Avoiding Obsessive Behaviors
Like any good thing, poker, if allowed to get out of hand in the context of your life, can become an obsessive, and even unhealthy behavior. If you find yourself too fixated on the idea of the game, finding your work or personal life affected by how much mind time you put in, it might be worth remembering that in order to be a healthy, ready online poker player, you need to keep the game in perspective, and at all times practice conscious gaming.
For a great example of how poker or gambling can get in the way of a normal life, consider the character ‘The Worm,’ played by Ed Norton, in the movie Rounders. The Worm fixates on the game as his only source of income, playing out of other people’s pockets, and going into debt by getting involved in games where he can’t afford the stakes. By taking on too much at once, he quickly finds himself in more trouble than he can handle, with no way out except to run off, and avoid it.
No matter how talented you are, keeping online poker in the correct context of your life is vital. Even for a professional who plays every day for a living, you must give yourself time to think about other things, and to always remember to stay within the bounds of what you are capable physically and monetarily.
