how much do you actually enjoy poker?

[captZEEbo]

Wow I think I just realized some fun things about my poker career. I was making sick returns and pretty good growth (IMO) for about 2-3 years from when I started till about Jan 2007 when I hit my first major extended downswing. After that I really hated poker and ever since then I haven't really grown as a poker player and regressed a lot and it's clear from my winrate how disliking the game has affected me.

Any tips on reignited the passion of the game? I'm considering making fun prop bets with myself with like rewards or something. Not really sure.

[Go_Blue88]

i like poker when i'm winning. i kinda like it when i take some standard beats. i sorta dislike poker when i'm stuck and feel the need to win it back before quitting (i never really grew out of that). i HATE poker when i have big downswings/break even stretches that are "just part of the game," but seem never-ending.

i'm not a pro though. i played fer fun and sorta thought of it as a part time job.

[Morrek]

When I was growing up, I kept dreaming about a job I could have as an adult where I wouldn't have to get up at 7am 5days a week, and where I could be my own boss and make my own hours and take vacation when I wanted to. And a job where I could sit at home and work if I chose to.

Up until a couple years ago I thought this dream would never come true. Then I discovered online poker, and now my life is really great. I can do all these things I've dreamed about doing, and it's just awesome.

I don't always enjoy the actual playing, but when I don't I just stop playing for a while. If there's something else I'd rather do for a day, a week, or a month, I'll go do that. I have enough money saved up to not have to play another hand for years if I didn't want to. But lately I've been enjoying poker more and more, so I keep playing. It's not like I play 12hrs a day or anything but more like 2hrs a day, a few days a week.

[Morrek]

[ QUOTE ]
if given the choice to never play poker again but just receive a check each month based on their historical win rate would they take it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't, because I know that I can make much more than my historical winrate

[limon]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow I think I just realized some fun things about my poker career. I was making sick returns and pretty good growth (IMO) for about 2-3 years from when I started till about Jan 2007 when I hit my first major extended downswing. After that I really hated poker and ever since then I haven't really grown as a poker player and regressed a lot and it's clear from my winrate how disliking the game has affected me.

Any tips on reignited the passion of the game? I'm considering making fun prop bets with myself with like rewards or something. Not really sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

you have to discover if you ever really did have a passion for the game. if so you need to refocus on those things you found fulfilling. its doubtful they will still be fulfilling for 40 hours a week of play and study but maybe for 5 or 10. its not all or nothing.

[jws43yale]

I have just skimmed this thread but I agree with much of the sentiment. I started learning SNG poker a yeah and half ago and started making great money quickly. I put in alot of hours at the begginning but was very lucratively multitabling with a $100/hr winrate. Then I got busy at the beginning of the school semester, lost $10k in ill advised blackjack binge and took an extended break. UIGEA hit and I finally decided that it would be nice to pick up a little extra cash late this spring.

I have now found that I can not win for near the rates I used to and no longer have the desire to learn a new game or work hard to get better. A year ago I was very excited about an impending jump to the $109's on Party, and wa working hard toward that goal. Now I just don't care enough to put in the effort with only one year of school left. I no longer enjoy playing and don't think I would until I got to a high enough level to make it exciting. I don't have the bankroll or the ability anymore and I find myself playing less and less.

Although I know it took considerable work to get good in the beginning, I feel like it was so easy compared to now. I just can't motivate myself to spend countless hours breaking even to learn NL, or work harder than I ever had to to crush Party $55's in order to beat Stars $16's or $27's. Funny thing is that if I was starting now from the beginning and didn't have multiple thousands in savings/bankroll, I would be more than happy to grind a few dollars at the $6.50's while getting better.

So all in all, I have enough money to not be motivated to get better. The only thing that would motivate me is the opportunity to make lucrative money again, but I won't have the opportunity without working to get better. So I am pretty much screwed and will probably not enjoy poker until I can crush my friends in a guys game when I am 30.

I really enjoyed my first 1,5 years of poker, learning and improving my play, seeing better results. It was very challenging.
A few months ago I hit a limit where I thought "Now I m playing for so much money, I really dont want to move up anymore as I ran pretty bad most of the times I moved up and would probably hate losing so much money. Staying here will be more than you need so you should just grind it out for at least half a year".

A short time ago I realized that I cant really enjoy poker when I am just grinding it out. I must try to rise to the top or I get bored.
I think that it would be much more simple if I could jsut stay at the limit I am and grind it out but I cant.
I am too ambitious for that, I have to keep pushing myself.

Now that I realized that, I started to really learn more again and I can see my play improving although I thought I already know so much.
It is much more fun to play and I have by far my best month ever.

[morphball]

[ QUOTE ]
i wouldnt. i get some joy from poker, some sense of accomplishment, <u>some comraderie</u>, some skills that transfer to other parts of my life. just not more than 8 hours a week worth at this point.(and none online anymore)

[/ QUOTE ]

limon - there is no "comaraderie" in poker, at least not at any stake you consider meaningful. I think this is the biggest reason why a lot of people don't like it.

[morphball]

[ QUOTE ]
I view poker the same way I view trading: I love thinking about it, but I absolutely can't stand the actual act of doing it. It's just stressful, and I hate the unknown. And yet, having said that, even if I were a billionaire, I'd still play poker. I wouldn't necessarily be able to play for fun (I'm far too competitive to handle that), but I'd play for the challenge.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, this about sums up my feelings as well. Great post!

[Matt Flynn]

limon,

i would turn down $2.5 million hard cash to quit poker for life without a thought. $5 million i would take. i would also never turn pro unless my whole business and family life collapsed.

matt