Quitting Poker, FOREVER!

[Dwayne]

I am seriously considering quitting poker, forever. My results are not meeting my expectations. Based on all the time and effort I have invested in improving my game I am not getting a reasonable return. For the past two years I have barely broken even. I have read and studied all the books, keep up with the forums, keep records and read Card Player magazine. When I cannot make it to the card room I practice poker with the play money Internet games (which I know is not REAL poker but it keeps my concentration up). I have developed a selective/aggressive style. I am a good solid mid-limit Hold’em player. This is not just an opinion of myself but is from the reaction of many of the people I play with. I love the game and enjoy the competition and challenge. Am I being out played? The answer is no. When the cards are evenly distributed at the table and I get the same number of good and bad hands as everyone else, I win. If I get 10% more good cards than everyone I run over the table. But most often every other playing session I have not been dealt playable starting cards. No matter how good you are or think you are you have to have good starting cards to play winning poker. In many eight-hour sessions I played only five hands. Two of those hands were bad beats. I know I made correct decisions in folding all those bad hands but in a 10/20 game the blinds cost $60 an hour so after eight hours with only two pots won and calling a few blind bets I am busted out. I have been keeping records. This has occurred almost every other session. I just seem to bounce up and down between breaking even and losing.

I am not seeking excuses or sympathy. I do not believe in lucky seats, lucky dealers, or deck changes. I except complete responsibility for my performance and force myself to face reality. I am beginning to wonder if my expectations are unrealistic. Maybe this all there is to poker. I am willing to do what it takes to turn this around, including quitting poker.

Have any of you been faced with this situation? Have you ever considered quitting poker? I would appreciate any and all comments.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

You've been playing and studying and reading for two years, but you're upset that you aren't beating 10-20 games? This might be your problem right here.

Now I've been playing cards for nearly three decades for money. I've been playing seriously for a hell of a lot longer than 2 years, and studying too. Yet I do not run over the middle limit games. In fact, at first I didn't even play well enough to beat the low limit games at first. After my first year in casinos, I had read about 30 of the best books I could find, yet I was barely breaking even in loose low limit hold'em games (I was doing much better at stud). After several more years, I could beat the lower limit games consistently, but was still not good enough to beat the middle limit games. Today, after nearly a decade of constant study and playing at least 25+ average hours a week, I can beat the middle limit games. Now I should clarify that I still generally stick to 4-8 to 8-16, and when I am playing middle limits, you can bet I scouted the game well before I sat down.

I think that you don't have the experience to expect to consistently beat middle limit hold'em games. I'm not sure where you play, or how hard the games are there, but I still think you're just playing too high for your experience level.

If you love this game, get good enough to beat smaller games first, then after you consistently beat the smaller games, slowly move up to the middle limits.

Your talk about not getting playable cards is nonsense. They break even over time. It's your expectations that are unrealistic. However, by writing your post, you just might be on the path to a more realistic and more successful future.

al

[sandsmarc]

I think that there is an element to poker that goes beyond what you can learn in books. Call it talent, if you will. But not everyone has it.

I didn't understand this fully until I played with someone over a long period of time who has it. It's a combination of getting it right in reading the situation, and getting it right in reading weakness or strength in a player.

Not everyone can do this often enough and with sufficient amplitude to generate a healthy profit. In fact, almost no one can. But I've witnessed this ability in someone, and it really is almost magic at times.

I don't think it can be learned. And without it you can't be a big winner.

I do think, on the other hand, that academic study of the game and dedication and discipline can get you even or small winner.

But that's not enough for most of us. Hence the frustration of not being able to get to the level we want to be at. It stands to reason though. There's a bell curve for every human activity. Only a certain small percentage end up excelling while the rest school along in mediocrity or a little better.

So, you need to do some soul searching. If you're frustrated to the point of quitting after a long period of dedication and effort, it is quite possible you don't have what it takes to be a big winner.

However, I wouldn't quit. Maybe you're a slow learner who will one day become a big time player. Give it 5 years of your best effort. If at that time you're still not performing big, it's time to quit. Or at least drop way back in limits and treat poker as a fun diversion.

[JTG51]

Do you have fun when you are playing? If you were playing for no money (or an amount of money that didn't matter) would you still play?

If your only expectations are to win money, and you don't enjoy the game then you probably should quit. If you enjoy it and break even, what's so bad with a hobby that doesn't cost you anything? Most people spend a lot fo money on their hobbies (golf, collecting stuff, etc).

[Dynasty]

You have a hobby which you love engaging in and it hasn't cost you $1 in the past two years.

Tell me again why you're quitting.

[oddjob]

i completely agree with this. i don't understand why people think they should be making a ton of money to keep playing poker. as long as it's fun right?

i on the other hand am experiencing something different. i play for fun. all we have is low limits here in colorado, $5 max bets. and to be honest i feel completely burnt out on it. lately i'm not having a good time... regardless whether i'm winning big or not (cause it's supposed to be more fun when you're winning, right?)

i just feel bored playing correctly. in fact the other day, i start playing like a maniac just cause it was more fun to do so. playing crap hands, raising with [censored], and capping with slim draws. i know i can't keep this up, cause i'll lose way too much money, but it was the only thing that was keeping it interesting for me.

time for a break right? anyone go through this? is it the low stakes that i'm bored with possibly? unfortunately on-line isn't an option for me, so i can't try my hand at larger stakes.

i think i'm going to take a break, but i have a feeling that it'll be the same when i pick it back up.

"In many 8 hour sessions, I played only 5 hands"...

That is not selective/aggressive IMO - that's clam-ass tight and could be one of the problems among others. Your results are not meeting your expectations which maybe unrealistically too high. I have played for about 3 years but still sticking to my 5-10 with occassional foray on pink game and 10-20.
Even if my goal and expectations are to go to a higher limit in a short period of time, reality dictates that I stick to my comfort level because my results are short of my expectations.

[Bob T.]

I can't find it right now, but one of the writers for Cardplayer, wrote that once a month he would have 'party day'.

During 'party day', he would play whatever, and however he thought he could have the most fun, the rest of the month, he would try and play his best game. He wouldn't announce that it was party day, just go out, play, get out line, have fun, and see what happened.

Maybe you need an occasional 'party day'.

[rkiray]

It was Daniel N. (my spelling sucks, I won't attempt his last name). Here's the link http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/cpar...s.php?id=00003

[sandsmarc]

Pink game, eh? Taj or Trop?