Do the people around you influence you to play or criticize you?
Most of my Friends and Family that do not play poker, think I am dabbling in something that is going to cast me into massive amounts of debt! But it is hard to explain to them that even after playing for 20 years, I have still have not made a deposit on-line, so how can I lose money? Even playing Live games in Pubs, clubs and Casino's I am still in profit proven by the fact that I have won more than I have lost.
I have had several holidays paid for with my Live Poker winnings, and have a special
bankroll that I keep well hidden from everyone, except from my Wife who knows where I keep it.
But the biggest problem is that many don't understand that you can come away from a
poker game finishing ITM and making a profit without actually finishing in 1st place, I only ever try to make the money bubble in any game I play, and only ever think about winning the Tournament when I make the Final table, before that of course I have already achieved what I wanted to do and that is finishing ITM.
Anything else is a Bonus!