Nice read, thanks for the solid advice.

Good read Uncle Skwid and my fav poker journalist, bob_124. I'll be adding this to the Best Of thread.

Also added it to the Advanced Poker Guide.

Hope you don't mind squid but I sent a pm to Limon suggesting you as a guest on his show.

Wow guys I am honored and humbled. Thank you kindly

yes! we gotta make this happen!

plz take my money

Thanks for the comments guys!

lol, never know when there will be a "one poster" shoutout. Your PGC is one of my favorites, Rob. Keep the great posts/rants coming.

This thread should be must read.
Poker/life balance. 500 hours a year is fun, profit and recreation and probably perfect for most of us (with a day job about which we have some passion). Be social at the table.
Thanks for the interview, the follow up and the other posts keeping this going.

One echo on the social aspect. I make it a point to tell a joke or two. To kid around with folks. I'll pick somebody at the table and get a little chat on sports, whatever, going. Keep it social. I'll bust their balls a little bit, and then be like, just kidding dude, you seem like a really good guy who likes to kid around. And they have a lot more fun at the table and I do, too. This stuff matter for making the game more fun for me and for them, which increases my win rate.

My regular game, guys who don't contribute with some humor or personality don't get invited back unless they drop mad cash weekly. I win, and am known as a winner in the game. But I also take the role of 'talk show host' and get chatter going so everyone has more engagement. The host doesn't want to run the game and the banter and this helps reserve my seat on a weekly basis.

Like so many of us, I am also more introvert than extrovert but I put on the mask at the tables. No headphones, no hoodies, no sunglasses. Always pleasant, never berate dealers, never yell at players for sucking out. Chat a little. Talk baseball and football and golf. Tell a joke.

The point that so many in the casino are kind of miserable is so valid. It's important to not be one of them. And to make those who are miserable a little less so which in turn makes them more likely to lose their money at my table.

And, not for nothing, I think I can afford to be happy while I play bc I have a job I love and that covers my bills. My poker roll is very deep for my game so while I care about the results and getting better, I don't care about the money. My bills will get paid. Poker covers some life upgrades like some aspects of vacation and some nice meals but I don't rely on it for my day-to-day, which kind of goes back to the idea, 500 hours is pretty nice. I'd like to play more but due to work, I can't, which actually, works out well for me.

Ok, obviously inspired by this thread. Thank you Squid, Bob, mods, other posters.

Great poast Dutch.

It is truly amazing how just being friendly and laughing a little can change the game. Its huge ev cuz when fish come into town they want to play with me

I am actually having a very difficult time with that right now. The casino I am currently playing in the games are great but the players are total tools. Dudes that are well into their 50's are wearing hoodies up and wearing shades - and 80% of the table is stonefaced. I have been pounding the game while trying to be friendly but every time I try to lighten the mood I get scowled at.

Its weird, I am friendly with just about every reg in vegas - but have a feeling that I most likely not have friends or be friendly to anyone here. It will be interesting to watch unfold

@ limon and + ev crew

limon - happy to do yer show but I promised the dudes at +ev I'd do theirs a long time ago so ima go on theirs furst

Great interview great outlook and great work ethic

Could be that it's off season? Thinking once the snowbirds start rolling in should be better, but DCFT would know better. The FL games I frequent tend to be pretty friendly (occasional table full of surly limpers notwithstanding).

Also, confirmed that I'll be your friend in FL this winter.

Could be...but it is by far the surliest room I have played in. Games are great though.

We have been getting our recreating on like serious perfessionalz

We both been wakeboarding up a storm at the cable park (orlando watersports complex) Check it out...totally reasonable price. Got the months pass

SPC is getting close to being able to get her first solo hanggliding flight

Have not gone surfing yet...spoda this week

Talked to my pal who runs the joint about doing tandems for him...he's on board. I ended up letting my tandem instructor ticket expire so i gots some hoops to jump through. That being said I am really looking foreword to doing that part time and doing a little less of the gambool!!!

SO drag yer ass down this a way mang!!

Welcome to my world. SHRT, right? It does get better deeper into the winter. Just need some new faces as the locals are all sick of seeing each other all summer long.

That's a great interview Walt!

Any chance you're in Vegas in November?

My crush grows stronger.

Read the greens; since that type is likely to be wearing green pants. If the table came to play in the state chess championship then don't try to force them into coffee housing chatter. I suspect you already do this because when I drift through the V in Vegas, 90% of the tables are silent.

DMW - tonight was a new first for me. The toolboxery was at an all time high. A player who considered hisself ossum explained to the table he was like a dentist, he was there to extract. Later when I said goodnight to the table as I was leaving - he thanked me for playing. NEVER EVER in all of my years of live play have I heard a player say that to another player

So it sounds like he wasn't sincere?

It depends if Skwid got home and noticed a missing tooth.

Might be a southern thing. Happened a lot in the games I used to play in.

+1 (i.e. I'm also not sure how to read this)

It's totally common up here for people to thank others for playing when they leave the table, but it is meant sincerely.

GcourseCanadiansthankeachotherjustwalkingdownthest reet,we'reoverlypolitelikethatG

Was he wearing a Marlins cap?

Sounds exactly like a guy at my table on the Atlantic side months ago. Talked openly at the table that this was his office and the other players were his customers.

Had my "another happy customer" quip ready if he got felted, but didn't get to use it.

Lol this talk of DB regs in FL cracks me up. Sqwid, hit me up if you happen to find your way down to SoFlo on the ocean side to punish the regs here! Would be cool to catch up a bit in person.

Absolutely my man. It has been this particular casino. I have had great interactions it the other fla casinos I have played in. Could be lol sample size. Idk