Forcing youself to play or Playing whenever you feel comfortable?

pshady · #1 10-30-2007, 01:20 AM

I tried forcing myself to play everyday cause I only like to play when im feeling comftorble like when my mind is relaxed and when i think about poker which is why I don't play as much. BUt trying to bang in a few games everyday not going so well now i've been hitting a slump with some unbelievable bad luck. Don't think I can go this route unfortunately and am going to have to go back playing whenever my mind is calm.

johnnyknish · #2 10-30-2007, 01:46 AM

you shouldn't be forcing yourself to play everyday because your not going to play your best and thus giving up value. you should only play when you are relaxed and ready

iplayscared · #3 10-30-2007, 01:55 AM

pshady, you sound exactly like me lol. I always think i should play more but i only play when i feel like it. When i force myself to play i am just impatient and dont play very good.

Johnes Benjamin · #4 10-30-2007, 03:40 AM

learning to get yourself "in the zone" is a very important part of playing serious poker.

even more important though is recognizing when you really shouldn't be playing.
It's a balance

Rek · #5 10-30-2007, 03:45 AM

Why are you playing? If it is as an income stream then playing regularly is important. If you are in a slump because of bad beats then it just sounds like variance.

If you are playing for the enjoyment of playing poker then just play when you feel comfortable. It is not compulsory to play poker.

pshady · #6 10-30-2007, 05:01 AM

Main reasons: to generate more income since i'm already doing well just playing on and off and to get more practice and eventual move up to higher stakes.
Another reason is to get my mind used to playing everday consistenly and win but that didnt go so well.

OnYourBike · #7 10-30-2007, 05:31 AM

You're probably subconsciously scared of losing what you've made. You like the feeling of being a winning player and dread the feeling that comes with a downswing. Find another job if you don't like playing poker any longer.

Rek · #8 10-30-2007, 05:35 AM

OK so its not just enjoyment then. In that case you must treat it more like a job. Decide when you are playing and do it. You will need a little disipline and focus but you need that in any job. You just need to work out whether you have run bad due to variance (in which case it is not a problem - annoying yes, but not a problem if you are correctly bankrolled) or if you are playing poorly. Only you will know that I'm afraid.

Good luck

Danastasio1 · #9 10-31-2007, 05:00 AM

I've found over the past few years I play best after being awake for a few hours and that's usually after working out. So, it's not like I'm forcing myself to play, it's just going into a session with the mindset that my play for, one reason or another, has its highest EV when it's done within the first 8-10 hours of being awake. That, in a way, blurs the lines between forcing the play and doing so whenever comfortable, which I like. The added benefit obviously is a healthy (financially speaking) daily routine.

Jailblazers · #10 11-09-2007, 09:18 PM

I'm actually in this situation myself. I just got into poker about 3 months ago and so far have been pretty successful. Last week I had a huge win one night which boosted my bankroll by about 25% and ever since then I practically lost any motivation to play. Anyone ever go through this?