Totally confused! Should I quit?

[zcahv82]

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

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.

[DWarrior]

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

[MicroBob]

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.

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).

[William Wilson]

Maybe try playing shorthanded.

[SNOWBALL138]

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.

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]

[Tuben]

[ 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 .

[krimson]

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.