After 20 years I have quit playing live poker

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DAVID KEHRER

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Congrats on your decision i did that last year lost my passion for playing. I still play few games on CC but not the every day grind.
 
Marshmalo1994

Marshmalo1994

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It has been an incredible 20+years - so many great memories. But it is just not for me anymore.
Debi! I know that feeling! It is harder to try to hold on than finally let it go. And then it feels like taking off a heavy bagpack.
Congrats for such a great career :)
 
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Urameshi

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"Live poker tournaments require an incredible amount of stamina and mental focus. I don't want to dedicate all of that to poker anymore."

couldn't agree more. after a while, poker, especially tournaments, feels like a job, not a hobby.
 
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odonob

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Yep, that time when you know you don’t actually want to continue what you once liked to do. It happens. You have to honest with yourself and ask “Am I actually enjoying this? Do I want to continue?”
 
LUKADONCICMVP

LUKADONCICMVP

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wow 20 years that´s a lot I never played live poker don´t even intend. enjoy your freedom!
 
Flyer35

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With the basic surgery I will still need low level contacts and glasses so that makes the decision much harder for me. I want the freedom you have - just hate that it will cost me so much to get it.
I didn't know there were options and levels of cataract surgery. I'm told I "technically" have the beginning of cataracts so I need to do some research to prepare for the point when "technically" changes to "can't see worth a darn anymore".
 
thedarkman

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I gave it up around 20 years ago. Too much hassle for too little return when you can play on-line.
 
AKQ

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I just made my annual fall trip to Vegas - it was a short one this time - only 6 days. I had family arriving, so I was only going to play 3 days of poker. I decided to play in the $200 dailies at the Wynn.

My first tournament was last Sunday at noon. I was excited to be playing since I got sick during my summer WSOP trip. Starting stacks were 25k - I love deep stacks. Then they announced you could pay $100 for a one-time add-on of 25k chips as long as you still have chips. (So you can't bust and then get your add-on). Surprisingly only half the table took advantage of this. I don't understand their logic if they even had any. Even the guy to my left who had won the tournament on Sat waited a while. '

So there I sat with 50k chips - a dream come true tournament for me!

After the first break it didn't take long before I was watching the clock for the next break- they were every 2 hours which is way too long for women - but women don't get to decide these things.

When there was still 25 minutes left I realized how many times they kept having to tell me the action is on me. I did not have my phone or ipad out as usual - I was just more interested in seeing how the people who walked by were dressed, looking at their shoes, etc. I knew nothing about the some of the players on my table and how they had been playing - I didn't care. The idea of playing that tournament until midnight or later was incredibly overwhelming. I didn't know how to get through the next 25 minutes.

And it hit me - I was almost anxious to be out of the tournament so I could go do something more fun. Then I asked myself why was I even playing? Out of habit was the answer. So I went all in, busted and enjoyed the rest of my time not playing poker. I see no reason to ever play again.

Live poker tournaments require an incredible amount of stamina and mental focus. I don't want to dedicate all of that to poker anymore.

It has been an incredible 20+years - so many great memories. But it is just not for me anymore. It costs me $300 to find out but now I know. :)
Poker is a love of ours.
We got into it because we loved it.
We are so much more than just poker players.
I haven't played a poker game in two months,but have restored dozens of damaged homes for victims of fires and floods.
Do whatever you want in your life.
**** it
Do everything
Love will guide you to where you need to be

Love always-AKQ
 
WrongUsername

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hope it was a fun ride, good luck on live mtts retirement.
 
5TR8 FLUSH

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Hi Debi, I just want to say it was a pleasure meeting you two years ago in Vegas. I appreciate you answering my chat after a ten year break from poker. When I was younger, I didn't think I'd play live poker because I'm an introvert and not the most social and also because of my status. When I went to Vegas three years ago, it was an amazing feeling and felt more special when I went to play in the Colussus two years ago during the last longer event. Thanks for answering my questions before I went the first time and it helped me feel more comfortable in going. Also thanks for answering my questions about online poker legality when I came back to CC.

I remember enjoying reading about your stories back in '09, and when I got back on CC and now. I appreciate you and everyone that keeps this going, it's fun. This is a great post because it reminds us that poker isn't everything and it's okay to change and walk away from what we no longer need in our lives.

Hope you and your husband's have many more enjoyable memories. See you at the FT's on the CC tourneys.
 
Kenzie 96

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I mostly had my lifestyle pared down to what I figured would work with my retirement income a couple of years afore I actually shut down & it has worked out well so far. In my 5th year of retirement & haven't done a lick except be there for the grandkids since.
As far as your choices, seems to me the decision making should be done by those who have to live with the consequences & you & Joe appear to have done good so far so---------------.
 
sibkaz

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Everything will be right, this is what the world is built on...)
 
Zorba

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The only reason that I don't play much live poker is being bored doing it, good luck playing slots Debi.:p

(y)
 
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