Poker and work.

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10-09-2007, 10:23 PM
DetroitHusling101

Poker and work.

Monday i started a new job. It had been a long time since i had worked a legitimate job. It is very hard. Pays DECENT but i'm continually lifting heavy auto parts and by the end of the day (7 am to 330 pm) I am physically sore , and mentally exhausted.

Can playing exhausted after a long day of work affect poker decisions?
I feel like i've played really bad the past two days (only played 6 sngs btw , which is very small amount compared to 400 in a month).
Man the past year and a half of unemployment was great (although moving back into moms house and blowing over 30k cash on partying & trying to take on the persona of a baller was quite depressing when it was gone) . I just hope this doesn't hurt my goal to become a skilled poker player. Which i've attempted on and off since the begining of 2006 when i started playing. Started playing Home Game sit n go's with retarted structures (blinds go up when a player gets knocked out) , to taking a few shots at casino windsor before i turned 21 , to home games 2 nights a week , to playing cash games online with about 1 buy in for the level i took a shot at , to now when i finally understand BR managment , and have decided SNG's are the game i want to master and hopefully become a very profitable thing in the near future. I wanna get better at MTT and Cash too , but i think I'd do better playing live at the casino for cash and just don't have the BR right now to where i would feel secure playing MTT's that could really amount to much.
So i guess my question is for the people who work physical jobs and/or are exhausted after a long day of work. Is my best approach to just not play , or just try to be extra focused and not be watching t.v. , clicking refresh on FTR and checking my myspace all while 3-4 tabling sng's. Which i have been able to do profitably so far.
I think i will take a break on poker until this weekend , maybe read a poker book or something the rest of the week.
Chances are im overreacting and even if im not im sure after a week or two of this job it will be a lot more routine and will not be as tiring and what not.
This is more a rant than anything.
But anyones personal experience with poker and work would be nice to hear about.
10-09-2007, 10:31 PM
euphoricism

Quote:

Can playing exhausted after a long day of work affect poker decisions?

I didnt even read anything after this. You know the answer.
10-09-2007, 10:35 PM
DetroitHusling101

Yeah but i dont like the answer.
I guess what im trying to say is i do not want to make poker a weekend hobby.
I'll just hope that within a few weeks the job isn't so tiring.
I guess i could re-arange my scedule.
Get off work at 330 pm. To bed at 7pm. Wake up at 3 a.m. , get my needed 3 hours of poker for the day and than get ready for work.

This would be so much easier if i could just work afternoons but the bastards said there wasn't anything available for afternoons.
10-09-2007, 10:56 PM
euphoricism

Keep it at weekends until you make enough hourly on the weekends to quit the real job, obv ;]
10-10-2007, 10:51 AM
pgil

or only play during the week when you feel like it. that is what I have been doing. after a very long day, I just won't play. if i don't really feel like it, i don't play. after a while, you will want to play, and want to play more often as you become used to the new hours.
10-10-2007, 11:17 AM
salsa4ever

and SNGs aren't going to be profitable enough for you. I reckon u can get away with 20% ROI at 11/15, and 10% at 20/25 and less after that. So unless you can 22-table ala RainKHAN...
10-10-2007, 10:49 PM
pankfish

After a year and a half of not working, any job will be exhausting. I'm sure things will become more routine. I know I've spent a lot of time in the sun the last couple of days which apparently tires me out. It made me cranky and I've been playing to beat other people than I have been to play solid poker and win money. that leads to getting your money in on a lot of stupid bets. For me anyway, but I'm a stupid fish so it isn't all that unusual I guess.
10-11-2007, 11:59 PM
canuck

dont play if you are tired... youll lose cash
10-13-2007, 08:18 AM
Kits

Poker is a weekend hobby for me. My 'real' job hourly rate is quite good and I doubt I could make the same money playing poker. Down side of my real job is I get tired (and cranky) during the week and can therefore only play poker (optimally) on the weekends. That's a deliberate decision and one that means I play at my skill level (NL25).
10-13-2007, 10:01 AM
Miffed22001

play at weekends.

Its the only option youve got. Im still doing it :(
10-14-2007, 09:01 AM
spoonitnow

The physically tired part isn't generally a bad thing; being tired physically can help you focus because you won't be as easily distracted and your body is more at rest. The mental part can be learned.

I went from breaking even at 10nl to killing 100nl 6max last year while working a 48+ hour/week framing job so that I'd have the option to play poker while going back to school. If you really want it, you'll take measures to compensate for being tired while you play.

Edit: Just noticed you said you get off work in the mid-afternoon so figured I'd throw this in since I don't think anyone else has. If you choose to play in the early morning, you'll likely be missing out on some really good games. If you could manage to play decent poker in the evenings, this would be best for game selection, which will give a noticeable difference in winnings in the long run.
10-14-2007, 04:36 PM
will641

why dont you just take a nap? sometimes i like playing a little physically tired, because it allows me to be less affected by gay suck outs.
06-02-2009, 02:57 AM
WhooFleuryScores

Long story short years ago I did try to do the semi pro thing while working, and at the end it was just too much stress and roller coaster. I will say I do miss the competition and the highs of playing for high stakes. If you got a dream chase it though, before you know it 3-5 years is up and you'll still be as old as you would be if you didn't try.

Oh, and unenjoyment with severance pay is great lol.
06-02-2009, 02:57 AM
WhooFleuryScores

Long story short years ago I did try to do the semi pro thing while working, and at the end it was just too much stress and roller coaster. I will say I do miss the competition and the highs of playing for high stakes. If you got a dream chase it though, before you know it 3-5 years is up and you'll still be as old as you would be if you didn't try.

Oh, and unenjoyment with severance pay is great lol.