Another "I QUIT poker" post

[PokerGenius]

today i realized one thing. I know the perfect playing style. however i will never execute it. The only place where I will execute the perfect style is the place where my bankroll cannot afford the downswings. So if I keep playing on 20/40, I will go broke, so why not just quit, instead of going broke?

analyze the state of my mind right now, and post whatever u want. I cannot play lower, since I am a losing player, because i cannot fully focus on winning. I am bored when the stakes do not affect me, and therefore the perfect style cannot be executed.

Do I have a gambling problem? Maybe I am in denial, but I go through weeks without playing. When I do play, I play high, because once again that is the only place where I can play my best, and therefore win.

Anyone else have this problm?

[Hoi Polloi]

If you can only play your best at stakes where you ROR is too high to play "the perfect style" or optimal poker then the question is what can you find to motivate yourself to play optimal poker. The motivation would have to be strong enough to allow you to play at stakes appropriate to your bankroll.

The above assumes that you would prefer to play optimal poker than what you are playing now. Is that the case?

If so, you have a conflict. I would suggest that whatever enjoyment you get from poker has to do with the stakes you play and your ability to concentrate (a.k.a. lose yourself in the game) than with winning per se. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I guess, unless you are not getting what you want from playing.

[Mingdu]

[ QUOTE ]
When I do play, I play high, because once again that is the only place where I can play my best, and therefore win.

[/ QUOTE ]

What's the problem if, as you say, you are winning at this high level

[RED FACE]

The problem is that you care about money. I know you say that the problem is you don't care about money only when the stakes are small but actually it's that you care about money at all.

The only thing you should care about is winning. Even at play money. This requires a major attitude adjustment for some people. They think money is what it's all about. Money is what life is all about. You can buy stuff with money and do things, etc. You have to say, "I don't care about money, I don't care about stuff, stuff is [censored] to me, I need to win, quickly if possible, slowly if necessary but I need to beat my opponents, that is all that matters". You basically have to rid your mind of materialism in a world which teaches that's all there is.

[PokerGenius]

Red Face thats a brilliant post. I think I am money-hungry.

Mindgu, the problem with playing at stakes that you cannot afford is that in the long run I will lose. One bad run, and my poker career is over. Also it is very stressful when so much of your money is on the line. Thus stress makes me play "optimal". When there's no stress, I play like I have to go somewhere

[Yoshi63]

Red Face indeed makes great points.

Money kinda sucks. Seriously. Most people who really want it and think about it a LOT, don't utilize it correctly. People who are intelligent with money, yet don't really crave it, are the one's who tend to use it efficiently and effectively for their own life.

I tend to fall into the 'craving' money, but don't necessarily use it that well. Rather than buying things (tangible or not), I tend to either save it or use it to make MORE money (ie poker, stock market).

These are of course generalizations, and not everyone will fit this mold.