When to call it quits?

[proudpapa]

I've been playing cash poker online now since early March, and I have been a break-even player basically since I started. I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing to improve my game: I have poker tracker, where my stats say I'm in-line with solid, tag play. I post on 2+2, read hands, read poo-bah posts and advice. I've read several books (though I play $10NL 6max -- there isn't a whole lot of solid specific advice out there, I think). I review hand histories to see where I went wrong and what I can do to improve. And yet... I just can't seem to go up. I win a few buy-ins, and go down a few buy-ins. It is a see-saw that is driving me insane. I just can't move out of this break-even point, and I don't think it's variance and bad beats. This is over 10,000+ hands.

I've spent months playing and learning hoping to one day profit off of this, but I'm realizing that day may never come -- I may forever just be good enough to not be very good. I love playing -- is there anything else I can/should do? Or should I just say uncle and tap the mat?

[thrasher789]

that's no fun for sure BUT 90% or so of poker players are losing players, breaking even sure isn't the worst you could be doing, continue on the track you are and eventually you will become a winning player, I would call it quits when you become a consistently losing player, not break-even.

[GoDownSwingn]

I went through the same scenario a while back and decided to keep on chugging along and see what happens. I never made a huge profit, but got a little here and there from SnG's. For me I started to play poker because it was a fun way to pass the time and I still have that same mindset. If it ever got to the point where I was consistently losing too much money than I would have to find a new hobby...

Basically as long as your having a good time and not losing any money, why give it up?

[jdog_ramone]

Ditto, I'm in your shoes...2 1/2 years of poker online, live, tournaments, NL, Limit, read books, track stats, and as of last week I'm exactly even.

so you're not alone. i figure better than being way down like most people, keep playing for fun, and stay on the learning curve and eventually the bankroll will start growing.

[kimchi]

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This is over 10,000+ hands

[/ QUOTE ]

Once you play 100k hands, split your db into 10 segments and look in awe at the different win/lose rates.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's variance and bad beats

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Then perhaps you're not a winning player. Most aren't. If you enjoy playing and can afford the entertainment, then off you go.

[gotmarc]

I think the problem is you're focusing too much on what you are doing and not what the other players are doing.

The most important thing to do is find the worst players. When you first get into a game ask forget about WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
FORGET ABOUT THE BOOKS. If you've read them and have taken notes and can do the math then you should avoid making mistakes. If you know that you will win 8% of the time and that translates into aprox 1/12 or 11-to-1 odds then It's like Yoda says: Do or do not. There is no try.

You need to focus on what the other players do. Play their cards. I doubt you have to use game theory at $10 NLHE. But you can't look at the game and say well. . . Sklansky says to do this or Brunson says do that and Harington says this. Not that what these authors say are not important, but it is more important to base your play on your opponents.

Ask your self how your opponents are likely to respond to what you do.

Do they fold to C-bets frequently or are you throwing away your money?. Does the guy on your left put you all in when you raise with a hand like 9-7 suited suited or does he just call? Does the guy on the button bet $0.20 in a $2.00 pot or does he overbet the pot? Are you likely to get four overcalls if you push all in with QQ or will you probably just win the blinds?

The only way to make money at this game is to capatalize on your opponents mistakes. On the flip side, you half to anaylize your own mistakes. Are you addicted to flush draws?

What mistakes are you making? How could you systematically fix those mistakes? You seem to be starting in the right direction.

[sqwisssssss]

do u ever tilt? what are yur poker tracker stats?

[Cujo69]

What about dropping down 1 level? Maybe playing against slightly worse players will give you a push in the right direction and get your bankroll climbing.

[ChrisV]

gotmarc's reply is good, but I also want to emphasise that 10K hands is nothing. In my most recent full month of playing, which was April, I played almost 40,000 hands, and I experience significant changes in my profit from month to month. I could easily be a loser over a period of 10K hands.

[Rek]

Similar to the other comments – that is not a huge amount of hands to really know whether you are a winning or losing player. However, by breakeven I assume you mean you are at least beating the rake and that your BR is the same as you started with. That means you have been playing better than average. So congratulate yourself.

We can’t all be winning players – there must also be losers to pay the winners. However, if you are serious about learning and progressing it sounds as though you have the makings of a winner.

Good luck