Spending too much time playing poker?  Is your relationship with your wife or girlfriend on the rocks because of Texas Holdem?  Is your job or career suffering, because you stay up too late at night playing poker? 

I'm a designer for a wholesale fashion jewelry company that distributes trend and fashion jewelry around the country.  Unless I can dream up the next hot poker necklace or card bracelet, then I need to get out of the card room, and back to a career that can actually put food on the table.  Here is my top ten list on what is driving me to quit playing poker.

Top 10 ways to quit playing poker

10. Build your chip stack to $1600 in a $1 / $2 no limit game, only to lose it all in one hand.

9.   Make sure that hand that busts your entire stack happens at 5 am, after getting no sleep all night.

8.   Make sure the hand you lose with at 5 am is Pocket Aces

7.   Make sure the hand that beats your pocket aces is totally dominated like 2-5 off suit.

6.  Make sure the person who holds the 2-5 off suit is a donkey.

5.  Make sure the donkey has you covered.

4.  Make sure you make a comment to the donkey after he hits the gut shot straight on the river.

3.  Make sure the donkey explains to you how he "felt it coming"

2.  Make sure you explain to the floor boss and the big goon that has you pinned to the floor, that the donkey "had it coming"

1.  Make sure your wife or girlfriend believes your story that morning, of getting mugged at gun point while attempting to pick up some eggs to cook her breakfast in bed.

If these tips don’t work for you, then it's time to give up the pipe dream of playing poker or Texas hold'em for a living!  The house rake is cannot be overcome.  And, the donkey who wins your money, only to give it back to another player is always sitting to your left.