Let’s step into the universe for a moment where more often than not you’re walking away from the poker table a winner. That’s not to say this is a strictly hypothetical situation, but let’s get on the same page just for conversation’s sake. So, if you’re winning money, my question is: what are you doing with it? In my estimation, there are strong arguments for three different avenues you can take with your newfound funds. So let’s break down the positives and negatives of each one.
First, you can save it. Ah, wouldn’t your grandmother be proud. Although she’d probably have a tough time understanding how it was “hard-earned,” she’d no doubt pat you on the head for your responsible decision. So you’d have that going for you. Extra PokerStar funds for a rainy day are always helpful, especially in this economy. Be it rent, food or gas, pulling out some cash that wasn’t part of your monthly budgeted income and knowing you’re putting it to good, necessary use is always a nice feeling. Ultimately, it’s not wasted, and that’s an important positive. On the flip side, pulling out the $40 you raked in on a sweet bluff only to hand it over to Martha at the grocery store isn’t exactly ending the poker journey on a sexy note. Being responsible is no fun, and isn’t that why many of us play the game to begin with?
Second, you can spend it…on crap. Now, the official definition of crap is really anything from Taco Bell’s nachos to a new high-definition television (please, not the Best Buy brand) – and everything in-between. This, I’m definitely a professional at. I can blow money on crap with the top players in the game. Of course, the price of Phil Ivey’s crap is going to be noticeably more lavish than mine. His probably has diamond-encrusted corn nuggets. All right, enough of that. Since the upside needs no selling, the downside is, of course, spending the money on something you don’t “need.” But this argument can be made for any type of income or gift, so it’s no like poker winnings are in a class by themselves.
And last, you can reinvest it into the Absolute Poker game. And if you want to continue playing and making money, you’ll need to do this to some degree no matter what. It then comes down to the question of how much ammunition do you want to have next time you pull up at the OK Corral? A typical regular will want between 100 to 200 times the blind amounts to work with, which is fine for a good run at the table (a few hours, give or take)…but if you’re planning your next game to be a marathon, you might want to hold off on that trip to the candy store and push those winnings back to the banker for next week.