Message Board : Do I have to give up poker?

Hi Ed

I need some advice from you. I'm having problems playing poker. I play online for more than one year, and I'm still a losing player. I started playing 0.01/0.02 and now I'm playing 0.05/0.10 NL. But I play the same way I played before, with just few improvements… The problems is that I can't concentrate… not only in the game, but in nothing…  poker, books, even in the classes of my college. My mind just wander most of the time. I don't think fast, I have difficult learing things…

But I really enjoy playing poker. Do I have to give up playing? Maybe this game isn't for me, and I have to accept it.  Or is there anyway I can make it work for me?

PS: Sorry about my bad english.

MrBlackwood,

I totally agree with what Natcheztoo wrote!

My additional advice is this: If you really enjoy playing poker then treat it like a hobby that costs money only. For example playing tennis costs you the fee for the court and you need to buy equipment, balls etc. every once in a while. BUT you never receive money from playing tennis!

Then ask yourself how much you are willing to pay each month (or week etc.) for this hobby. At the beginning of each month make a note of your bankroll and stop playing poker once you lost the amount you set for yourself. You might even withdraw all winnings and leave just the amount for the next month in the poker room, so you will be forced to stop playing.

This requires self discipline, but no concentration.

All the best,

Greyzy

MrBlackwood said:

…The problem is that I can't concentrate

But I really enjoy playing poker…

      The fact that you cannot concentrate on something that you enjoy does seem to indicate a problem somewhere.  I have to agree with the previous posters… Talk to a doctor about this, and the sooner you do it, the better it is.

Having said that… Different people do have different abilities when it comes to “thinking fast”.  For example, some people will never be able to successfully 12-table online no matter how hard they try.  You might have to play live in a casino where things happen slower and you have more time to think.

I haven't quite figured out how to “quote and reply,” but I would like to add to what AKQJ10 said.

When I told my daughter that I, too, was being prescribed medicine for ADD or ADHD, she querried me: “How did you get it?”  “Oh,” I replied, “I just told my doctor that I thought I was too disorganized, and he gave me a prescription for Adderall.”

She was astounded.  She lives in Oakland, California, and said that she had a four hour battery of tests before they would prescripe medication for her ADD.

So, one truly has to pay attention to what AKQJ10 says about this.

Personally, I have no doubt that I am ADD, but after trying the Adderall for a period of time, I found that it did nothing to help but did make me very jittery.  So I quit taking it.

I hope this helps.

Natcheztoo

Mr. Blackwood,

I just talked to my doctor.  No tests at all!  He just said, “Here try this.”  Amazing, isn't it?

I can tell you that whatever they are giving my grandson is a miracle as far as our family is concerned.  Without it he is a whirling dervish.  With it he is a, sweet, controlled, loving child that can focus.

Natchetoo

Whatever the meds were they did a miraculous job for my Grandson.

The Dr. prescribed Aderrall for me.  One 10mg tablet in the morning and one 10mg tablet at noon.  As I said, it didn't do anything but make me jittery.  So I basically quit taking it.

A couple of times, when I was tired or didn't get enough sleep the night before and I had to play in a poker tournament (live), I took on 10mg. tablet.  It made me jittery again, but seemed to give me a “boost” to be able to over come the tiredness.

Taking it for this reason is not a good idea, so I stopped that too.

Good luck.

Natcheztoo