In the first week of this month I suffered an almost total physical and mental mental breakdown. The pain caused by whatever I have done to my shoulder and stress of wondering whether that would in turn prevent me from earning a living all came to a head and I experienced something close to a panic attack while trying to remember the doctor's number long enough to dial it, to make an emergency appointment, on a phone that was bleeping with a low battery...
A lot of it had to do with the additional anxiety resulting from falling earnings over the last few months and a sense that I had lost my way as a professional poker player. Not knowing whether I was, or could become, a winning PLO player but feeling that sngs were dying as a means of earning good money, I felt lost and uncertain.
After I made the emergency appointment, I went for a walk and decided to stop PLO and return to reg speed low/midstakes sngs. Immediately I felt a sense of calm and purpose. I think it was the right decision. I don't have any additional mobility in my left shoulder/arm, but the pain caused by it and the additional stress-related pain has been much less since then. I've gone back to doing what I do best, namely grinding out a living in games where I know I have a clear and quantifiable edge. I ran pretty well too and so, despite the pitifully low volume, I managed to make pretty decent earnings which has done a lot to keep the stress levels at bay. Towards the end of the month I played a bit more PLO and feel I'm starting to get the hang of plo 100.
The main test will come once the doctors tell me what I have done to my shoulder. Until then I'll keep plugging away at whatever 30s/60s and 100s I can find that are playable and leave the higher stakes games for those with better nerves than me 
TFR!
Numbers:
SnGs
367
ABI $43.42
ROI 14.3%
Winnings $2274.36
rbk $446.53
Hours 48:42
SnG hourly $55.87
Plo
Hands 5890
Winnings $300+$185 r/b
Hours 19
Plo Hourly $25.53
Other earnings (5h): $145
Expenses (coaching etc.) $82
Final Profit: $3212.98
Total hours: 72.4
Combined hourly: $44.38
Managed a short winning plo100 session, too. Day off tomorrow.
PLO only or do you mix in SNGs as well? Move up fast my friend, Rake on <= 0.5/1 is pretty high ...
Nuff said.
