High stakes cash game player Danielle Andersen and Joey Ingram are thinking about walking away from poker. Andersen tweeted about how the lockdown situation changed her view on what she wants to do with her life, and Ingram said he agrees 100%.
I’ve always loved poker but this extended break + craziness of the world has me reevaluating if it’s really what I want to do forever. For the first time ever I find myself daydreaming of walking away & doing something else. Not sure what though? Anyone else feeling this way? 🧐
— Danielle Andersen (@dmoongirl) June 30, 2020
Time for a Change From Poker
There is no doubt that poker is a hard way to make an easy living, as the cliche goes. It is definitely true that as the years go by the constant grind begins to tell on a player’s motivation.
Could the COVID-19 pandemic end up being responsible for a long list of star retirements when it’s all over?
Danielle Andersen is a top texas hold’em cash game player, She has played in the very highest nosebleed games that run online.
But even with all that money earned, and a true love for poker, the fact is that it can be a grind sometimes. The effort that the top players put into their game to keep their level is insane. Ordinary players just don’t understand the commitment required.
Far From the Only One
Judging by the responses in the Twitter thread there are many high stakes poker players who are reassessing their lives right now. Joey Ingram is thought of more as a poker content creator these days, but he played high stakes pot limit omaha back in the day.
His early career was full of tales about crazy prop bets involving volume that would make your eyes water. Eventually all that effort would make him a feared player at most stakes.
100% have been feeling the same way
— Joey Ingram 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽 (@Joeingram1) June 30, 2020
Surely Ingram isn’t considering giving up his award winning podcast. That would be a real shame.
Other well-known poker players chimed in to give their own thoughts on how the lockdown affected them.
Alec Torrelli plays high stakes no limit texas hold’em and says he is glad to keep poker as only part of his life.
“Totally understand where you’re coming from. TBH I’ve always felt that way to various extents, and enjoy having poker be a slice of the pie, not the whole thing.”
Should Poker Be Everything?
All of this talk of retirement raises an interesting point. Just about every high stakes poker star that got to the top of the game gave it everything on the way up.
Poker was the only thing in their lives. It was all they thought about in every waking hour.
The problem with this attitude is that it can lead to burn out. If not then like we are seeing now it becomes unsustainable for a lifetime.
Legends such as Doyle Brunson worked hard but in that era a player could rely more on talent. The sheer amount of information that must be fully understood these days doesn’t compare.
The poker scene is still very healthy with great prospects for the future. Even if there is a mass exodus of poker stars the game will adapt. New blood will replace them.
The other question is what will the retirees do? You can’t reach the pinnacle of poker without extreme drive behind you. Just like a boxer who thrives on adrenaline a high stakes poker player will miss that competitive edge in their daily lives.
Whatever they choose to do, many will be successful in their new field. Many of those talking of new challenges are in their thirties, which is a good age to be seeking out new passions in life.
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