So I posted a whine about two weeks back, talking about how much downswings suck. Shortly thereafter, I went on yet another trip to China, and with the busy schedule there, I had very little time left over for poker. I did play some small sessions here and there, but not much. But now that I’m back home again, I’m trying to catch up some.

I’m (slowly) recovering from the downswing, which is good, and I’ve stepped down a level in limits and instead decided to play two tables. I’m now grinding rather than learning, which may be less-than-optimal for my game, but it’s at least fairly optimal for my bankroll. I want to get back to where I was before, and doing it this way seems the quickest, if not also safest, route.

But as I do this, I again start to contemplate why I play this game. I think it’s fun, sure, but with a game like poker that’s rarely, if ever, the only reason to play. It used to be more about the challenge and less about the money, but here I am - intentionally grinding. Is it still about the challenge? Why would I rather play two tables at a lower limit and make more money, than play at a higher limit and challenge myself more, if challenge is the reason? Looking at the cash, it’s not a rational reason in itself to play; I’d make a whole lot more per-hour if I simply went to work and cashed in overtime.

Maybe I like the look of the pretty numbers in my bankroll progress. Maybe it’s like trying to beat my own highscore. Maybe that’s the way I challenge myself.

But whatever it is, I’m pretty sure it won’t last. I think we’re all revitalized by finding new challenges here and there, and for me, this is probably just what feels the most important right now… To recover from the downswing. Maybe in a month’s time, I’ll try out playing 300 SnGs just to see how I fare. Who knows.

I’ll take this opportunity to recommend Alan Shoonmaker’s “Psychology of Poker,” a book that helps you - and helped me - to figure out exactly why we play this game, what appeals us about it, and how to use that knowledge to your advantage.

On a different note, with this weather I should really be playing golf, not blogging. But alas, I have no one to play with as everyone is either out of town, busy with other things or in a notable case, have a knee injury that prevents them from playing. Maybe I’ll just head over the driving range.

Or maybe I’ll play poker for an hour or two. I need to win some money back, y’know?

Fredrik