Getting sick of poker (not because of bad beats)

[ThinkQuick]

being known as a poker player to my friends and their friends as popularity increases makes alot of people talk to me and my poker-buddies about learning and playing. It's definitely increased the number of games I can play and decreased the caliber of people that I play with; which I enjoy.
The problem though, is that it's starting to become tiresome to arrange games and have discussions with the new 'players'.

the fact that it's alot of work to be one of the resident poker scholars in our little community has also meant that my poker playing has gotten increasingly more attention. That's fine, I play more now, but I was never hoping to be known more by my "great for our level but could use work" poker than by my "real" achievements.

[MicroBob]

"I don't like tomato juice, so I don't drink tomato juice."


this is the most amazing coincidence. i don't like tomato juice either!!


not sure why poker would be THAT much less enjoyable just because it's image is changing (or has changed).

you say you might come back in a couple of years after the popularity dies down.
1st - i'm not so sure that is going to happen.
2nd - you must really get into that whole 'underground' image thing which i don't quite get.

i do understand being peeved that your favorite tourneys are filling up before you arrive though and this is obviously a by-product of the popularity.....but it seems like it is as much of an image thing for you as it is an issue of crowded tournament fields.

[Ben]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm an above average player, probably slight -EV

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this mistyped or something?

If you're not winning money, I can make a guess as to why you don't think poker is fun....

[MicroBob]

i don't really see much of a contradiction here.

because of the rake, only a minority of players can be profitable at poker in the long-term.

consequently, if a poker-player was in the 50th percentile talent wise, he would likely be a losing player.
in fact, players in the 60th to 70th percentile are probably doing okay to break-even.

my numbers may be off....but it's just hypothetical. hopefully i conveyed the general point.

[Dentist]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm an above average player, probably slight -EV

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this mistyped or something?

If you're not winning money, I can make a guess as to why you don't think poker is fun....

[/ QUOTE ]

i've never played "just for the money" I like(d) the game.
and did you read the part where I just won a monster tournament?? My poker winnings have never been bigger...

Last night I decided to play a tournament... got knocked out on hand 10 when my aces lost to a flush draw that hit.

Then I played another one, had horrible cards, but still ended up 28th out of 188... nothing special...

You know what I need... I need like a voice command thing in my room so that I can do things like laundry and stuff while i play.

Actually I enjoy touranments the most when one of my buddies is over hanging out and we're playing the hands together (splitting the action) and he sits at the comp and plays the hands while I cook or read magazines, or watch TV and when there's a hand... then I can pay attention.


So, maybe I have A.d.d. or something... (but I don't really like playing multiple tables)..

I do VERY much hate it that it is such a big deal to sign up for tournies. I just want to be able to sign up for my local tourney an hour prior, or sign up at Mandalay bay 30 minutes before... or I want to be able to walk into the cardroom and get a game within 20 minutes (even on a friday or saturday)....

[LetsRock]

[ QUOTE ]
I do VERY much hate it that it is such a big deal to sign up for tournies. I just want to be able to sign up for my local tourney an hour prior, or sign up at Mandalay bay 30 minutes before... or I want to be able to walk into the cardroom and get a game within 20 minutes (even on a friday or saturday)....

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand your frustration on this level completely. There's many things I just don't do anymore because of having to deal with the crowds. I don't get to many ballgames anymore because it's just so crowded (and the rediculous costs don't help) and I haven't been to concert in years.

I kept trying and wound up just getting pissed off by all the rude people, so I just don't go much anymore.

If the crap that surrounds doing something you like becomes too much of a burden, it's completely natural to quit doing it.

[Homer]

Should I quit, or just keep playing less and more casually?

Just play it by ear. If you never have the desire to play again, so be it. If you wake up one day six months from now and feel like playing, play. There's no need to decide right now whether or not you're going to give up the game. Live in the now.

[mrbaseball]

I know the feeling! It happens to me from time to time to time. Last year I had played every single day until mid June when I just stopped pretty much. I would play a SnG once in a while but that was it.

Then I was checking out tourney schedules one Saturday morning and saw a cheapo satalite on Stars for the $1000 entry online championship tourney. I won a seat. That got me interested again and in September I started playing every day again.

Then I hit Thanksgiving and had a miserable 3 day run. I stepped back again. I starting just playing SnGs and a few tourneys. I proceeded to have my best month of the year in December scoring heavy in some Stars tourneys including my first win in one.

Then came January. I was still burned out on the ring games but excited about tourneys. But with my schedule I could only play a few a week. I treaded water for a few months this way with a couple touneys and SnGs a week.

But I'm going to Vegas in a week and a half and for the last 2 weeks I have started playing the rings again. And I'm liking it! Eventually I am sure the daily grind will push me back to the sidelines for a month or 3 but my time away usually gets me excited to play again once I really do start playing again.

Take some time away and one day you might just wake up and find the fire again. It's a lot more fun when you feel the passion and really want to play rather than just playing because you know its some supplemental income.

[sabre170]

Playing poker, like skydiving, is something you should do only if you want to.

[Cyrus]

"I don't like tomato juice, so I don't drink tomato juice."

Yeah but did you used to abolutely love tomato juice? That's the point.