I have a serious mental leak that is causing me to go broke.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I love poker. I love everything about it. I love playing with my friends, and I am good enought that I always walk away with more money than I sat down with. I know how to play properly (my favorite game is NL hold'em) and I view myself as a good player.

But when I play online things go bad. I lose concentration and get bored, which causes me to make stooopid mistakes, that I know are wrong as I make them, but I make them anyways. For some reason when I play live I can keep myself from doing stooopid things, it is probably the social atmosphere that allows me to sit without playing a hand for a long time and still have fun. But online, I find myslef calling a bet, saying "I shouldn't be doing this, but whatever." I don't want to open more tables, because I am afraid that I will just do this at each table.

This has caused me to lose a large amount of money, and I want it to stop. I know the players online are terrible, especially at the lower limits that I play. I know if I was sitting at a table with them I would crush them, but when I'm in front of the computer I just can't keep myself from playing like a tard.

Please, do any of you know a way to keep focus and not get bored? This is a serious problem for me, why can't I keep my focus online?

Any suggestions are welcome, thank you very much.

[Dominic]

stop being stooopid.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
I am good enought that I always walk away with more money than I sat down with.

[/ QUOTE ]


always??
impressive.

[flecks]

Some people need real chips in front of them to be disciplined, otherwise it's just cards and numbers on a screen. Perhaps online poker just isn't your venue.

[Bodhi]

Seriously, you should spend your down time paying attention to the game. There is no excuse for being "bored" during a session of online poker. If you don't use this time to learn more about your opponents, then I really wonder about your self-evaluation of your competence. (also, online players are a little better than live opponents in my experience).

[Mr Mojo Risin]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am good enought that I always walk away with more money than I sat down with.

[/ QUOTE ]


always??
impressive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok not always, but I am up a lot playing with them.

I think it is the social aspect that keeps my interest. I try paying attention to the hands, I try watching the play, but i just can't keep focus staring at a screen. Someone said something about real chips and the difference between that and pixels, that may have something to do with it too. Does anyone else have this same problem? And if they did, what did they do about it? Should I just restrict my play to live play?

[spector]

You basically just described the exact problem I am having. The first hour or so when I play is fine but then things start to go downhill. I start to browse online, read 2+2, watch tv ect while playing and then I mess up and dont know whats going on with the game.

Although I havent been playing online for long, (1200 hands) I've lost way too many BB/100 to plays I know are stupid as soon I make them, Im not sure what I can do about this either.

[stretch22]

I always read 2+2 and talk on instant messinger and that usually keeps me entertained. Snacks keep me happy too. For me there is a certain point where I can tell I've been playing too long and I need to stop. I start bluffing a lot usually. I just quit when I get bored, but it usually takes me a couple of hours to get to that point. I don't know if your boredom is steady throughout the whole thing, but if you're like me I'd just say it's as easy as stopping when you get bored especially if your play gets worse...and there's no point in continuing to do anything thats boring. Of course if I'm winning I get excited and am entertained. Sometimes its nice to mess with the other players. It's kinda fun and then they all think you're an idiot which doesnt hurt. I actually last night was noticing that I was talking to myself quite a bit and it was kind of amused and mildly alarmed.saying things like "oh cool nice hand, you play that?"..probably the product of me being alone with my nine animated friends for so long.

[hoopsie44]

Please.No one ALWAYS makes money when they sit down at a live poker game.

[Ranged]

adderol for your apparent ADD.

[PokerProdigy]

[ QUOTE ]
I love poker. I love everything about it. I love playing with my friends, and I am good enought that I always walk away with more money than I sat down with. I know how to play properly (my favorite game is NL hold'em) and I view myself as a good player.

But when I play online things go bad. I lose concentration and get bored, which causes me to make stooopid mistakes, that I know are wrong as I make them, but I make them anyways. For some reason when I play live I can keep myself from doing stooopid things, it is probably the social atmosphere that allows me to sit without playing a hand for a long time and still have fun. But online, I find myslef calling a bet, saying "I shouldn't be doing this, but whatever." I don't want to open more tables, because I am afraid that I will just do this at each table.

This has caused me to lose a large amount of money, and I want it to stop. I know the players online are terrible, especially at the lower limits that I play. I know if I was sitting at a table with them I would crush them, but when I'm in front of the computer I just can't keep myself from playing like a tard.

Please, do any of you know a way to keep focus and not get bored? This is a serious problem for me, why can't I keep my focus online?

Any suggestions are welcome, thank you very much.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it's simple really. Just play multiple tables online or only play live games.

[StellarWind]

I suspect that you find it embarrassing to play poorly in front of real people (this may be subconscious). Online this discipline does not exist for you.

Possible solution: replay entire online sessions in PokerTracker. See all of the bad plays you made that should be beneath you. If the treatment is working you will experience pain at this point. Hopefully you will become intolerant of your bad play even when no one else sees it.

Worst case you'll probably learn something from the experience.

Aside from that, every winning poker player in the world is subject to the same basic law. There are games that you can beat and games that you cannot beat. Play in the former and avoid the latter.

[marsvolta619]

[ QUOTE ]
I suspect that you find it embarrassing to play poorly in front of real people (this may be subconscious). Online this discipline does not exist for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, you summed up my feeling perfectly. I'm a good sized guy, and on top of that I have some tattoos. I feel like at a live game, my look coupled with TAGish play makes people play differently. Call it embarassed to play stupid, or scared, I don't know, but I feel like it's to my advantage. Online negates that.

On to the actual question, give www.everyvideogame.com (http://www.everyvideogame.com) a shot. I usually play some monopoly or something

[BottlesOf]

[ QUOTE ]
I am good enought that I always walk away with more money than I sat down with.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is pretty dumb.

[DeriamDash]

I have the same exact problem. Online poker just doesnt feel like real (live) poker. I even make some moves that would put the biggest fish to shame.

[poindexter]

Try SNG's. I have the same problems with ring games I get bored or impatient and make plays that I know are wrong. The Blind structure of SNG’s is perfect for my ADD problem. During the first 3 levels when decisions are not that important I nourish my ADD by surfing the net, chatting, working, porn watching or whatever. When its time to focus (4th-9th levels), I have never had a problem paying attention. The last half of a SNG is a hell of allot more exciting then a ring game could ever be.

[Nick-Zack]

[ QUOTE ]

Although I havent been playing online for long, (1200 hands)

[/ QUOTE ]

1200 hands is a half a day of online poker. How can you possibly be bored if this is your entire online poker experience?

[LINES]

For me it's the opposite, In live games i lost interest. Then again, i have ADD. Even writing this took me about 2 minutes.

[DeriamDash]

[ QUOTE ]
Try SNG's. I have the same problems with ring games I get bored or impatient and make plays that I know are wrong. The Blind structure of SNG’s is perfect for my ADD problem. During the first 3 levels when decisions are not that important I nourish my ADD by surfing the net, chatting, working, porn watching or whatever. When its time to focus (4th-9th levels), I have never had a problem paying attention. The last half of a SNG is a hell of allot more exciting then a ring game could ever be.

[/ QUOTE ]

I seem to do a lot better in the sngs as well, but as for watching porn, I would suggest not doing this, I have called way to many bets by accident while trying ot open up a thumb =P

[DeriamDash]

Ohhhh...I just had an idea. You guys wanna post your retarded moves, and we can have a contest. I guess I'll start, I dare anyone to beat this:

First retarded thing here is im sitting 2/4 NL, but I know I can beat it and I was beating it, than I made back to back stupid plays, I'll post the one that busted me.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Hero ($413.65)
Button ($281)
SB ($434.20)
BB ($1186.20)
UTG ($384)
UTG+1 ($725.20)
MP1 ($328)
MP2 ($287.70)
MP3 ($418.15)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 calls $4, MP2 calls $4, MP3 calls $4, Hero calls $4, Button calls $4, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($28) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(7 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets $16</font>, MP2 folds, MP3 calls $16, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $409.65</font>, Button calls $277 (All-In), SB folds, BB folds, MP1 folds, MP3 calls $393.65.

Turn: ($1140.30) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: ($1140.30) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $1140.30

So as I previously stated, I challenge anyone to be more dumb than me, seriously WTF was I thinking...

[LeVoodoo]

I had a similar problem. After an hour or two playing ring games online I get bored and make retarded mistakes. My solution was to switch to sit-n-gos. The tournament structure keeps me interested and concentrated because it is constantly changing and requires most of your attention. It also helps that I find them more fun, ergo less boredom.