view: after years of playing the game, i finally understand how to enjoy it (for me)
here’s the thing: poker is a part of me. i love all those crusty dudes we’d play poker with. i enjoy the game. i just, in my old age - in my sober days, want to enjoy it thoughtfully. slower. it’s so enjoyable in moderation (in regards to stakes - i could play all day). it’s such an endlessly interesting game with the great equalizer of chance, just enough ego and brilliance and psychology and an ever changing landscape to stay engaging for life. it’s a cool ****in game. so my goal, as i age and become a person of wisdom, is to enjoy it in moderation, the way it was meant for me; because there is a way i’m meant to enjoy this beautiful game. i just have to find that, rather than chase what others might think or want. i enjoy moderation. i enjoy smaller stakes. i enjoy my heart not wanting to burst out and die because of a hand. i like being able to take my licks and move on easily. i like winning a little bit of meaningful but not overly risky money and not getting caught up in the endless array of “more more higher more" when i do win. i like stability and the ability to use my own mind. to engage. it’s all good fun when done this way and that’s a real blessing to enjoy it again. thank you Universe, for small stakes and reasonable heart rates.
one hand at a time.
no more home runs, no more insanity. just good solid levelheaded grind. it feels ****ing amazing to just play the right way, and playing the right stakes allows me to do that, always.
14 Replies
I like this post very much. Everyone must carve their own path and poker should make you happy. I throw this out here strictly because it has helped me a great deal. Maybe it will click with others too.
‘The Joy of Poker’ by Jason Su
A fairly inexpensive and recent book that cleared up a lot of my muddy thinking. I don’t think anyone else has approached the mindset part of the game in this way.
I think the game can keep us sharp as we grow old and money should not get in the way. I am happy that you are happy. I love this game.
The more you play, the more you realize it’s less about the cards and how they run out but more about how we handle the situations and our own temperament.
What's the old Doyle Brunson quote, something like, "The goal of poker is not to win money, it's to make the right decision."
Real. Poker isn’t about stakes, it’s about playing the version that actually feels good long-term. That’s how you stick around and actually enjoy the grind.
funny thing is this is how pros do it
you play the stakes that allow you to never go broke
and the game is the exact same whether you play NL10 or NL100k
I agree bankroll-management might not be the funnest thing in the short run, but when it comes to long-term enjoyment out of poker I think it is key
Playing a bit lower than usual isnt much of a punishment, especially when those games are softer and you win more often.
funny thing is this is how pros do it
you play the stakes that allow you to never go broke
and the game is the exact same whether you play NL10 or NL100k
No, the game is not "the exact same whether you play NL10 or NL100k". That is simply not true.
I've been in the poker industry for 25+ years. The game is vastly different as you move up the NL food chain.
You are correct about picking stakes where you won't go broke, pokerwise. I've played for over 50 years and enjoy playing. Personally, I play for recreation, where blinds are affordable on my chosen level of bankroll risk...... i.e. $1-$3 blinds takes about a $300 buy-in to avoid going broke .... unless you really get unlucky, foolish or out-played.. If I lose >100x BB in a sitting, it is time to reassess what the f**k I'm doing. I can try and learn from the experience and move on.
My only consistent read is to never simply believe I am even close to being the best player in the game. My strongest opponent simply may have not revealed their ability or exploited my weakness as yet.
Fwiw, I've played against some name pros, including Doyle,, who I also knew as a real gentleman away from the tables.
I agree bankroll-management might not be the funnest thing in the short run, but when it comes to long-term enjoyment out of poker I think it is key
Playing a bit lower than usual isnt much of a punishment, especially when those games are softer and you win more often.
Playing so as to win more over time, while avoiding ruin along the way, seems optimal
Poker is meant to be a fun and social game. If you are not having fun and not socializing (in whatever way works for you), then why play? If you are not a 'pro', then you absolutely need to make sure you are playing the right stakes for you and your bankroll. Moving from NLHE to PLO many, many years ago is what kept it fun and interesting for me. PLO is also a much more social game in general. Same with LHE.
Poker is meant to be a fun and social game. If you are not having fun and not socializing (in whatever way works for you), then why play If you are not a 'pro', then you absolutely need to make sure you are playing the right stakes for you and your bankroll. Moving from NLHE to PLO many, many years ago is what kept it fun and interesting for me. PLO is also a much more social g
PLO (High) is a very social game in my experience. It is way more engaging than NLHE. For example you have 6 different starting hands of two cards, not one. There is also some betting strategy in PLO that does not flourish in NLHE.
I disagree with you however about LHE. It is like watching paint dry.
(I realize that folks like Mason love it, but seriously ....
Limit Holdem is a game that is played generally in "God's Waiting Room" It is more akin to playing Bingo than playing poker.)
I disagree with you however about LHE. It is like watching paint dry.
(I realize that folks like Mason love it, but seriously ....
Limit Holdem is a game that is played generally in "God's Waiting Room" It is more akin to playing Bingo than playing poker.)
Definitely not as exciting as the other forms, but something the OP struck me:
no more home runs, no more insanity. just good solid levelheaded grind
For me, that's the part LHE fills. As such, I prefer limit games for cash, but big bet for tourneys. I played at Stones last month for the first time in ages, and was sad not to see LHE on the board anymore. Not sure if that's a wide trend, but I suspect it is.
Back when I was a mid-stakes LHE pro, my regular 30-60 game was very social.
Also, "watching paint dry" is not a good description of monkeys flinging chips into the pot like they were poo the way that LHE games so often are.
