Why do I suck at poker?

[grindson]

It's most likely not the poker you suck at, its probably just life

[AJackson]

If the money doesn't matter to you,it's going to be difficult for you to become a winning player. I'm in a similar situation where I have a good job as a general contractor and it requires a lot discipline on my part to consistently play good poker.

If you want to get good at poker youre going to have to devote some serious time and effort to studying. Get a good coach, there are plenty of fairly cheap coaches that could quickly shape up your game, assuming you have a grasp on the basics.

[yimyammer]

I'm not a top notch player by any means, but what I have discovered is that the edge is very small, especially since the UIGA was passed.

This means you have to be on your toes at all times and have every skill and tool available in order to win. The small edge can be easily wiped out from lack of concentration, watching the tv or surfing the net while playing, not profiling all the players, not constantly practicing reading hands (especially when your not in a hand), keeping up with pot odds, etc, etc, etc.

As a result, I primarily play tourneys, because like you, grinding out at the low stakes doesn't offer enough of a reward to keep me focused whereas tourneys keep me in line because if I'm not on my toes, I'll be eliminated but if I do play my best I have a chance at a really nice upside with the added benefit of a lower downside.

Do you like playing tourneys or sit n gos? If so, do you tilt there too?

My tilt factor has decreased incredibly since my goal has has changed from winning the pot (which I still want to do) to always trying to make the best decision (ie always put my money in good). I understand that if I make good decisions winning will follow.

I can't control the cards but I can control my decisions.

I also think you have to read, read, read, study, study and study some more. Some of the posts these guys make in the strategy forums blow my mind and I have to read them several times just to begin to understand them.

Playing good/great poker IS HARD!

Like you, I consider myself above average intelligence, having always been able to learn and excel at anything I've put my mind too.

However, I never feel as dumb as I do when I play poker and try to keep up with the guys who are really good at this game.

I think people assume that because the game appears to be simple, they can easily excel at it. What most people never realize, is that in order to be really great, you have to work your ass off FOREVER!

You can never stop learning because you will never arrive and just be able to play on auto-pilot.

[holyfield5]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not a top notch player by any means, but what I have discovered is that the edge is very small, especially since the UIGA was passed.

This means you have to be on your toes at all times and have every skill and tool available in order to win. The small edge can be easily wiped out from lack of concentration, watching the tv or surfing the net while playing, not profiling all the players, not constantly practicing reading hands (especially when your not in a hand), keeping up with pot odds, etc, etc, etc.

As a result, I primarily play tourneys, because like you, grinding out at the low stakes doesn't offer enough of a reward to keep me focused whereas tourneys keep me in line because if I'm not on my toes, I'll be eliminated but if I do play my best I have a chance at a really nice upside with the added benefit of a lower downside.

Do you like playing tourneys or sit n gos? If so, do you tilt there too?

My tilt factor has decreased incredibly since my goal has has changed from winning the pot (which I still want to do) to always trying to make the best decision (ie always put my money in good). I understand that if I make good decisions winning will follow.

I can't control the cards but I can control my decisions.

I also think you have to read, read, read, study, study and study some more. Some of the posts these guys make in the strategy forums blow my mind and I have to read them several times just to begin to understand them.

Playing good/great poker IS HARD!

Like you, I consider myself above average intelligence, having always been able to learn and excel at anything I've put my mind too.

However, I never feel as dumb as I do when I play poker and try to keep up with the guys who are really good at this game.

I think people assume that because the game appears to be simple, they can easily excel at it. What most people never realize, is that in order to be really great, you have to work your ass off FOREVER!

You can never stop learning because you will never arrive and just be able to play on auto-pilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

you suck

[yimyammer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not a top notch player by any means, but what I have discovered is that the edge is very small, especially since the UIGA was passed.

This means you have to be on your toes at all times and have every skill and tool available in order to win. The small edge can be easily wiped out from lack of concentration, watching the tv or surfing the net while playing, not profiling all the players, not constantly practicing reading hands (especially when your not in a hand), keeping up with pot odds, etc, etc, etc.

As a result, I primarily play tourneys, because like you, grinding out at the low stakes doesn't offer enough of a reward to keep me focused whereas tourneys keep me in line because if I'm not on my toes, I'll be eliminated but if I do play my best I have a chance at a really nice upside with the added benefit of a lower downside.

Do you like playing tourneys or sit n gos? If so, do you tilt there too?

My tilt factor has decreased incredibly since my goal has has changed from winning the pot (which I still want to do) to always trying to make the best decision (ie always put my money in good). I understand that if I make good decisions winning will follow.

I can't control the cards but I can control my decisions.

I also think you have to read, read, read, study, study and study some more. Some of the posts these guys make in the strategy forums blow my mind and I have to read them several times just to begin to understand them.

Playing good/great poker IS HARD!

Like you, I consider myself above average intelligence, having always been able to learn and excel at anything I've put my mind too.

However, I never feel as dumb as I do when I play poker and try to keep up with the guys who are really good at this game.

I think people assume that because the game appears to be simple, they can easily excel at it. What most people never realize, is that in order to be really great, you have to work your ass off FOREVER!

You can never stop learning because you will never arrive and just be able to play on auto-pilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

you suck

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, is this some kind of sarcasm that has gone over my head?

Do you have a problem with something I wrote?

Can you expand a little?

[geoncic]

[ QUOTE ]
It's most likely not the poker you suck at, its probably just life

[/ QUOTE ]

hahaha... that made me laugh

How does this guy get a 6-figure salary.. at that level, a guy should be competent enough to control his emotions and be able to stick to basic fundamentals.

...may I ask what you do? :P

[e_phemeral]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not a top notch player by any means, but what I have discovered is that the edge is very small, especially since the UIGA was passed.

This means you have to be on your toes at all times and have every skill and tool available in order to win. The small edge can be easily wiped out from lack of concentration, watching the tv or surfing the net while playing, not profiling all the players, not constantly practicing reading hands (especially when your not in a hand), keeping up with pot odds, etc, etc, etc.

As a result, I primarily play tourneys, because like you, grinding out at the low stakes doesn't offer enough of a reward to keep me focused whereas tourneys keep me in line because if I'm not on my toes, I'll be eliminated but if I do play my best I have a chance at a really nice upside with the added benefit of a lower downside.

Do you like playing tourneys or sit n gos? If so, do you tilt there too?

My tilt factor has decreased incredibly since my goal has has changed from winning the pot (which I still want to do) to always trying to make the best decision (ie always put my money in good). I understand that if I make good decisions winning will follow.

I can't control the cards but I can control my decisions.

I also think you have to read, read, read, study, study and study some more. Some of the posts these guys make in the strategy forums blow my mind and I have to read them several times just to begin to understand them.

Playing good/great poker IS HARD!

Like you, I consider myself above average intelligence, having always been able to learn and excel at anything I've put my mind too.

However, I never feel as dumb as I do when I play poker and try to keep up with the guys who are really good at this game.

I think people assume that because the game appears to be simple, they can easily excel at it. What most people never realize, is that in order to be really great, you have to work your ass off FOREVER!

You can never stop learning because you will never arrive and just be able to play on auto-pilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the post Yimyammer. For a long time, I have kept telling myself that I wanted to play more MTTs to get better at them. To me, MTTs are where the big money is. I have no intention of becoming a high stakes cash game player (nor am I anywhere good enough). And I have already proven to myself over and over that I do not have the discipline to grind at low stakes cash games. However, I would be more than happy to luckbox my way into a big MTT and spike a high finish.

Since writing the initial post, I took some time off from playing online. Over the weekend, I deposited some more $ with the intention of only playing MTTs and SNGs for a while. Only got a chance to play some SNGs Sunday night and posted an overall win (cashed in 3 out of 4).

I think I do tend to tilt a little less in SNGs and MTTs. The threat of getting busted completely out of the tournament if you do something stupid generally keeps me in line. However, I could still foresee tilt issues if things went really horrible over a period of time. Like not cashing in 3 or 4 SNGs in a row could get irritating. Or bubbling several in row - I bubbled one Sun night in completely retarded fashion as I was chip leader with 4 people to go - I absolutely should have cashed but played 2 hands incredibly stupidly. When I busted, I started to feel the same kind of annoyance that I would feel when playing cash games that would usually lead me to tilt. I immediately opened a new SNG. But for whatever reason, maybe because it each SNG brings a new crew of players, a fresh start, no baggage with any opponents from prior hands, etc., I played my normal game - no tilt whatsoever.

Anyway, I'm gonna try to rein in the tilt and I think playing SNGs and MTTs will help with this. I am going to try to avoid cash games entirely for a while. Cash games for me can quickly become a slippery slope because it is so easy to go on mega tilt and just keep reloading and trying to "get back" at whichever player has "wronged" me. And as I've said, having to play my "A" game at low limits in order to win small amounts of money is not for me and I don't have the cash to throw at larger limit games (nor do I think I yet have the skill). So its MTTs and SNGs for me with the crappy little broll that I deposited over the weekend.

To answer someone else's question, I am an attorney. And I don't think that because I am successful in my career outside of poker that it should be easy for me to excel at poker. I realize that it takes a lot of time, skill, experience, etc. to get good. I'm starting to learn that emotional control is almost more important than technical skill, at least when it comes to cash games.

Wish me luck haters!

[DrewDevil]

Let's keep in mind that OP is not playing with his "bankroll," so all the posts chastising him about BR management are a little over the top.

I am also an attorney and I would rather not play than nit up and grind $10NL for 3 years trying to build up a bankroll. I deposited $500 a few weeks ago and I have most or all of it at risk when I play. This is not my "bankroll," but an amount that I don't want to lose. I play better when there's enough money on the line that I would be pissed if I lost it.

So OP, try playing $400NL or some level where you'd be upset to lose your entire buyin, and you may find that you play better.

However, you also sound like a tilt monkey, so train yourself not to re-buy if you get stacked.