In a Funk

Hey guys,

I've really been in a wicked rut of late. It's not even that I've been losing a lot. A little maybe, but more on an inspired level. I just haven't been feeling the fire I usually do for the game.

Obv, it's up to me, but I'm just wondering if this happens to anyone else, and what they do.

Maybe i should just take a little time away. Sad because I reallly love poker, but I can't lie to myself and pretend I'm as stoked as usual to play

Poker caters to my moody personality, so I don't think anything of it if I play 9-12 days in a row with 8+ hour sessions, then hardly play at all for a week. Sometimes I find I don't want to start playing... but once I start, I actually enjoy it. (pretty much how I feel about washing dishes, too)

If it's your job, then you gotta balance happiness with EV, but that's what everyone struggles with, job-wise.

If it's a hobby, then take a break when you're not feeling it. I mean, if it's not thrilling you, then there are better ways to spend your time. And if nothing's thrilling you, then why risk your BR?

It could also be seasonal depression.

Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey

Poker caters to my moody personality, so I don't think anything of it if I play 9-12 days in a row with 8+ hour sessions, then hardly play at all for a week. Sometimes I find I don't want to start playing... but once I start, I actually enjoy it. (pretty much how I feel about washing dishes, too)

If only you did the dishes more often.

if you're not playing as a necessary source of income then you should recognise that poker is something you do for fun with your discretionary free time. So, if it's not fun then don't do it. When you're psyched for it then fire it up. Playing too much or being too focused on aspects (e.g. short term results and bankroll growth) that are out of your control can definitely sap enthusiasm.

Or, a trick. Think of one aspect of poker. e.g. post-flop betsizing. Read about it. Think about it. Play with variations and their implications. Go play a session a stake or two below your normal game and see what happens when you try different things. Read Griffey's blog posts for inspiration.

Originally Posted by agnesamurphy

If only you did the dishes more often.

got heem

Weld - it's really up to you man. If you want to play, play. If you don't, then don't. Forcing yourself to play isn't going to help.

There are two things which normally get me interested in playing poker again when I don't feel like it so much. The first is to go on Sharkscope or in the blogs section and just find players who are absolutely crushing the game. That gives me good inspiration. The second is to mix it up a bit - play a different game type, go and play some live poker, etc. It normally goes badly and I want to play my normal game again

Take a break and do other stuff for a while. If you're not having fun then what's point of forcing yourself to play?

Just got to remember that it's a hobby not a job, no requirement to do it.

Assuming poker is a hobby i.e. something you do for fun, then why play when you're either not enjoying it at all or not enjoying it enough to make it worthwhile? Unless your win rate is substantial, the opportunity cost of not playing when you could isn't much.

thanks for all the responses guys, and to answer one question: yes poker, right now for me is for fun.

I'd hope one day to be able to live off it sure. I think we all have that aspiration. I know from when I deposited $40 in October, and now have an almost $300 roll. That I've done very well. I, learned so much in 3 months. I'm probably honestly a bit burned out at the moment. I mean for the past 90 days I would say almost 97% of my free time has been dedicated to poker.

I think i'll searching my base for interesting hands. posting some, and stay active here on ftr while i give the actual game a break for a minute.

thanks guys

Originally Posted by WeldPhaser

thanks for all the responses guys, and to answer one question: yes poker, right now for me is for fun.

I'd hope one day to be able to live off it sure. I think we all have that aspiration.

If poker isn't fun for you when you are playing as a hobby, don't aspire to make a living off it. If there are stretches when it's not fun as a hobby, you will hate it when it's your job.

Yeah... but who doesn't hate their job?

What's the point in playing poker for a living if you hate it the entire time like you do a regular job?

I've never found any job that I liked every day over a long period. I can enjoy a job for about 2 - 6 months. After that, I'm bored and unmotivated. I've worked over 30 different tax paying jobs in my life, so I'm speaking from the position of having searched and searched for a job that doesn't leave me bored and/or exasperated.

It IS why I went back to college and got a physics degree. I am still unemployed a year later, and so my plan to escape the entry-level jobs has failed.

"What's the point in playing poker for a living if you hate it the entire time like you do a regular job?"

Because when hate for the job is ubiquitous, it becomes a non-factor in the choice. The advantages of being self-employed and self-directed far outweigh the other factors.

For anyone hating their job or career choices, read "The Passion Test" It will really help you find your motivation and career that won't have you hating 9-5

The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Destiny: Janet Bray Attwood, Chris Attwood: 9781595408358: Amazon.com: Books

Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey

Yeah... but who doesn't hate their job?

Keith Richards?

Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey

"What's the point in playing poker for a living if you hate it the entire time like you do a regular job?"

Because when hate for the job is ubiquitous, it becomes a non-factor in the choice. The advantages of being self-employed and self-directed far outweigh the other factors.

For the average person, this couldn't be more wrong. Poker gives no benefits, has no job security, and no pension. In addition to that, it requires you to have a significant amount of money liquid and a significant amount of money as back up living expenses. Furthermore, the income is unpredictable and unreliable, and the stress of this can be extremely taxing. Add in possible motivation and burnout problems (which almost everyone goes through), and it is extremely clear to me that the average person is better off with a normal job if they hate playing poker for a living.

Pros to Self-Employment/Playing Poker for a Living (which I consider a form of self-employment)

- You create your own hours
- You can work from home in your pajamas
- You don't have to work with people you don't like or aren't competent
- You're your own boss
- You can actually spend time improving your skills and staying up-to-date with the latest in the industry, which can be tough to do in other jobs
- No limits to your vacation days or sick days
- Tax write-offs for the home office, travel costs, and for your health insurance premiums

I don't see very many normal jobs delivering on those benefits. I also think job security is a falsehood, considering the financial crisis in 2008 when lots of people lost their secure, normal jobs. I'd rather play poker for a living and hate it, then go to a normal job with stupid people talking about stupid things and all the other stuff that comes with it.

I have both been self employed and played poker for a living. They are very different. It's pretty easy for someone who hasn't played poker for a living to look at it and say that it's not different and it's easy, but actually doing it is an entirely different experience.

Originally Posted by donkbee

If poker isn't fun for you when you are playing as a hobby, don't aspire to make a living off it. If there are stretches when it's not fun as a hobby, you will hate it when it's your job.

maybe my words came out a bit wrong. It's not that I'm not enjoying playing so much as that I'm not feeling as psyched and motivated as usual, and that bothered me.

I'm still very much learning how to play poker.( I know i'll always be learning more btw), but I'm still in the very infant stages I guess you could call of poker 101. So, I wouldn't think m current position really has any stance on how I may approach the game if I played professionally one day.

Originally Posted by agnesamurphy

Pros to Self-Employment/Playing Poker for a Living (which I consider a form of self-employment)

- You create your own hours
- You can work from home in your pajamas
- You don't have to work with people you don't like or aren't competent
- You're your own boss
- You can actually spend time improving your skills and staying up-to-date with the latest in the industry, which can be tough to do in other jobs
- No limits to your vacation days or sick days
- Tax write-offs for the home office, travel costs, and for your health insurance premiums

I don't see very many normal jobs delivering on those benefits. I also think job security is a falsehood, considering the financial crisis in 2008 when lots of people lost their secure, normal jobs. I'd rather play poker for a living and hate it, then go to a normal job with stupid people talking about stupid things and all the other stuff that comes with it.

I can guarantee if these are the reasons someone takes any self employed job or business start up they will fail miserably. If you want to succeed at anything in business it needs to be something you love, that way it never feels like work and you can do 12 hours or more a day for 7 days a week doing what you love.

Originally Posted by donkbee

I have both been self employed and played poker for a living. They are very different. It's pretty easy for someone who hasn't played poker for a living to look at it and say that it's not different and it's easy, but actually doing it is an entirely different experience.

i've also done both, and I agree with everything you say here

Originally Posted by WeldPhaser

thanks for all the responses guys, and to answer one question: yes poker, right now for me is for fun.

I'd hope one day to be able to live off it sure. I think we all have that aspiration. I know from when I deposited $40 in October, and now have an almost $300 roll. That I've done very well. I, learned so much in 3 months. I'm probably honestly a bit burned out at the moment. I mean for the past 90 days I would say almost 97% of my free time has been dedicated to poker.

I think i'll searching my base for interesting hands. posting some, and stay active here on ftr while i give the actual game a break for a minute.

thanks guys

What stakes do you play? I've considered putting in a decent amount and playing sng's but I dunno I go on runs, just wondering... And as for your funk, I'd say take a breather, I've done the same, but when your ready, you'll know... Just have fun

I'm giving the game a short break while I study some new poker books. It's actually quite hard to read a new exciting concept and not rush to misapply it straight away, give it a try