Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

Hello All,

I thought I would write this post as I am in one major Dilema.

I am a winning poker player. I know how to play and win at low limits NL 25-100NL, and 5-10 Limit.

I have found myself getting 'bored' of the game! is this natural?

Winning is easy, just play certain cards at the right time, but I find myself recently after putting in so many hours of play that am desperate for that rush you get when I initially use to play. you know the excitement you get from winning money. I don't get this any more. I don't get angry with Bad beats, and not excited when I win most hands.

What should I do? Should I quit a winning player and go learn something else. I don't really need the money, and to move up in limits, well I don't have the bankroll for playing against the best.

The question is, is it silly to quit now a winning player when so many don't make any money at all, or is playing poker like a wife ....in the long run you get bored.

Thanks for any advice and feel free to say what ever.

ZCAHV82

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

what you described is the reason why there aren't that many long term consistent winners. playing in order to win isn't "natural" because you see less action. a lot of pros talk about how poker is just like a job to them after so many hands. if poker isn't fun anymore you might want to try different games or limits. depending on your goals, profit, fun, etc..you could always loosen up and gamble occasionally. go to the low limits and "blow off" steam, or take a break from poker for a while. return and see if your feelings have changed.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

I personally satellite into the bigger events to spice things up. It's nice to do like a $200, $600, or the pokerroom's $1000 event after playing $50NL

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

If the money you're playing for means something that it's a matter of weighing how important the amount of money you make is vs. how much you dislike playing poker.

If the money is mostly meaningless to you then there is no reason to play.

There are lots of people out there who think poker is an incredibly boring and pointless game (my GF among them).
Consequently, they don't play.
If you don't like it then don't play.


If you think it's just NL that is boring you but you still want to make money then I agree with the previous post that says to mix it up a bit.
I play small-stakes full-time for income.
If I get bored of the 6-max games that I'm playing I can try playing on a different site if I think that will cure my boredom.
Mostly, I throw in satellites, SNG's and MTT's when the mood strikes me.
My EV isn't quite as high in the other formats. But at least I'm still +EV in them....and I think that keeping the game from getting too stale and keeping me from getting burnt-out is certainly +EV.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

My personal belief is that every poker player should be striving to move up limits/play bigger tournaments etc, simply to avoid the boredom setting in you've described.

You say you don't have the bankroll to move up limits, but you are a winning player. If you are a winning player you should be reinvesting at least a small percentage of your winnings back into your bankroll. Thus, it's only a matter of time before you have the bankroll to move up.

It sounds like you don't feel confident enough to challenge higher levels, and I'm sensing that you are just grinding it out without making a serious attempt to improve your game (maybe this is a wrong impression).

If so, I suggest trying to find another line of work. I for one, can't imagine a lifetime of grinding it out, playing the same way at the same levels. Plus, with more people reading strategy books, there is every chance that your successful strategies of today will bring in less and less money as opponents improve (read ASchoonmaker's article at Cardplayer).

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

Maybe try playing shorthanded.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

try learning to play a new game. For example, if you play x number of games online play (x-1)+y where y is the new game.
Or you can be totally whacko like me.
Today I 4 tabled limit stud high, limit hold em, limit omaha/8 and NL hold em. Its hard to explain why, but I like the diversity, and it isn't that hard to concentrate.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

there are wifes you get not bored of. maybe poker or this kind of game you played is not the right wife for you. anyway if you don't need the money and you don't feel the excitement, which was the reason you played poker, why keep on playing??? I'm sure there are many exciting things waiting [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

[ QUOTE ]

you get when I initially use to play. you know the excitement you get from winning money. I don't get this any more. I don't get angry with Bad beats, and not excited when I win most hands.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well move upp [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] And play higher.

But i would rather be like that like i am right know dont care .

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

Move up in limits, play different games.

When I get bored of playing, I usually go play in some tournaments, or SNG's, or play 7-card stud or O8, etc etc.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

Maybe you don't want to play poker anymore? Or a break would be good. Sounds like you're buring out. And when someone burns out from a hobby, they can....drum roll....try something else? Take a break?

Some of the replies to move up or try 6 handed are possibly just driving you to gambooool more to try and recapture the rush from winning. I agree that striving to move up in limits is a natural progression, but not for this poster.

I'm thinking a break or finding another pastime would be better options.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

You should be happy that you no longer have the rush. That will be shorty followed by not caring when you get sucked out on.

Removing emotion from your game is a sign that you are developing as a player.

That being said, it can get boring as hell sometimes, but there has been some good advice in this thread about avoiding burnout.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

What the other guys said. Learn different kinds of poker, and learn how to play them well. Through in ring, STT, and MTT play with each form of poker you play and you'll keep yourself occupied for a long time.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Should I quit a winning player and go learn something else. I don't really need the money, and to move up in limits, well I don't have the bankroll for playing against the best.

The question is, is it silly to quit now a winning player when so many don't make any money at all, or is playing poker like a wife ....in the long run you get bored.



[/ QUOTE ]

What is most silly is forcing yourself to play poker if you really aren't enjoying it much and you don't need the money.

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

Hi all, thanks for your replys. Some great advice!!

I feel that some here have hit the nail right on the head for my situation. I do play quite a bit and may have burnt out. I also agree with those who say 'why play if you don't enjoy and don't care about the money' There is no reason at all to play!. I have tried to spice things up, but did it the wrong way (before your advice), seeking the excitment and instead of moving down and burning off some steam, I moved up and became supper aggressive ( very fishy I know!). I also tried some MTT and Sit&Go's, but feel that these are -EV for me currently, as am not in the correct mentallity to play 'solid' poker. I haven't played since I first wrote the first message and believe I need to give myself a long break.

I plan not to play until after xmas, and I will see how I feel after then.

Thanks for all your advice, and your fantastic posts. I will keep coming back to 2+2 as still enjoy reading up, but whether I play again. Who knows??!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Go gut those Fishy's for me!

ZCAHV82

Re: Totally confused! Should I quit?
 

I am in exactly the same situation and this is why as of now I am likely to never play online again. I stopped for a while and then a few weeks back I decided to deposit £15 as I really wanted to play, I turned that into £700, withdrew £300 and then lost the rest.
Apart from some terrible luck for the last week I lost most of it from playing bad. I wanted every pot to be massive, purely for excitement.

I am currently living at home with my parents and really have no reason to earn large amounts of money from poker. Poker infact distracts me from what I want to do. It serves as a scape goat. Ill make £200 a week and somewhere down the line ill lose it again but that week I spent earning the money is never coming back.

I think I can actually say that I have grown to hate online poker. Its become overwhelming and its time to move on.