How to Get Away and Play Poker During the Holidays
by Bodog Poker | Dec 24 2009
Whether you're a professional grinder or a weekend amateur, the holidays can provide lots of opportunities to get in some action. But the holidays also mean quality time with family and friends, so a little careful planning can ensure that you still get in the action you love.
For the committed grinder the change in your regular routine during the holidays can wreak havoc on your tournament schedule, and the cash game action you're used to will often be missing a lot of players you may usually seek out to play against.
For the weekend and evening poker warriors there's lots of lower-level action to choose from online, and the sit-and-go action seems endless 24/7.
The easiest way to play poker and still be with friends and family is to host a home game. Impromptu games can happen almost at will with so many people hanging around the house during the holidays. It's great time to get a significant other on the table so they can enjoy the game you love. You may not be playing against the best opponents in the world, but it's at least an opportunity to practice putting players on hands in a live setting. One important thing to remember is to keep the stakes low. Make the game fun for everyone and you'll be able to get them to play again in the future.
There's one surefire excuse you can use this time of year to get some time away for some action. Just tell everyone you're going shopping and you can get in a cash game session at your local casino or online.
If someone tries to come along with you just tell them that you're shopping for them, and that you don't want to ruin the surprise. That should be good enough for a four-hour session, especially if you have all your shopping finished early.
That amount of time is also long enough to play a couple of sit-and-go tournaments or a multi-table event with 200 players or less. Just make sure you have enough time if you play the multi-table events.
Another thing that can get you some time is to wear the family out with activities. Get the kids out in the yard and build a snowman or take a long walk looking at Christmas lights. The activity and turkey will get them to bed early, and you'll be free to grind for a few hours before it's time to sleep. It will be good for your health and your relationships, which are often issues a dedicated grinder needs to pay attention to.
Take care of the people in your life first this time of year. Don't let the opportunity to play with friends pass you by, and use your spare time to take advantage of the increased number of novice players online. You just make back all the hard-earned cash the holidays demand.
