up with is to bring my laptop to class and play poker on wireless...but then I don't pay attention and I think that is probably -EV!

[swiftD777 0]

By now it is close to 11 and I havent spent significant time with the GF, friends, gone to a basketball game, or played one hand of poker...

Then you need to cut something out of your life so that you have time to do things that are more important to you. If you're not willing to, then they aren't that important.

[LewFather 0]

I hate to suggest it but study and play? I know a couple people who do it, However it's not for me and you better have pokertracker if you do!

[xzanos 0]

My job is too good to quit.So is my girlfriend Lets take a realistic look at a day in the life of me.Wake up at 8, at work by 9-9:30Work til 1Drive from work to class, in class til 2:45Back to work from 3:30-7Drive Home / Eat dinnerDo 2-3 hours of schoolworkBy now it is close to 11 and I havent spent significant time with the GF, friends, gone to a basketball game, or played one hand of poker...One solution I have come up with is to bring my laptop to class and play poker on wireless...but then I don't pay attention and I think that is probably -EV!

What about weekends?

[No_Neck 0]

college is for suckers. Quit that and you will have a lot of free time, no classes or studying. SW

[Waffles2003 1]

TP/MM

[Mattnxtc 0]

dude if ur in college enjoy college. I spent long hours doing what u were doing last semester and in order to really be good at poker u have to allow the rest of ur life to suffer to some degree. Spend time with the g/f, get good grades in school and then worry about poker on weekends or whenever u arent busy. college is about havin fun with others and puttin off the real world as long as possible. Youll never get to experience these things again so take full advantage of them

[Shocktastik 0]

JJ you said you read the forums while at work, your time would be better spent if you did you HW while at work and then used the hw time for playing more. I'm a married college student, so I know how you feel, there are never enough hours in the day! There are other times you might be able to double up study with other things. Always keep a book with you and read it when you have a minute, while you eat, whatever. You can also play while eating for that matter.Good luck!

[JBradburn6 0]

dude if ur in college enjoy college. I spent long hours doing what u were doing last semester and in order to really be good at poker u have to allow the rest of ur life to suffer to some degree. Spend time with the g/f, get good grades in school and then worry about poker on weekends or whenever u arent busy. college is about havin fun with others and puttin off the real world as long as possible. Youll never get to experience these things again so take full advantage of them

Couldn't have said it better myself. College is unlike any other experience, and you only get 4 (5 for me) years to enjoy it. Poker can be a lot of fun and profitable, but it'll always be there. When you're 80 years old looking back, you're not gonna remember that $100 pot you won, but you will remember the night you threw up on the stripper.