While it might be for a few, this isn’t the case for Karina Jett. For her, being able to enjoy life as a professional poker player is a matter of balance. As a poker pro, wife of Full Tilt Poker pro Chip Jett, and a mother, happiness is a matter of keeping everything in perspective. Here’s what she had to say about priorities, poker and managing her time:

Even if you are not a professional poker player, the game can take up a lot of your time. Poker players need to be able to balance their poker time with their home life.

A lot of people ask me about balancing time with family and playing poker when their spouse doesn’t have any interest in the game. People have to understand their spouse’s interests and hobbies and should try to be supportive, even if that is a matter of simply trying to understand the concept of the game. In some cases, because they don’t know the strategies involved in playing poker, they are worried that their spouse is “just gambling.” When they take time to learn the game, there is a better understanding of the skill involved in playing poker. It comes down to being supportive of whatever your spouse’s interests are.

There is a time commitment involved in playing poker and reconciling that time with family needs comes down to balance. You need to learn to spread your time equitably, leaving time for friends, family and other hobbies. 

For me, the priority is my kids. They’re the first thing on my mind when I schedule anything. My husband and I try to put them first and our careers second. We balance family and career as well as we can. If a scheduling conflict arises, Chip will get priority over me. I will step back and take care of the kids. I don’t have a problem with that because, since I’ve had children, they have been the priority and my career has come second.

It wasn’t a difficult change at all. If I’ve had a bad session playing poker and I go home and see my kids, it puts things in perspective on how I see life and what’s most important. If you have a bad day at work and come home to smiling kids who are happy to see you, it’s the most rewarding experience. The bad beats don’t matter any more.

You want to be able to enjoy your time at the poker tables. You can only really do that when you know you are maintaining a good balance between playing time and family time.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

The Pros Speak: Karina Jett

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1. Heads Up: Howard Lederer Versus Karina Jett
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3. The Pros Speak: Aaron Bartley

In other news, this week’s match will be a short one due to the fact that I’m now on the run from the police for a crime I was falsely accused of – I’m like The Fugitive, except I’m not as cool as Harrison Ford and I’d never let myself get pwned by a one-armed man. At any rate, this week’s match features a three seed versus 14 seed showdown, with Allen “I wish people would stop calling me Clever Piggy” Cunningham taking on Chip “Husband of Karina Jett” Jett. Check out the full bracket below, on to the show:

Category	Allen Cunningham	Chip Jett	Survey Says
Career Earnings	Nearly $10 million (hot damn – you could buy a really nice car with that kind of cash!)	Over $2 million	Man, these poker players with their millions of dollars really grind my gears. You know what else really grinds my gears? People who wear shorts everyday, even when it’s cold outside. What’s up with that? Anyway, Cunningham takes the early lead due to his whopping tourney cash-outs.
Major Titles	5 WSOP gold bracelets	None	You know what else really grinds my gears – albinos. Get some pigment, for the love of god. Cunningham two, Jett zero.
Tournament Play	One of the best tourney players in the world.	Excellent tourney player, almost as good as his wife, Karina Jett.	While good old Chippy is no slouch at tourney play, this category has to go to Clever Piggy. As Norman Chad might say: “What are they thinking? This is Allen Cunningham!” The beat down continues.
Cash Game Play	As long as it doesn’t affect his tourney schedule.	As long as he’s sitting next to his wife, Karina Jett.	I’m no expert on these things (which is exactly why I write this column), but I don’t think either of these guys are big cash game players. I’m sure they both play in the cash games on occasion, but both are known more as tourney players. With that in mind, this category goes to Cunningham because he’s a clever piggy and you’re not (which is a good thing, I think).
Playing Style	Pig In Shit	Whiplash	I was going to make some clever comment here about Chip Jett being vaginally whipped, but thought better of it. Who am I to judge? The last time I had a girlfriend (which was approximately 1907) I was more whipped than Cobra Kai after Daniel-son Crane-kicked their asses back to last Tuesday (and yes, I did just watch The Karate Kid the other night). All of which has nothing to do with how these two play poker – I just wanted to talk about movies for a minute. Let’s give this category to Chip – I’m sure he’s the one who wears the pants in that family.
Nickname	Clever Piggy	Karina Jett’s Husband	Clever Piggy might be the worst nickname ever bestowed upon a poker player. But considering that Chip Jett has no nickname, this one has to go to Cunningham as well. That’ll do pig, that’ll do.

So there you have it, Cunningham takes down Chip Jett by a score of five to one. Sorry for the abbreviated session this week kids, I’ll be back in full swing next week. Unless Tommy Lee Jones catches me, but he’s pretty old now so I can’t see that happening. And just so we’re perfectly clear on everything, I didn’t kill my wife! Until next week…

Post from: Poker From The Rail

Heads Up: Allen Cunningham Versus Chip Jett

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