Just a few months ago, if I was still awake at 4 o'clock in the morning it was a great sign that I was running hot at the poker tables. It either meant that I was several hours deep into a large tournament, or I was killing a cash game and simply had to keep playing to pick up more pots from the weak opponents around the felt.

Nowadays I see the clock at the wee hours of the morning regularly, but there is never a deck of cards in sight. With a two-month old infant in the house, sleep is no longer a scheduled routine. Four in the morning is more likely to involve diaper changes and bottle feedings than check-raises and bluffs. Finding time to get some valuable sleep is a challenge, just as finding time to play cards is quite a challenge as well.

It seems that we are all busier than ever these days. After our regular 9-to-5 job, we still have housework and family demands that swallow up the remainder of the evening. For many recreational (and professional) poker players, finding time to play poker is sometimes a true endeavor. Some parents schedule in their regular bi-weekly home game on weekends and perhaps squeeze in some time to play online after the kids are asleep during the work week. Each poker-playing parent must find his or her own means to have their chosen game remain a part of their lives.

Poker is certainly not the only sport or hobby that envelops time, energy, and money. From scrap booking to boating, most people have some sort of recreational interest or passion that they must work to integrate with family demands. Poker players have unique and difficult hurdles in marrying our families with our game.

First, poker is not predictable in terms of time. We could bust out of a tournament in a matter of minutes, or invest most of the day if we survive to the final table. Even cash games do not afford themselves to hopping in and out quickly and easily. Finding a game with opponents that best suit your style is an important effort. When the table is beatable it's advisable to stay as long as possible. And savvy players in cash games will wait until the big blind is about to hit them before taking their leave to maximize the number of "free" looks they get at their hole cards.

In addition to poker's uncertain time, we must also contend with the volatile monetary and emotional nature of our game. Parents sometimes mix entertainment dollars with other money in their household budget, which puts an interesting twist on a penny-pinching mother or father who likes to ante-up at the poker tables. Swings in money often bring a swing in emotions too.

I don't think too many people come back from an evening of scrap booking in a crappy mood as they bemoan their terrible luck. This often happens in our game, as our hobby leads us into emotional spins with bad beats and bad runs of cards.

It's imperative that poker-playing parents find a way to avoid having their successes or failures at the poker felt have any impact on their family lives. Your time is valuable, so invest and manage it wisely with family and with poker.

John Carlisle is a National Certified Counselor with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University. Contact John at carlisle14@hotmail.com.