my argument is that it is very unlikely you are maximizing your profits/potential with that approach to the game.

i realize there are going to be some exceptions to what i am suggesting in this article. this is just my view of what is holding back the typical poker player from real long term success.

well done

One of the best articles I have ever read on 2p2.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

Thank you.

http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2009/04/25/exercise_improves_learning#ixzz1UQpNZGAl

Didn't found the actual data yet, but so far everything seems to lead that "marathon" >>>> "sprint".

very good article, ty.

nice. really spending time on your goals is great to do at the beginning and then being honest to yourself and trusting your estimates.

take care man

Haha, you got translated on a french forum, and now even my compatriots are big fans :

http://www.clubpoker.net/forum-poker...-not-a-sprint/

sacre bleu!

waw amazing post ! thanks so much ! loved reading it and will do a schedule myself

I actually follow some of these rules now, and i can see HUGE improvements in my game, confidence level and overall love for the game.
THANKS

great post, ty

this is a very good comparison, but we also have to account for that this mental muscle is very often affected by your non-poker life. It takes a huge mental stability to keep poker and non-poker life separated imo.

I CAME!!!

Good article, but... what surprises me, is that so many people seem to need this article. If you start a marathon, you don't start running as fast as you can right from the beginning either.

My situation is different of course, as I'm not playing for a living basically. But in order to balance my poker with my life (job, wife, kid, other hobbies, family, friends etc), I have my own set of "rules". I have only one day (afternoon + evening) per week for poker, and the people around me know they have to leave me alone during that time.
Nobody else can be in that room while I play, no TV, no music, I don't even want any programs open on my computer while I play. I take one big break during which I have to go outside for at least 15' after which I eat together with my family, and have several 5' mini-breaks.
After every game I make a little note about the game, in order to see if I need to post one of the hands on 2+2, if I need somebody to review the entire game etc. Follow-up of that happens at a later stage, never during games.
If I need this in order to play my AAA game just one day per week, I can't imagine somebody who plays 7 days a week, and actually really needs the money, not to go above and beyond...

How do you have the discipline to play so little? Playing poker for me is as important as breathing.

Ehm... I have like, a life outside poker as well? A full-time job I like, a wife and a daughter, friends who don't play poker, other hobbies which are a bit more physical etc. I play from time to time during an evening or a holiday, but other than that I reserve poker for 1 afternoon + evening. That's not discipline in my case, that's balance.

I think their should be a decent beginners article covering:
* Bankroll-management
* Time-management (including goal-setting)
* Emotional management (tilt etc)
Everybody points out the bankroll-management to new starters, but without the two others I don't think they're off to a decent start.

I will be taking alot of this on board after reading this, I've just started to grind these hu hypers now and after making platinum this month I was planning on trying my hardest next month to keep it.

But after reading this I've just said to myself "what's the point in me trying to move up and double my time playing when I cant make supernova this year anyway".

I will be concentrating on making sure I am ready and comfortable before I start sprinting through the stakes. This has also made me think about some recent thoughts I have been having lately about relationships. I'm single at the moment and have been for a couple of years now. I've had nothing more than a couple of meaningless flings and havn't been bothered because I was too engrossed in poker.

An ex girlfriend has recently come back on the scene and started to hint at us getting together again. Now I'm not saying I should be jumping back into this without making sure its the right thing to do but one of the first things that came to mind was " am I able to get into a relationship now while I've recently picked up my game and planning on putting in alot of time? "

This is far from the way I should be thinking and I have to take a good look at my life and start to get some stability back into it.

Great op.

Thanks man.

great post hokie, u give us the insight about being a poker player in real life. I totally agree with u, poker is not a sprint, it's a marathon.

glad u changed your mind , haha

thanks

Great post Hokie.... We often hear about discipline to make volume, but we forget it's at least as important to be able not overdoing it

Nice 1st post

Tuesday, May 4, 2010
800/800 Played: Goal Completed

http://hokiegreghu.blogspot.com/

You divided your volume by 3 in one year, amazing... Do you think you can regardless have pretty much the same results playing your A game most of the time, or are you just less result-oriented and just wanting more enjoy life?

Also, why did you stop this blog ? Link to another one ?

nah... it took me 3 days to finish reading it...

very nice poo-bah greg

How is this thread not getting more love? Read this thread the other day, decided to re-read it and I find it on the 3rd page??

H2olga thread stays bumped b/c people asking questions about what women he likes, but imo people should be taking the advice in this thread to heart.

I bought Jared's book the same day I read this, hoping to get it tomorrow so I can mark it up with highlighters and look for some "a ha" moments about what I have done wrong and how I can improve my mindset and have a healthy life balance in the process.

What would your rebuttal be to this?

If you care enough about the game and what it brings you you can play the game as if it were practically a sprint for a loooooong time and make more than artificially trying to balance your life. If you do not care enough about the game then by making it a marathon you are doing something you don't really love doing for an extended period of time while not maximizing the profit per time period, while if you play like it's a sprint you at least make the best out of the time you are 'wasting' while being a poker player