Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 1277
You are never going to be a winning player?
I mean I was on PP yesterday, there were around 20k users online.
Of them which ones are actually making money??? Precious few.
Poker obviously has a gambling element, and if you are playing for fun and a gamble then I see the appeal as the odds are far better than rigged slot games etc.
Sure some people can make a living but it just says a lot about the human personality that people play a game they cannot win at over time - the addictive and overly optimistic cognitive states.
Joined: Nov '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 747
im sure everyone that plays poker believes they are a winning poker player. everybody thinks they know how poker works and play better than the rest (mobstes included). and every one will have a small win from time to time, making them believe they have the ability to do it and win big one day.
Joined: Nov '11
Location: Poland
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 1088
Totally agree!
When you play and don't win, you think, that you're bad player, and considering quit playing... But when you win (even small amount) you think, that you're game is better and better and some day you will be pro, and win MILIONS
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
I don't think you need to win to enjoy a game. At least you don't have to consistently win. It's fun just trying to win and by the way so many donks play I would say that winning in the long term isn't even on their minds, for them it is just like playing bingo or slots. You could also consider that it's not always the same 20K players, many of them will be new and just starting to lose money and some will be casual players who don't even notice the money they have lost.
I'm sure most regular players are aware they are unlikely to be the best but they believe they have just as much chance to become a winning player as anyone else if they practice. Not everyone starts out winning so I suppose you have to be willing to lose for some time. And as long as they have a shot of one day making their money back, they don't really mind if they lose money they can afford.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 5712
One of the best bits of advice I have ever seen was from Phil Hellmuth who said something like, if you dont enjoy playing, dont play. Poker is generally for enjoyment and the lucky few win loads out of it. Keep smiling and keep enjoying.
I play it to have fun and pass the time away. I've won some and lost some. I mainly focus On tournament playing because I to want to hit the big one someday. And with good Bankroll management it should be able to happen one of these days.
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 1277
Posted by damosk: One of the best bits of advice I have ever seen was from Phil Hellmuth who said something like, if you dont enjoy playing, dont play. Poker is generally for enjoyment and the lucky few win loads out of it. Keep smiling and keep enjoying.
i think that applies to anything.
have you ever seen an unhappy person at work who does their job really well?? chances are no, because unless you have enthusiasm things are arduous to do if you don't like them.
i dream of being a writer some day who gets paid decent money - i have enthusiasm and a love for it. if i didn't it would be a hopeless aim.
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
I'm definitely one who plays for the opportunity to enjoy the game as an indoors passtime, but your right about it. I don't think it would be fun to lose consistently because it's the competitive side that keeps me enjoying the game. I've already chosen my life carrer and will never buyin to a tournament large enough to consider making a living of it. What is fun for me is to see how long or how many VIP points I can accumulate on say a $20.00 deposit. I've never deposited more then $25.00 and never cashed more then $200. I've never even had a BR much above $300.00, but then again have only played one $11.00 (which is the largest) buyin game. It will always be no more then fun for me and if I ever get lucky enough to win any of the larger Freerolls that some sites promote for players that collect enough points, step games, etc. then I would just use it to play in some of the higher buyin games. I'm more a micro / lower buyin player no matter what.
There's just something about starting out with a small roll and getting beat down to the point where one's screamin' like a red headed stepchild only to come back from the ashes. Can't count how many times this has happened to me. I'll never be a pro or high stakes player...still make too many mistakes. In my case it's just something to do while I was recouperating from a side impact collison 7.5 years ago. Before that incident I didn't have time to play anything...too busy working. Poker allowed me to forget about my troubles and to get over the rough spots if only for a short time. As in business, had my own, never believed in throwing money at a problem to fix it. I have the same mindset with poker...when the money is gone I'm done with the site and I move on. It's a fun thing, It'll never make me enough money consistantly to survive on. That's for someome else.
BTW I was at a PLO table playing .01/.02, there was a supernova on the table donating two bucks at a time to most of us at the table...he lasted 15 minutes and droped 10 bucks. Bet he thought he was gonna give us a clinic...so s**t happens to everyone...doesn't matter how many stars or strips you have...poker doesn't play favorites.
Edited by rbdflyboy (10 September 2012 @ 08:53 GMT)
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Germany
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 1242
I play mainly for fun in the evening after work. For sure I enjoy more a winning session than a losing one , but because of the fact I never deposited my own money to play (and won´t do it in future) I am not that much afraid to lose some $ (even though it annoys me, lol)
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 1277
I love poker but I simply won't have the time to play it anyway as I'm studying for a Master's.
It's just wayyy too time consuming and sometimes hours in a tournament for no end product.
If you are single it's so much easier to enjoy it as well. Once you have responsibilities like work, rent, g/f etc it's not as enjoyable, at least for me. Like I can't relax in a tourney knowing my g/f will be home in 2 hours and will want to do something.
I think one of the main problems I have is lack of discipline - I just don't have it which is infuriating because if I did i'd be a very decent player. Don't have the patience anymore. Also I cashed some big tourneys like 6 years ago and now small wins seem to have little meaning to them - not good.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 58 (M)
Posts: 2432
Posted by noonlion: I love poker but I simply won't have the time to play it anyway . Don't have the patience anymore. Also I cashed some big tourneys like 6 years ago and now small wins seem to have little meaning to them - not good.
Like in other sport,in poker you have put more effort to mantein your leader position.Is a demanding activity,require studying and other time cosuming stuff,you are getting older,changing priorities,all the things around game are changing and you need to adapt,to progress.Reset your goals, or symply quit if the satisfaction of small wins is not enough
Joined: Aug '10
Location: Germany
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 2219
I think the only chance to be winning player at online poker is a big lucky tourney winning. Without bonis i know nobody which be a winning player longterm. But the fun factor is also important for me and i like this game.
, but because of the fact I never deposited my own money to play (and won´t do it in future) I am not that much afraid to lose some $ (even though it annoys me, lol)
