How do they do it?

[gjpure]

I see guys who come in the casino every day and play poker, gamble, etc. Some of them are good players and win, and some are not.

The only time I tend to play poker day after day is in Vegas. I find that it is easy to loose my focus, and I get burned out on the game. I typically play a couple times a week and that is enough.

But I don't know how some of these guys do it. They come in day after day and make a living at poker. When I go out to Vegas I see the same guys playing day after day. It's their job, and it astounds me that they can keep their focus on what is a relatively boring game - especially if you are getting cold cards. I find poker very boring to keep folding.

But for some people it does not seem to bother them. I can put up with it for a while, but then I start getting bored and calling a preflop reraise with 95 suited or something. I just get retarted and totally illogical. Or worse yet I bluff into the nuts.

I can play really well at times, but if I am not getting action on my hands, not getting hands at all, or getting hands and missing flops, I feel like I have to force something. I play horrible and it is embarassing. I really, really, want people to respect my play and to respect my own play. I want people to say "he is a good player," not "what a donkey."

Now, its interesting because I have had several people say tell me I'm a good player, or I'm a tight player, and I'm thinking you should have seen me two months ago. They judge me from that one session.

Overall, I feel like sometimes I just need a break from poker, but I love the game so much, even when I lose that I have a very hard time not playing. I start playing really sloppy, then I feel pressure to win it back, and I become this temporary degenerate. I go to the roulette table and everything. It is a dangerous and slippery slope because I hate to lose. Not just money, but I hate to lose. I hate feeling like I suck at something. I want to feel good about myself. I hate just giving away my money. I jokingly tell people at the table to give me a receipt, because I am donating to charity.

What I really want to know is 1) how to people play everyday? Is that what makes them "pros"? The ability to focus day in and day out? And 2) how can I improve my own focus and patience, especially during sessions when I'm not flopping the nuts every hand and actually have to execute some discipline. Are there any exercises or ways to improve patience, focus, etc?

Again, this has been a very, very frusterating thing for me and it is the #1 leak in my game. I know everything about poker intellectually. I almost always know what the right move is, and then at times I just go against it anyway. I really want to fix this.

Any and all thoughts welcome. Thanks.