Enjoying Poker More
 

Sometimes I get so mad and fed up with poker, I want to quit. It isn't worth the stress. But I'm compelled to keep playing. So I wrote down 10 ways to better enjoy the game. If anyone can think of anything to add to help me enjoy the game more, your thoughts are appreciated.

Top 10 Ways To Better Enjoy The Game Of Poker

1) Don’t play for money that’s important. Make sure that you are playing for a low enough amount of money that it’s OK for you to lose all of it.
2) Make sure you play players that are worse than you are. That way you can win more and have more fun.
3) Whenever you fold a hand, assume that you were beat. It’s much easier to go thru life that way.
4) Think of your roll as points rather than real money.
5) Look at the game as a fun time between friends, even if you aren’t friends with the other players and don’t know them. Congratulate them when they make good plays. Try and induce chatting. Spread the love. If a player is negative and puts his negativity on you, try and calm him. If you can’t calm him and he just gets more angry, ignore him. Don’t fuel the flames or get angry back, that just brings more negativity. If an angry player amuses you though, that’s another story.
6) Look at losing as a way of giving back. Don’t think of it as losing something valuable. Consider your bankroll like a tide, it ebbs and flows. It goes up and down. Going down is part of the game, without going down, it can’t go up.
7) Laugh at your bad beats and say: “that’s poker!” Remark to the table how crazy the last beat was, and congratulate your opponent for getting lucky. Remember, it’s gambling so if someone wants to take a risk with the odds against him, more power to him.
8) Try to learn from the other players. If you learn from someone else at the table, let him know what you learned from him and thank him.
9) Play few enough tables so you can fully concentrate on each one. If you play too many tables, you’ll go on autopilot and not play to your full potential. This makes the game more boring and monotonous.
10) Don’t play when you’re tired, uncomfortable, or frustrated. You are playing because you enjoy the game and like the challenge. If you are subpar, you can’t enjoy it to it’s fullest, so it isn’t worth it.

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

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1) Don’t play for money that’s important. Make sure that you are playing for a low enough amount of money that it’s OK for you to lose all of it.


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I agree with this one to a point. But i find poker quite boring unless it is for money that gets the heart pulsating faster.

But for new players the best advice i can give is to start with a small bankroll which if you lose will be no big deal and then bonus whore like you've never whored before, with the ultimate aim to pay off your initial stake as quickly as possible.

Thereby playing with your poker profits.

Then playing higher stakes is much less stresful.

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

#10 is rather vague actually. If the money is not important you will play poor poker.

I think what he means is don't play with rent momeny.

Mos of this stuff is common sense that has been printed thousands of times already. BUT - it might help ONE person.

The problem with a post like this is that if you are a 2+2 reader you have PROBEBLY read a few books which say the same thing.

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

If I help one person, then mission accomplished LOL

I think tips like these are easy to forget, so I think this post is beneficial for a lot of people.

You're a veteran poker reader/poster, Webster, is there anything I left out?

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

#5 is somehting I have begun working on more at the live games. I have loosened up a lot and talk it up a bit more with other players. I don't coach at all but try and get into the conversations more. Keeps things nice and cool at the table.

Even though a lot 2+2ers have read and know these things here, it was a good post. Thanks

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

You covered a couple things here that we have talked about as we went over hands, I think for a lot of pros this will help them recenter and stay in the game with energy and focus. Sitting here playing micros I couldn't see playing and making money getting boring, but the grass is always brown when u get the big house.

Re: Enjoying Poker More
 

I'm starting to play poker more and more myself. And even though I'm overall winning at the time, I get really frustrated when I sit down to play and I loose pot after pot. I think it is because at times I sit down with better, tighter players and they start getting the best of me. Or, it might just be sometimes the luck of the draw. But anyway, one thing I'm planning on doing to handle this better is to dedicate a specific amount of time during the day to play poker and thats it! (no matter if i'm up or down at the end) just play right and think about my earnings at the end. 2. think about my earnings at the end of the month as opposed to a specific session. If I'm playin right, I should've gained money, if not I should either play against even weaker opponents or quit : )