When to say enough is enough?

[IamLeach]

Im have been playing for about a year. I read a couple good books and played a lot of poker. Over all I am down. I have never had a proper BR for what i have been playing and I know that is a problem, however i cannot bring myself to put in a proper investment unless i am reasonably sure I can go somewhere with it. I have lost a lot recently and have decided to take the next semester of school poker free. I am considering giving up the battle and comming to the conclusion that I don't have what it takes. Which is fine, i am not going to cry about it, i am just wondering when is enough enough? Someone told me recently that if you're not born with it, you'll never "really" get it. Any good players ever get to this point????

[SheridanCat]

First off, if you feel you should take a break, do so. Don't play on because you're too proud or obstinate to stop. There's nothing wrong with taking a break to assess yourself.

Also, read this thread (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=3197520&page=0&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1) about bholder's downswing.

Finally, if you can't build a bankroll begin enough to play the limits you want to play, drop in limits to accomodate your bankroll. Seriously, there is no reason you can't play micros or even nanos online with a very small bankroll and be comfortable. I know this is a pride issue. I used to play 10/20 online and now I play .25/.50 and have been known to play .05/.10. The thing is, I try not to think of it as money but as bets. I don't intend to buy a house with it, so whether it's $30 or $3,000 doesn't matter - it's just bets.

Poker can be learned. Those who think you're "born" with it are long term losers. I'm not kidding. They think you can't learn to play the game through correct play (by the book) so they don't read books. The vast majority of those people can't win, which is why they say you have to be born with it.

Now, that said, I encourage you to take time off. The games will still be here when you want to come back, don't worry about that.

Regards,

T

[malorum]

If your at college, take some maths modules on statistics, so that you fully understand the nature of variance, random walks, normal approximations etc. This will help you out with the psychological side money management, and assessing the meaningfullness or otherwise of results.

Then find a mentor.

[TaoTe]

[ QUOTE ]
If your at college, take some maths modules on statistics, so that you fully understand the nature of variance, random walks, normal approximations etc. This will help you out with the psychological side money management, and assessing the meaningfullness or otherwise of results.

Then find a mentor.

[/ QUOTE ]

A mentor? Who would be a good mentor? I've always thought that this would be a great idea, but I know no one that could fill that place. Maybe I'm not understanding it, please explain what you mean by this.

[TaoTe]

[ QUOTE ]
Im have been playing for about a year. I read a couple good books and played a lot of poker. Over all I am down. I have never had a proper BR for what i have been playing and I know that is a problem, however i cannot bring myself to put in a proper investment unless i am reasonably sure I can go somewhere with it. I have lost a lot recently and have decided to take the next semester of school poker free. I am considering giving up the battle and comming to the conclusion that I don't have what it takes. Which is fine, i am not going to cry about it, i am just wondering when is enough enough? Someone told me recently that if you're not born with it, you'll never "really" get it. Any good players ever get to this point???

[/ QUOTE ]

Every other day I question what I'm doing and if I'm good enough. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I'm my worst critic. If I win a hand, I'll think of something I could have done to make an extra bet. If I lose, I scold myself. "Of course he had the straight. What else could he have?"

Don't quit. Don't [censored] quit! There.

You may want to start a new game. I played only Sngs for a long time. Then I played LHE, then MTT. Now I'm learning Omaha and it's variants and considering learning how to play stud. You may find that you excell in one form of poker better than others because there are different skill sets for each one. Perhaps you have the patience to play Omaha or the gamble for PLO8 or the extreme patience needed for 7-stud. I wouldn't give up poker. I wouldn't give it up even if I started losing consistently. Losing is part of the game and a good part.

As others have said, if you feel like you need a break take one. Especially if you're not enjoying the game.

What books have your read? I know it's an obvious fact, but not all books are equal. Many have conflicting recommendations. Personally, I've played poker in home games for 20 years and until I picked up GSIH, SSHM, HOH 1 & 2, TOP, and PoP all by two plus two publishing, I'd never realized my game was a total mess. It's still not where I want it (being a perfectionist) but these books and the forum really provide a solid starting point.

That being said, just reading books won't help you win. Starting with good cards also is no guarantee you'll win. Reading players, their tendencies, and putting them on hands takes hard work and concentration. At first I had no idea what to look for, but after a while it gets easier and helps reduce losses.

S

[ QUOTE ]
Im have been playing for about a year. I read a couple good books and played a lot of poker. Over all I am down. I have never had a proper BR for what i have been playing and I know that is a problem, however i cannot bring myself to put in a proper investment unless i am reasonably sure I can go somewhere with it. I have lost a lot recently and have decided to take the next semester of school poker free. I am considering giving up the battle and comming to the conclusion that I don't have what it takes. Which is fine, i am not going to cry about it, i am just wondering when is enough enough? Someone told me recently that if you're not born with it, you'll never "really" get it. Any good players ever get to this point????

[/ QUOTE ]

What are the stakes at the tables you're playing at?

I am quite new at poker, playing the .50/1.00 tables at partypoker. While I have no way of knowing if my current bb/100 win rate will be anywhere near my long term win rate if I stayed at the same level, I have no question that I am a winning player at this level. The other players are just obviously so much worse than I am.

Why don't you play at low enough stakes tables that you ought to be sure you are a winning player?

[aargh57]

I agree with SheridanCat that people who say you're either "born with it" or not are full of crap. While it may be true that a (very) few are "born with it" that doesn't mean that you can't be a winner through study and discipline. (I also agree that most of the "born with it" crowd are long time losers.) Poker is a learned skill or "trade" that you will need to be proficient in probablility, statistics, psychology and other skills to truly "master". That doesn't mean you can't do well if you're not "born" with the ability to do well in those disciplines and you don't have to "master" every aspect of the game to make money. Through hard work you can learn the basics, and through more hard work and lots of practice you can get better.