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One of my followers on Twitter recently revealed that he was not able to successfully hack it as a poker pro. Nothing new. Happens every day.

However, what made this person a bit different than many I have encountered over the years is that he chose to truly walk away and take care of his family.

Watch this video sometimes to get an idea of just how low some players will allow themselves to fall.

What do I mean by this you ask? There are many out there that are trying to “make a living” at poker and at best barely scraping by, or worse.

You know the types. They owe everyone in town money. They live in one of the run down hotels or apartment complexes in the area (when they can afford to) and many are constantly hustling to scrape up a buy-in.

Others have let everyone that cares about them in their lives leave. They are divorcees, estranged from their kids, and if they dropped dead tomorrow, there may not be anyone to come by to check on them.

Yet they try and press on. They continue to look for that “big score” or that “monster run” that will make them flush once again with cash. The problem is that for many, especially in the live game, that run never comes.

Some live out the rest of their lives like this. Some become homeless. Some are no longer with us.

As I write this, I am thinking of a friend that continues to grind in Vegas and fits the above mold perfectly. I regularly check in to make sure he hasn’t been found dead in one of the Fremont St. hotels.

The smart ones run away or change their focus. Poker is a hard life that many are not able to live. It’s a fact.

Some of us pretend to be poker players while we do some type of poker-related job such as a dealer, a poker writer, etc. Others slow down and either become a semi-pro or use poker for supplemental income.

Then there are those that put their family above their own interests and fully leave the game to take care of their family and themselves. Leaving the game is a tough choice, but the smart ones sometimes have to do so.

Leaving the game as a pro doesn’t mean you never play poker again. It means you change your focus and become an amateur once again.

Is it possible that those that leave can come back and actually make it as a pro? Absolutely. A select few do. Some will try again and fail again.

What those people choose to do if they fail again will speak volumes about their character.

If you are failing as a pro player, it is not the end of the world. Evaluate your life like one of my followers did and determine what is important in your life.

If it means leaving the game, then do so.

There is more to life than poker.