Pokeritus

tomgoodun

Good Morning.

So...pokeritus, is this a thing ?

I’ve been playing pretty much every day since lockdown, and I’ve noticed a change in my enjoyment.

“ Normally” I’d play 3 maybe 4 times a week, after work , shower, dinner, play with grandson.

Now I’m playing games which I feel I have little chance of cashing in let alone win, and the beats which I would normally just shrug off are starting to annoy me, I am usually very strong mentally in game, but I can feel a change.

Ive been lucky enough to be in profit over the period, so one could question my logic of asking the question, but my past, and the things I have put in place to help me continue to deal with ‘stuff’ gives me an insight into my failings and the alarm bells are starting to tinkle.

I worry about people who play this game during the pandemic who will lose what they can’t afford to, and that is beginning to play on my mind during hands., the games I play in are relatively low stakes, but it soon adds up, and those unfortunate people who can’t grasp the concept of playing within your means are a concern.

Rambling about this helps me deal with it, so please forgive me if I’m answering my own question here, it seems the obvious thing to do is have a break , and I think that’s good advice Tom 😊, I’m looking forward to Mini Ukops so I reckon I should have a few days off.

There’s a lot of good people on this site, highlighted by the array of charity threads, that is wonderful to see.

Thanks for reading.

Take care, stay safe x

QUICKFEET

Poker stirs the emotions both high and low. So yes it can be addictive as we keep trying to hit past highs. It's not necessary bad to have a passion, it brings joy and colour to our lives.
But you can have too much of a good thing... so def take a break if you are not enjoying it.
Also good that you have reminded everyone not to spend more than they can afford on poker so thanks for that. We all have the freedom to choose how we live but we must treat that freedom responsibly.

TheEdge949

Good post Tom and a valid concern I feel.

I shall return to playing on May 1st after taking 3 weeks out to allow my buy ins to go to more worthy and needy causes in the community, but whilst I have not been playing I have been active on the site.

I have noticed that the huge increase in time available to play and huge (for Sky) fields has led to something akin to the halcyon "Moneymaker" days. In fact 888 poker where I have loads of free tickets for freerolls are maxing out on several of their daily $5.50 and $11 tourneys, with the number of U.K based players noticeably higher. I suspect its the same on Stars and Party.

I'm certainly feeling more happy about playing having had a rest and would recommend taking a break to any rec who is getting drawn into a compulsion to play because its there and its something to do. Before the break I was playing out of habit rather than enjoyment and this led to a mindset of not really being bothered about playing well, which in turn led to a quickly depleted bankroll.

That's when I decided to take a rest from the four sites where I have an account, use the money to do something which a, helped others and b, helped me to feel good and therefore improve my mental wellbeing.

Stay safe buddy and regards to the family.

Mark

pompeynic

Always good to remind yourself, and others @tomgoodun, that poker is a game to be enjoyed, but, it is also gambling , and we have to keep to our respective limits.
I am also looking forward to the Mini UKOPS, may even do a little thread to plot results and discuss some hands. Not that a recreational player losing money will be addictive reading , just to pass the time . Hope you are in a better place by Friday, so you do not mind if I take some of your chips

Cammykaze

Ramble away

Being in the country we are from gambling is a massive part of life. Too massive? Maybe.

Gambling has been made to look glamorous in the same way alcohol and drugs are.

Things can be more fun with the big three however it has always been a distraction type activity and sometimes not a good one.

The UKOPS was a slight concern for people with a limited budget for poker while maybe not getting the whole story behind their actual worth in the tournament as it were.

The well written Essexphil made some excellent points on his UKOPS thread. It was an eye-opening thread and must be in with a shout for Thread Of the Year for the limited budgeted players.

Best to you and yours!

Cammy

trevil25

good post tom ,when you see some of the play at the tables , if it be nl or plo8 you cant see them being winning players , then there's re-buys where they just shove ,miss then re-buy again and again , then go out in following hour because they cant change there game , its why america banned on-line gaming years ago , all we can do is hope people play within their means , hope to see you back playing plo8 soon , my profits have taken a hit lol

waller02

Yeah I agree Tom. Playing everyday definitely makes the game become a chore for me and I have the utmost respect for the serious grinders who put in serious volume. I don't know how they do it and both remain profitable whilst still enjoying the game.

As for worrying about playing games against people who may be gambling more than they can afford to lose - That never really enters my mind to be honest, certainly not in game anyway. Yes it's unfortunate if anybody puts themself in that situation and I can definitely sympathise with that, but it's not going to stop me from trying to stack them in an MTT. You do hear stories of kind hearted players encouraging people who are clearly playing beyond their means on the cash tables to stop playing though, but obviously there is nothing you can do about it in an MTT.

I'm also having a break until Mini UKOPS kicks off otherwise I'd just be burnt out, it's a wise decision if you are feeling a bit burnt out yourself.

Best of luck at the tables mate