decreased interest in poker

[crazyhands]

For the past year or so, I've played poker almost every day and had such a desire to play. Recently, I've lost almost all interest in poker.

I think part of the reason is because I am so busy with school, but I know thats not the only reason. I'm just slowly getting the feeling, idea, or realization that poker is mostly luck and only partly skill. Previously, I had the idea that poker was largely skill and that is the MAIN reason which drew me to the game to begin with.

There are several reasons for why I'm shifting my view of poker and feel free to critize me as I know you guys will.

I feel as though there is no such thing as a "poker pro". It SEEMS as though some of the pros got to where they were by getting lucky in huge tournaments and then going on from there. Just look at Jamie Gold. It seems as though he had a huge positive varience swing during the 4th day onward and won. He was the "champion". When I hear people say that I'm thinking, no he just got the luckiest out of the 8,000 or so players. I'm not talking about his level of play. Now he is considered a poker pro, just for this spurt of incredble luck. Look at that Demetri Nobles guy. He proved to all of us that he was not a good player by any means, yet he was the chip leader for some time. And whatever happened to Chirs Moneymaker? Same thing; got on a huge pos. variance swing while the blinds of the tournament where 5 billion and 10 billion. I never see him on the WPT, world series, etc. I only see him drving a fancy car on a poker stars commerical.

There are other reasons for my shift of thinking. One is that I've been on a negative varience swing playing limit hold'em. I feel its pointless to play against average to good players, because it seems as though luck determines who is ahead and behind at the end of the session.

Please don't flame me or think I am a troll. I want people to argue against me to change the way I am thinking about his. I want to have the urge to play again. Right now, the only place that I have the desire to play is in a casio against bad players willing to and don't mind losing. Other than that, I feel like I might as well playing slots.

[kerowo]

Meh. If you need external validation of your choice to play or not play poker you are deluding yourself. No one cares that you don't have an understanding of skill vs luck and short term vs long term. Really. No one does. If you aren't enjoying playing poker, don't play it. There really isn't a wrong answer in what you do in regards to poker.

[Phanekim]

I felt this way after playing from feb 2004 till this february. I have quit. Time to move on with life. I stored up all the cash i made (a lot but not that much) into a eloan savings account and started picking up new hobbies.

I just wanted you to know I'm in the same boat as you do. The thing i've learned is that although poker like most strategy games can be great for learning game theory and knowing how to make good decisions....I do understand the negative impact it has.

As a result, I'm very anti gambling right now. Not that we should outlaw it, but on a personal level...it took away too much time than it should have.

[goodgrief]

I think if you have lost interest in poker and you have another way to get money, then good for you and move on with your life. When you are older, you will be shocked at how expensive it is to be self-employed and how difficult it is to get necessary health and life insurance at any price if you are a gambler. An employed person gets a steady check and gets those benefits provided without question. Your heart is telling you to focus on school and a career. Have you ever noticed that many professional gamblers are people who are simply not employable by reason of their personality or other issues? They envy you having the choice.

[crazyhands]

I'm not trying to become a professional player. I just want to play poker for fun and make a few bucks in the process.

I have another example. I am watching the 2002 WSOP right now. I recognize absoultely no one except the champion, Robert Varconi. I wonder what happened to Ralph Perry, or Harley Hall (you guys are probably thinking who the f***, because I am) Its funny and amusing to see the kind of luck Varconi gets; going to short stack to chip leader all at the final table, hitting every flop, winning every race, etc; Very similar to Jamie Gold.

Examples like this only cement my idea of how much luck plays a part in poker.

[Frond]

Tournament-wise speaking of course luck has a huge factor because it is a very short time of playing compared to a years of logging hours either live or online.

[SweetPea]

This is exactly why I quit playing tourneys long ago. I can't even enjoy a 10-man SNG with friends. Not only does the high variance annoy me, but the play is often automatic.

If I wanted that, I'd play euchre.

Try some deepstack games. It's a whole different world.

[phantom_lord]

gimmick account?

[solucky]

It is possible to make a stable monthly income witrh poker, but it is not easy and you have to spend many hours.

Work-Live balance is what you need yes poker is work part time or full time.

[sweeng8]

Seeing as noone has tried to convert you as yet, I will have go...

Big game tournies, the ones you see on tv, have massive varience swings to them. Guys like Gold, Moneymaker, Varconi, I agree had their very lucky moment and won. As much as the glory of winning at the wsop is huge, pro's dont make their regular income based on massive tournaments. They make money playing cash games and a few big sit and gos on the side. Guys like Brunson, Reese, Greenstein, have made millions in cash games throughout their many years at the tables. Even if you put the new wave of player down to luck (which i wouldnt) you would be very pushed to argue that regular winners over decades are just lucky.
Im a student and make a very regular income from a few hours of poker a night. I enjoy mtt's but I consider grinding ring games my second 'job'. Of course I get lucky and unlucky, but long term I find it impossible for anyone to argue poker is a game of luck