Ego and wager limits

[toots]

I get the distinct impression that some people have their egos tied to the bet limits they're playing at.

On the one hand, if you're playing poker for a living, I can see how playing at higher limits is a must. On the other hand, if you're playing mostly for fun or to learn the game... Well, it just seems like there's all this pressure to "move up," and failure to "move up" is often reacted to as if it's a failure as a person.

I suppose some of this comes from your motivation for playing. For me, I enjoy the social aspects (in a B&M), and I otherwise enjoy learning a new skill, using that skill to win a pot, using that skill to avoid losing money, and generally, using the skill to remind myself that I just might have a clue.

In that regard, the money's interesting to me as a way of scoring myself. I'd like to be a generally winning player. Moving up might present something of a challenge in that there's a new game dynamic to learn, but to be quite honest, playing online has afforded me enough wins to have the BR to move up while I'm still learning about the dynamic of the lower limit.

And aside from that, at a B&M, I just find it a heck of a lot more fun to drag a five-way pot at $2/4 than a heads up hand on a $5/10 table. I have enough money in the bank to BR the $5/10 game, but the only time I play it instead of the lower limits is when there's a shorter wait.

Overall, I've won more at $5/10 than I've lost, and probably more than I've won at $2/4 or $4/8, but I still find $2/4 and $4/8 a whole lot more fun to play, just because the play is just that little bit looser (wilder (more fun)) at the lower limits.

But, I get the distinct impression that I'm a minority here. Most people want to hit the advanced slopes as soon as possible, no matter how much fun they may be having on the bunnie slopes.

[Al Schoonmaker]

It's been called "The Anti-Peter Principle," and I believe the term was coined by Snyder, the blackjack guru.

People can't accept that they are not good enough to beat the highest limit they have played. So they stay there, losing or barely breaking even, instead of moving down to games they can beat (and/or enjoy).

An enormous amount of stupidity occurs at poker tables because of egotistical reasons. And I confess that some of that stupidity comes from me.I don't commit that particular form of stupidity, but I have some stupid habits.

The important point is to monitor yourself. Constantly ask, "Why am I doing X?" If you're doing it for egotistical reasons, it is probably dumb.

Oh, well.

Al

[cero_z]

Hi toots,

[ QUOTE ]
I just find it a heck of a lot more fun to drag a five-way pot at $2/4 than a heads up hand on a $5/10 table.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heads-up pots are allowed at that limit? This sounds like a terrible 5-10 game. No wonder you don't like it. I play in a 25-50 game 3 days a week that's way looser than that.