Why don't succesful online pros play more cards?

[SparkyDog]

I think that plays a pretty big part of it... right now I'm mostly playing just for the feeling I get of taking shots at higher levels and watching the bankroll grow... it doesn't really feel like money when it's in my poker account, but it does give me some feeling of accomplishment.

[gomberg]

I've noticed this as well. I'm glad other people don't play a lot. I'm close to $200+ / hour right now and am not a pro. I used to play roughly 100 table/hours per month playing 1-2 tables at a time. I have a day job and this was a lot of hours on the side.

Now, since I make a lot more, I still make about the same per month in poker income, but I play 30 table hours / month. I feel like an idiot because I could move up stakes so much quicker if I just put in more hours, but relationships, playing in hockey leagues, going out at night has been a higher priority to me and I can't bring myself to play more hours.

[rory]

Multitabling online is very mentally taxing, probably moreso than B&M because of the higher volume of hands-- I can only play for 1 or 2 hours at a time before I get tired and start to lose focus and I only play two tables. I have no idea how the people who 6 or 8 or 16 table or whatever do it.

Also I have to try to play my absolute best at all times so I need to take a lot of breaks. I am not as good as a lot of the better mid-limit players and that means to win I have to be playing my A+ game, otherwise I run the risk of morping into a losing player.

So it just works out that I only play for about 3-4 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is just only that much time where I feel awake and focused and steady and ready to play my best game. I wish that I could play more but I can't do it.

[LuvDemNutz]

[ QUOTE ]
I've noticed this as well. I'm glad other people don't play a lot. I'm close to $200+ / hour right now and am not a pro. I used to play roughly 100 table/hours per month playing 1-2 tables at a time. I have a day job and this was a lot of hours on the side.

Now, since I make a lot more, I still make about the same per month in poker income, but I play 30 table hours / month. I feel like an idiot because I could move up stakes so much quicker if I just put in more hours, but relationships, playing in hockey leagues, going out at night has been a higher priority to me and I can't bring myself to play more hours.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make $200 hr playing what?

400NL?

[gomberg]

multitabling 5-10NL

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
simple answer: poker is just a stupid card game

imagine there were millions of nickels lying on the ground and you could get as many as you want, but you can only pick up one nickel at a time.

Now imagine you are a smart and talented individual. How many hours per week could you spend picking up nickels?

[/ QUOTE ]

Make 'em dollars and the analogy is more accurate.

[mperich]

Very interesting question Nate. I have friends who claim if they made the money I do in my "slacker" "job", they would play 60-80 hrs a week. Apart from the reasons you mentioned, I like to practice pretty good table selection, so I play almost exclusively during peak hours. Since I also go out pretty much every fri/sat night, this doesnt leave me much time to play, even if I was not burnt out.

-Mike

[warlockjd]

For multitablers, 7 tables is hard and requires a lot of concentration and wears you out a lot more quickly, than say, an accounting job where you surf the net 5 hours a day

[warlockjd]

[ QUOTE ]
Most people who can make big money at poker are pretty smart. While it might take some a little longer to realize it, many very smart people find poker to be a relatively boring endeavor, especially when not learning new games/limits.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great point.

I quit every corporate job I had almost right after achieving a very high level of competence largely due to boredom.

In poker, you can (almost) always move up tho.

[VBM]

perhaps a corollary to point #1 (which probably applies widely outside of poker);

maybe i'm just turning into an old man, but in my profession i've become a bit disillusioned in the sense that the work i've chosen does little to impact or benefit anyone in any meaningful way.

i think this applies to poker as well. you could even make the case that your gain necessitates another's loss. Now, this is not a negative statement about poker! I think there are a lot of benefits to poker that aren't nearly talked about enough:
1. The ability to separate emotion with critical decision making
2. Thinking of everyday decisions in terms of EV
3. Adjusting your "game" to your opponents/other "players"(i.e. your boss, your spouse, your coworkers, etc...)

But, in the end, its just shifting piles of virtual chips when your talents/intelligence/ability could be making some type of perhaps more personally-meaningful difference.