Charles Hawk: Could you write me a short follow-up? What are you up to recently (previous interviews: CLICK HERE and HERE)? What changed since we last talked? ​

Daniel "Pl@yerABC" Sklar: Five years ago I left my 9 to 5 job behind and started playing poker professionally. Nowadays I am really happy with that decision. No, I haven't got rich and I haven't won any big tournament and lately I had the chance to experience what the word downswing really means. So why am I happy? Poker EV-line certainly doesn't tell the whole story. I try to maximize my life-EV and I feel I am doing OK in that respect.

So quickly looking back over that five year period: I have been the breadwinner (it's nice english word to use if you gamble to earn the money that the family needs). I have been my own boss, really enjoying playing poker, having enough time to spend with my family and friends.
I really like quotes - why reinvent the wheel if somebody already expressed some idea well? So here it goes:
 "The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the best days of those who don't." ( Jim Rohn)

OK, I have to remind myself that you asked me to write SHORT :-) follow up to our latest interview.

So my poker life in a nutshell: playing and ENJOYING spins. Playing almost tilt free poker. Valuebetting, bluffing, pushing and calling, outplaying and being outplayed while smiling and being thankfull for the experience. Working on my game and seeing that there is still so much to learn. 
Family life in a nutshell: my soon-to-be-6 year old son Peter (diagnosed with autism) has made so much progress in the last year, it is unbelievable. Another quote that comes to mind: "Kids don't lack capacity, only teachers." (Jim Rohn) So hopefully we'll be able to continue to create an environment where he can grow, learn and play and have lot of fun.

Charles Hawk: Tell me about your recent downswing with exact numbers please. Is it all from Spin and Goes? Have you considered (or are you considering) mixing it up with husngs to lower the variance?

Daniel "Pl@yerABC" Sklar: 2) and 1) - (in reversed order) I am playing only Spins. There are so many games running 24/7, that I don't see the need to add any other format. I believe that focusing on one format brings the best results. Obviously this is not the case for high stakes guys or live pros (they certainly want to be able to play any game - to play enough hands and also to take advantage of juicy games that sometimes pop up). 
What about mixing it up with the intention to reduce variance? Let me tell you how I feel and think about variance: Variance is very fundamental part of poker. I am accepting variance and I am at peace with it. Actually it is part of the experience - upswings, downswings, long breakeven stretches.
Upswings are fun - everything goes right, you win all-ins, your backdraw flush draw comes in and you take down a big pot, villain shows full-house but you have quads :-) , you bluff and they fold and fold and fold, you feel like you finally got it and maybe in a few weeks you will be on TV playing nosebleeds, right?
Downswing, that's a different story, it looks like you have forgotten to play poker and you can not beat 1/2 cent game. You remember why AK is called Big slick, and holding pocket aces is just a ticket to another lost all-in show. Maybe this is the time you start to work hard on your game, this is the time when you can really grow as a poker player.
I have been playing poker for years, I have experienced both sides of variance and feelings that come with it. Nowadays I don't take this stuff that seriously. I concentrate more on present moment and I don't worry that much about swings. Obviously you need to be aware of possible swings so you plan you bankroll strategy properly. But there is a big difference between being aware and being worried.
You have asked me about my recent downswing and exact numbers. When it comes to money, I have some rules, like for example, not checking cashier every ten minutes. I also don't complain about my downswings and I don't show graphs. On the other hand, I don't want to come across as a rude person and just ignore your question completely. So only briefly: My last encounter with variance was when I started playing $100 Spins. In approximately 1000 games I lost more than 80 buyins ($8 000). Not a great way to dive into $100 level! I checked my chip-EV line - it showed little over 40 chips per game. I am not a member of any staking group. I always wanted to play with my own money. So even when running good chip-EV-wise (I know, there is a lot of room for improvement), I must be more careful than players with backers behind them. So I moved down. Lately I was playing at $30 level. At lower stakes I obviously would like to make some money, and also use this time to improve my multitabling skills.

Charles Hawk: You wrote: "I try to maximize my life-EV and I feel I am doing OK in that respect." Tell me please how are you maximizing your life-EV? Why should poker pros (even the most successful ones) consider maximizing their life-EV as well?

Daniel "Pl@yerABC" Sklar:  I have written that phrase "maximize life-EV" because many poker players are obsessed with maximizing their poker EV-lines. I just wanted to say, that we should see poker (or any other profession) in perspective. Poker is a wonderful game but it is only one piece of a life mosaic. Even for professional player, poker should not fill their whole life.
I am thinking how to answer your question in a few sentences, because there are so many things that I try to do to improve my life-EV. Because we are poker players let me share with you just one poker related tip (maybe counter-intuitive one):
-  At certain days, not playing at all, might be the best life-EV decision.  Relaxing, "recharging batteries", spending time with your friends and family, doing some volunteer work and helping other people... it sounds like great alternatives to sitting in front of the computer and clicking buttons. Working is important but don't forget about life balance.
Why poker pros should consider maximizing their life-EV? I guess, that basically everybody wants to live a good life. So I would say that they are trying to maximize their life-EV. I just wanted to point out this dangerous trap: poker-EV and life-EV is not the same thing. Higher poker-EV doesn't automatically translates to higher life-EV. Could you believe, that some loosing players (who probably don't even know the term EV) are living wonderful and happy lifes? No, I am not asking you to become loosing player. I just wanted to say, that poker EV is only one part of the equation when we talk about designing good life.

Charles Hawk: You always seem so positive and "unbreakable" to me. However moving from 100s to 30s should be a big deal to handle psychologically, keeping in mind that you need to provide for your family. Why are you assuming that you will be able to move up again and succeed in establishing yourself at 100s? It seems to me that Spins will get only tougher.

Daniel "Pl@yerABC" Sklar: Great question! I have never seen myself as strictly $60 reg or $30 reg, I am not attached to those labels. I am playing bunch of stakes - in  the case of Spins ranging from $1 level (when I am testing new table layout for example), through $30 (when my bankroll took a hit or maybe I don't feel like my game is A++) to $100 (when my bankroll allows it and I feel at the top of my game). So moving up and down stakes is very fluid process for me - so there is no psychological baggage (like shame, embarrassment) associated with playing lower.

Daniel "Pl@yerABC" Sklar: What gives me peace of mind when it comes to money?
1. Even when running badly or breakeven I am still earning those VPP points. Cash bonuses and milestones bonuses are really nice boost to a bankroll.
2. At lower stakes, competition is weaker. Yes, we are playing for less money, but I can gain bigger edge and multitable more easily. So sometimes playing lower might still lead to nice hourly rate.
3. If really needed I could put in more hours and maybe play more during those lucrative times (friday night and weekends). Nowadays I often spend weekends with family and play at times like Monday morning which is not optimal poker-wise. If needed, I could temporarily make some changes to my routine and improve my hourly rate that way.
4. During all those years while I was playing poker I spent lot of time reading, studying and improving myself in non-poker related areas. I could easily get a 9 to 5 job tomorrow (not planning to use this option, but it is good to have it at your disposal - just for case).

Another point is that while I really enjoy playing poker, I am not attached to it. There are so many interesting things to do - poker is not the only way how to have fun and earn money! :-)

What about $100 level? Will I be able to establish myself as "$100 reg"? I will give it a try! If I make it I will send you PM and we can do another interview :-)