Trying to Find a Balance

I woke up one morning recently to see that Phil Galfond had written a new blog (http://www.philgalfond.com/it-always-comes-back-to-balance-doesnt-it/). Unlike most poker blogs, I actually follow Phil’s because I honestly feel like I learn something every time I read it. This one wasn’t strategy related but more focused on how much relocation can affect a poker player’s life and most importantly, offset the delicate balance.

Playing poker for a living is without a doubt one of the coolest professions out there. We’ve found a way to make a living from something we truly love and enjoy. Sure, some days can be very frustrating and make you rethink your life choices but others are amazing and some of the best life experiences you can ever have (ie: WSOP this summer). The problem is when you string a few of those bad frustrating days in a row. For me, this has been almost 3 months. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had winning days in-between, but the majority of them don’t quite go as planned.

Phil Galfond brought up a really important point in saying that life at home during a downswing is sufficiently easier to handle than a downswing while you’re alone in a foreign country. Like anyone else, I have a few poker friends in the area but it’s just not the same as home life. I miss hopping into my car and driving to Chickfila, seeing the StandardBull crew, speaking English to everyone, and having a real address (one that isn’t 400 meters south of the old cemetery). When you can go out with your friends and focus on anything but poker, you get a true break from your occupation. Without that escape, poker can get very exhausting.

I definitely have an advantage over most poker players simply because I truly LOVE the game. I know so many guys who play poker for a living just because it’s something they are good at and can make money doing but that don’t even really enjoy it anymore. I still have that fire and passion (heart and commitment) that several have lost. It might just be that I’m young and it’s still new to me but that is fine because I don’t see poker as a lifelong occupation anyway.

To get back to Phil’s blog, the main point of the post was to stress the importance of truly getting away from poker for some period of time, especially during a downswing. It doesn’t have to be a year, a month, or even a full day but there has to be some point in your day where you do something that’s fun, relaxing, and takes your mind off of work.

“What I really need to do is leave the game and walk away into my real life, but I don’t have a real life to walk away into anymore.”

I feel like I can relate a lot to this and pretty much the whole post. I’m working on creating a more balanced life for myself here and starting out by taking next weekend off to FINALLY get to the beach after being here for nearly 4 months. Hopefully this trip will be the start of a new balanced life, and hey, maybe even an upswing.

Lastly, I’m going to LA on the 22nd to play the LAPC main event. I’m actually really excited about playing some live tournament poker as I’ve missed it since the WSOP. Hopefully I can pick up where I left off this summer.

I love and miss you all,

M