Anyone Else Feel This Way?

[sthief09]

sometimes I feel like I enjoy leaning about the game of poker more than I enjoy actually playing it. I can't seem to pull myself away from the message board or books, yet I haven't played in 2 weeks.

[Mayhap]

Wow,
That is really detached and probably powerfully regenerative.
/M

[ewile]

wow, I never really feel like that (it seems like I always want play) but I bet you've learned so much in the past 2 weeks that you'll come back better than ever when you want to play again.

[bonanz]

same here, i havent played for about 2 weeks also, but i've been on here everyday.

bonanz

[submariner]

I've always felt that way. I play one table at a time, trying to steadily improve and move up in limits, and have always found playing pretty boring. I like reading about poker, studying, reading/posting here. The only reason I play is to (hopefully someday) make money.

[Johnny]

I havent played in a week and all I do is read and reread poker books to better improve my play.

I find that playing can get boring after a while. But when I stop and look at myself after a session, I get the reward for playing well or the regret for making a mistake.

Winning or losing session, when I making a mistake, it always makes me feel regret. I feel that when I stop making mistakes I will start having alot more fun at the table.

[sin808]

I haven't played in about 2 weeks, but I have finished two poker books in that time (not too mention a couple hours a day here). I've only had one session in the last three weeks or so (after a week and a half break). During that first break I had finished another couple of books, came back and played a great game, probably my best game yet. Coulda been better $$wise, but my play was good, so I was happy. Hoping for the next session to be even better(play and money).

[uuDevil]

[ QUOTE ]
sometimes I feel like I enjoy leaning about the game of poker more than I enjoy actually playing it. I can't seem to pull myself away from the message board or books, yet I haven't played in 2 weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. I think Ed Miller once said something similar.

I didn't play much for a couple months. Just read the board. Then started to play again regularly a couple of weeks ago and I feel very confident. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[thirddan]

for me this goes in streaks, there are times when posting seems boring and wasteful and i would be spending my time better by playing, and sometimes i feel that i would rather spend my time posting. For the last couple weeks i have been posting very little but have been playing more. Now that im 21 hopefully i can start playing live which will prevent me from losing focus and posting while i multitable which cant be good. But as for you, don't stop helping us SSers you have been a great help...

[FeliciaLee]

Yes, I've always felt this way. I probably do 90% more reading/studying/thinking/discussing poker than I do playing.

I am this way about everything, though. I have run the gamut in my 35 years: Gin, Rummy, Dominoes, power volleyball, football, speed skating, collecting...on and on. I usually exhaust the subject, and then move on to something else.

We had a discussion about personality types a couple of weeks ago, and this came up in that thread, too. Some personalities simply love to conquer, then move on to something else after the kill. I'm very guilty of that.

I have found some oddities when I study poker versus playing, as well. For instance, in theory, in study, I love Omaha high and Omaha 8. In practice, I cannot stand either game, lol. I love to study Omaha, I think about it, put different scenarios into my head and play out hands from beginning to end. My husband and I talk about it, make up Omaha games, but I simply cannot stand to play the game, cash or tournament. It makes me crazy.

Hmmm, I never said I was normal, lol.

Felicia /images/graemlins/smile.gif
www.felicialee.net (http://www.felicialee.net)

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi sthief09:

I have always felt that way. That's part of the reason I got into the writing and publishing business. But the best way to really learn about the game is to include at least some play of your own. So you'll just have to get out there.

best wishes,
Mason

[Dan Mezick]

waxing philospohical about poker is not going to kill you. indeed, have found that examining my own poker play via books, this message board etc has improved my game and my enjoyment in playing it immensely.

just this evening i made the final table of a tournament event with a field of 80 or so.

there is little doubt that studying the game of poker is good for you.

[J.R.]

This has happened to me at least twice in the past 1.5 years when I have been winning a good bit in my regular game and am very confident, perhaps a bit overconfident, and play a bigger limit than I am accustomed to, often on a thin bankroll on a poker vacation and suffer a big loss.

I can only play on the interent at home so when I go to Vegas or Alb or AC or LA I like play midlimit games that are over my normal 4 tabling low limit online games. Theyl keep my attention, there is a thrill concenred with playing for higher stakes and I like the challenge of really concentrating on one game and thinking things through.

It happened the second time I played 15-30 live and the first time I played 25-50. It sucked. Its not like I am risking going broke because I have an job outside of poker and just earmarked some funds I was willing to risk taking a shot at a bigger game. But after a bigger loss than I had ever encountered before (2 memorable occasions) all I wanted to do is study and think about poker and limit my play so I could really focus on my decisions because I knew I was smart enough to really beat the games I suffered the big lossses in but also knew I could have played better. I focused on my thinking by reading new poker books and by trying to answer as many posts as possible to challenge myself to keep thinking about poker situations. I didn't want to play, I wanted to get better, so I rarely would play. But it never lasted for more than a week, because I really like to play.

What I have learned through these experiences is that I actually understand very little of this game and can always improve, and while I like the money its the challenge of the game is what really has me hooked. Humility is essential to my continual growth.