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I smoked 30 a day for over 20 years. 2 things helped me quit, and I've never touched tobacco or its substitutes since.
The Alan Carr book was inspirational, in 2 respects. Firstly, the proof of how smoking takes over-his first memory of his daughter's wedding was the wait for the speeches to be over so he could have a cig. Secondly, it was his attitude. He always liked smoking while he did, and never persecuted them as an ex-smoker. (Strangely, apart from those 2 bits, I didn't like the book). I always enjoyed smoking. However, I decided that I would like not smoking even more, not least for my family. I smoked my last cigarette on New Years Eve 2006. I enjoyed it. I enjoy being free from smoking even more.
Good luck in giving up smoking. When/if you want to. It can be easy, but it is really tough until you conquer the mental addiction part.
Hope that helps. If not, try a fidget spinner
I've never really smoked but my dad gave up after being a heavy smoker for many years. The best bit about being a non smoker according to him was being able to smell the fresh air. Simple things eh.
I often wonder if e-cigs had not been invented would i have gone back on the normal cigarettes and i get a nasty feeling i would have so i suppose i am thankful for the e-cigs in a way but i am heading towards my mid 50s now and have realised that it is about time they went in the bin for good as well.
Anyway i am going to give it my best shot and see if i can chuck them and i hope you have success too Marky.
Have to say, I thoroughly enjoy catching up with your blog updates! The PLO8 really isn't too hard once you get used to it, like all new things I guess. I don't think I take any longer to react when action is on me in PLO8 than I do in NLHE. I hope the NLHE TDYM's are going well? I know you had a small more testing spell in them recently but I am sure you will turn that around no problem!
Brilliant stuff getting the Vegas package Paul! Have you been over to Vegas before? Hopefully see you over there.
I know exactly what you mean with smoking overtaking the memories etc. I was at my uncle's wedding last weekend and while it all went well and was a very nice day... I did spend half the day wondering when I would get the next ciggy.
I would also never give anyone who did smoke a hard time if I stopped. I try to remember as you so correctly pointed out, that we are all different. Just because I do or do not do somthing doesn't mean everyone else who has the opposite take on it is wrong. Each to their own as long as they are not directly hurting anyone IMO.
I was going to give the book a try (and also thought it was the comedian lol) until you pointed out the rest of the book was not as enjoyable, so thanks for the cliff notes :-p I also agree it is hugely down to psychology and overcoming the mental addiction, something I am supposed to be good at...
Well done to you on the Vegas package and good luck going after the main event package. Will hopefully get to join you over there one way or another. Whether I will be a smoker or not remains to be seen.
Maybe those 'Fidget Spinners' would give me something to occupy the hands instead of a cigarette
My dad swears by the menthol e-cigs, at the moment I like the ones that resemble tobacco the most but I think that just reflects the stage I am at more than anything.
Many thanks again and good luck binning the e-cigs
Mark,
When you are pokering, and the guy on the Button keeps nicking your Blinds, do you let him do so? Or some fella keeps 3 betting your opens, do you just roll over & let him carry on?
The question is rhetorical - of course you don't. Why not? Because you don't plan to be pushed around by anyone.
In a way, cigarettes are the same - they are dictating to you, telling you what to do & when, ruling your life. You are a SLAVE to cigarettes.
I don't like being pushed around, & so those thoughts (which are similar to Allen Carr's logic actually) have really helped me.
Now, when I go somewhere, I don't have to think "have I got my ciggies & lighter?" etc. And when I see folks huddled together in smoking shelters, I kinda feel sorry for them.
I'm not making out I know the answers, I've only been off the dreaded things 7 weeks, but I have carried those thoughts with me every day.
Even making this post is part of the process - because if I start smoking again now, this thread will come back & bite me, peeps will say "well your advice was poo".
It's all in the mind.
Have to say there have been some brilliant replies of late, the same goes for the hand analysis thread, so a big thanks for that!
The pokering
I am really liking the new routine I have got into... Up early, catch up on the forum, walk the dogs for an hour, do any chores and start a little poker session around lunchtime across a few sites. It means I wind down around teatime and can focus on a few games here at a more relaxed pace.
Was a few hundred up yesterday across all sites so that was good, would more than happily accept that every day!
I did mention that my 15 game run of wins in the PLO8 DYM's came to an end (mentioning it here probably didn't help). I have got another run going though of 6 which means I am 21 'wins' out of my last 22 PLO8 DYM's so I am very happy with that. I do however realise I have just jinxed myself again lol. I better avoid sitting with Bearace and hope Tikay does not come hunting me! Would be great to have him back plopping either way though!!!!! <-- just for you ;-)
I started the 3rd night of the Mayhem freerolls which have gotten off to an awful start and things went much the same at the start. My AA was taken out by that 23s again. Although I did realise and checked behind on the river saving myself 890 chips. With so many people just after bounties I stayed calm and worked this up to around 50k and collected 5 heads and £30 finishing 9/500. So we have liftoff of sorts in those, will need an amazing run in the coming days to get into proper contention though.
Played one of the PLO8 bounty hunters and finished 5th in that so, all in all, an enjoyable little relaxed evening on Sky with around £60 profit to add to the days winnings.
The weekend (not the band/singer, although they are pretty good)
Looking forward to the weekend after putting a reasonable shift in this week on the tables. Doggy holidays to the Isle of Cumbrae/Millport tomorrow which the dogs will absolutely love. They react like it is Christmas day every time they go out for their routine daily hour long walk to the park, I can't imagine how they will feel after a whole day walking and playing tomorrow.
Also going to catch up with the gardening at the weekend too and make them look nice for the spring/summer. Lots of potting plants and painting fences with maybe a few beers thrown into the mix by day and a few games of poker by night.
The future
The longer term future is in the back of my mind of late. Mainly because I have no idea what I will be doing! The options at the moment are... (i) Play poker full time (ii) Return to do the honours year of the course I finished (iii) Do a teaching degree (iv) Get a 'regular job' (v) Find a much coveted job doing something related to poker (vi) something else.
I have no idea what path the future will take but I am feeling upbeat and thankful that there are some sort of options in front of me and I am thoroughly enjoying having some down time after the studying. I am not going to rush into anything (mostly as I plan to get to Vegas one way or another during the summer and a lot of new jobs may not be very receptive to that).
Thanks for reading my nonsense and hope you all run well on and off the tables!
I agree it is all in the mind and your analogy with poker does help the point resonate with me.
I will battle this and will endeavour to come out victorious as opposed to making some reasonable attempt at it so I can think to myself 'oh well, I tried'.
I planned to take some smokes with me on the 'doggy day trip' tomorrow. However, rather than check I have my cigs and lighter in tow. I will leave them behind. I may have one or two when I return home after the entire day but I will try to break the habits of being a slave to the cigs in this way and be a confirmed non-smoker by the time VLV rolls around, hopefully well before.
An absolutely excellent effort by yourself too Mr T, and cold turkey at that! Definitely helping to inspire me too.
Really do hope you are okay!
I had no idea my blog was so dangerous.
Would be great to see you there. Not everyone can be as lucky as me and just bink one without even trying but I have every confidence that you'll win a trip.
Phil
FIRST I REALLY ENJOY READING YOUR DIARY
SECOND HOW IS THIS FOR GIVING UP SMOKING THE LAST SATURDAY JANUARY 1999 I HAD A HEART ATTACK JUST BEFORE LUNCH EMERGENCY AMBULANCE TWICE ZAPPED ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL ARRIVED AT HOSPITAL AND ZAPPED TWICE MORE SPENT ONE WEEK IN ICU NEVER HAD ANOTHER CIG
PS THE MONDAY TWO DAYS AFTER MY HEART ATTACK THE FACTORY I WAS THE WORKS MANAGER WENT INTO ADMINISTRATION AN OTHER REASON TO STOP
All good here thank you and hope all is going well with you! Great effort in the last Vegas package qualifier last weekend, so near to winning the package. Hopefully you will have more luck in the £275 semi tonight so GL for that!
Many thanks for the kind words and the invite.
I am not sure how things will pan out for June yet. If things are going amazing I would certainly be open to popping down to see yourself again and meeting everyone! Although at the moment it is probably odds against being able to make it in June. I am still adjusting to life without student loans etc and therefore a complete reliance on poker income. Thankfully it is all going 'steady' currently but with a Vegas trip to pay for (unless I snag a package) and the general expenses of life, things may or may not be stretched a little thin.
Hope you all have a cracking time whether I make it down or not x
If you are hiring a car... I followed Tikay's advice last year and took a trip up Mount Charleston, which is under an hour drive from the strip. I would certainly recommend that! The scenery is beautiful and sharply contrasts with the strip, as does the weather, it is usually about 20-30 degrees farenheit cooler up there. If you go to the restaurant farthest up the mountain the food is not too shabby either and the views are pretty epic.
The Grand Canyon helicopter trip, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are probably on your agenda and all enjoyable. Lake Las Vegas is also quite nice for a shorter trip if you do not have too much time one day. It is a short and easy drive from the strip, much quieter, you can hire boats or pedalos and there are nice little eateries.
Thanks for your confidence in myself, whether it is misplaced or not
Lol @ the confidence shown by your other half. Hopefully you will have great fun staying in the event and proving her wrong, even if it does mean your plans have to be shuffled around a bit :-p
Doggy Holidays
I would be willing to bet good money that nobody who completed the walk around the Isle of Cumbrae' ever said, "Oh, we are done? I wish we had a few more miles to walk".
The scenery is lovely! And we all had a great time but I now have a sizable blister on my foot and an astonishing amount of sunburn considering it wasn't that warm.
I was pretty concerned about the dogs, well one of them in particular, Riley. Harry is an angel and as long as he has a ball to chase he is quite happy. Riley on the other hand likes to chase his own shadow for significant portions of the day, has been known to run into metal goal posts at full speed, is thoroughly anti-social and if dogs could be given ASBO's he would probably have one.
Having said that, apart from a few whines he was brilliant. He was fine on the boat, the car journey and walked very well around the island. He even sat is a busy cafe (bribed by a tub of ice cream) and had his first bus trip with loads of people on it.
I did manage to go 5 hours without a ciggy (yeah not great, I know). I guess it is better than nothing. I am going to keep on top of this and will be thoroughly disappointed in myself if I am not a non-smoker by the time Vegas rolls around. Appreciate all the support and tips people have given in the thread!
Poker musings
Well I haven't played much due to the day trip and feeling knackered afterwards. I got the PLO8 DYM run up to 22 out of 23 or 23 out of 24 before suffering another loss. Played dribs and drabs here and there but nothing of note regarding wins/losses. Hopefully will get to play loads this weekend.
I heard via Phil that PKR has shut down.
That is very sad news IMO. I never played on the place (their software never worked on any laptop I ever used) but I would like to see several operators being successful so there is not a monopoly on things by any one site. There is one rather obvious site just now who has IMO an unhealthy share of the market.
Hopefully it is not indicative of the poker scene generally but rather poor choices on their part. I fear it is probably a mixture of both though. Hopefully anyone with funds on the place gets their wonga back in a timely fashion.
Thanks for reading and hope you all have a brilliant weekend, whatever you may be up to.
Not been feeling at my best in relation to poker play the last few days. Have not gotten much of a rythm going and have been experimenting with a few things elsewhere and playing a few things here.
During this messier spell I actually played what I would consider to be my best single game I ever have. I was messing about in a few games and while I was playing on Sky anyway I fired open the 6:30pm Freeroll on Saturday which awarded 4 x £95 tickets to the Vegas £4k semi games. I won my £95 ticket and the Vegas semi was starting just an hour later....
The semi with 47 runners and awarding 10 x £435 tickets got off to a decent start. At level 1 I got quad aces and got paid, taking the 4k starting stack to 6k. Not much else happened until the 75/150 level at which point I 3 bet a very strong player to my right preflop with my 8s 9s. He flat called and we saw a flop of 6s 7s jd, giving me an open ended straight flush draw. The pot is already reasonable and my opponent leads, I shove and they call with TJo giving them top pair with a weak kicker. We have loads of cards to hit and take their 4k stack but we hit 2 bricks on the turn and river and are left with only the 2k chips we have snagged with our quad aces earlier.
Nothing exceptional thus far, but from this point on things seemed to change. From here on out until about 2 hours later sitting with 17k chips I hadn't won a single pot at showdown. I had a 'small accident' near the bubble and recovered and snagged the £435 ticket all without winning a pot at showdown for 2 hours+ from 2k chips. I think I only went to showdown around 3 times and lost all 3 pots but the 3bets, jams, squeezes and stop n go's were all so well timed for once that it didn't matter. Not my biggest win but one I was very happy with my play in.
I can only hope for similar in one of the Vegas finals although the field will be very tough and a lot will be down to the poker gods.
Real life
Not an awful lot has been happening although there is some possible movement on the job front. It involves a job related to poker too which could be very interesting. Possibly some big changes ahead.
Hope you are all faring well on and off the tables and have a great week!
Many bounties in last night's Mayhem Freeroll then, Mr BoxLuck?
The weekly Leaderboard is HERE
I started the week badly in these and only had 1 bounty going into the game last night. Therefore the modus operandi going into last evenings game was to attempt to have a style of play more in keeping with the freeroll's name. Ran rather +ev, ruffled a few feathers but luckily managed to bag 19 heads to put my total at 20 which is currently good for 3rd place I see
Just a pity that DexBoy147 is completely smashing it up this week and is on 34. In need of a minor miracle to catch him in the remaining 3 games. Will certainly give it a try though!
Still 2 weeks after that to keep trying if it all goes pear shaped. The Mayhem games certainly are fun, great promo!