Do you become a DUMB player if you are not consistently playing?

When you play poker less frequently than usual, do you play less optimally also?

  • Yes.When I decrease the number of hours of week I play the quality of my play always seems to suffer

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • I don't know. I never really thought about it

    Votes: 2 13.3%
  • No. The quality of my play remains the same no matter how frequently I play

    Votes: 3 20.0%
  • No. The quality of my play is actually better when I play less frequently

    Votes: 4 26.7%

  • Total voters
    15
punctual

punctual

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I just wonder what people think about this. I don't mind putting my weaknesses out there for the world to see; maybe some insight could help me.

I haven't been playing poker that much lately. Basically for the past two months I have been extremely busy at work and unable to play as often as i used to. I am finding that I am playing terribly too. I know I am making bad decisions at the table. I probably made bad decisions at the table before too but the difference was, making a bad decision in one tournament ensured me that, usually, I would not make that same bad decision in the next tournament...and so I guess you could liken it to a piano player warming up before he plays his actual piece.....during the warming up you make mistakes and you don't make those same mistakes when you play for real; but in my case, whatever tournament comes first is the warm up tournament. Maybe that is the problem; since I am not playing nearly as often I am not remembering what I did wrong in the previous tournament?

So I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this issue. During times when you play less, do you also seem to play poorly? I posted a poll too.

Thanks all.
 
Last edited:
n3rv

n3rv

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Hello... I think all of the above can be true and not true. But I voted for "No. The quality of my play is actually better when I play less frequently" because in my experience I play better after breaks away from poker.

In actual fact, some of my best poker sessions have came when I am heavily working on other areas of my life such as jobs, and other projects - it makes poker more of the break in life as opposed to the work, and I can approach the table with a clearer mind.
 
yeezus

yeezus

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Sometimes when i take a few weeks off of poker. I come back and play some of the best poker and make some money so I am gonna go with n for me.
 
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SuzanneEckert

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Yeah, you will become a dumb player if your mind is not thinking about it regularly. It is important for you to keep yourself involved in this. You need to have an idea about what is going on table. If you are playing it after much time, then first of all revises some strategies.
 
B

badalhoco345

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it's better play more tournaments or more poker much time as we can: to learn more, to increase the benefits, to study better the opponents and the hands. But sometimes we don't have too much time for it. No matter the frequency we play, I just think that if we play allways the same (the same tournaments, with the same defined hands...) it doesn't matter if we play a lot or just a few time.
 
BenjiHustle

BenjiHustle

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I also play better if I haven't been playing very frequently. That doesn't mean I'm not watching poker videos and doing some form of poker study, but being in the game too much creates a great chance for auto-pilot to kick in.
 
B

benspocket

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well I`m retired and disable so for me when I take a break for a bit and come back I seem to do better , but everyone has there own feelings and desires to this
 
C

corrupted15

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I for sure become rusty and need a few days to shake if off. My 'feel' is just better when I play a lot.
 
punctual

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Wow some mixed results on the poll. I guess there is no universal rule on this. For me, when i don't play for a while, I tend to find myself relearning things over again like how weak KJ can be from UTG and how pushing all chips in against an all-in reraise with AK is probably a bad idea when your chipstacks are covered by your opponent.

And then afterwards I find myself saying to myself "why did I do that?" apparently, I had "forgotten" how to play HA
 
thetick33

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i didnt like poll answered yes cause sure it suffered I took almost a year off especially online maybe a couple or few years off.

I dont forget things but had to get game to level of winning and that basically took a grind of ten hours a day for the last month.

Now my game is shaping up but am I at the level when I was at my best NO so sure you lose some things but breaks help too. Revitalize you and give you time to make another push etc..

You have to evaluate and constantly learn though and realize you must always grow in order to become that which you think you should or what you are striving for.

I hope that makes a little sense:)

GL
 
PapaC

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The first thing I want to say is punctual you are a very good player. Why would you sell yourself short. But like us all you have to over come those thoughts in your own mind. You are not a loser, so get back in there and play your game not the fishes game. Slow down, and I know that is what you are doing. I payed dearly for all the all ins. Get it a little at the time. If I'm wrong tell me
 
Sil3ntness

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Taking breaks is good for me.

Yeah I agree. The longer I play, the more dumb mistakes I make.

When I start spewing/bleeding chips; it's time to log off for the day or take a break.
 
PapaC

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For sure everyone needs a break. I take them everyday. Like not playing until evening or playing early. And just finding something else to do. I'm just not going to have a life of only poker. And if I went 3 week without playing, I would play the same as I do every day. I think our friend thinks he is a loser and that just ain't true. If I'm wrong let me know
 
rogerdelpk

rogerdelpk

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when you get rusty with your game for lack of playing...........that's never good.
 
rytciaq

rytciaq

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no, you don't get worse if you take long breaks. I even think that taking breaks and letting yourself cool-down is +EV.
 
T

thatgreekdude

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I always make mistakes first day or two back after a break, it's normal, it'll all come flooding back.
 
A

acemenow

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Sometimes taking some time off allows me to come back with a clear head and I seem to do better but I really haven't looked or kept track in order to know if that's my perception or really what's going on
 
T

Two6JJ

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Depends on how much I have been playing leading up to the break. If I have been on a long run then I do play better the first day back.
 
thetick33

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when first answered this I was getting back into the game I am at a whole new level I was just sick a week and spent a ton of time on videos etc.. I honestly think this helped the week off and i will climb another ladder. The goal is to reach the top and constantly learn. If you are doing this you are going to be a winning player. Is interesting to realize I reached another level and yet this level was still not enough. I changed my game in last month and did amazingly well yet I still know there is improvement to be made:) Watching videos taking a step back? Brought a whole nother level in my mind. See how I do:)
 
Propane Goat

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I play much better after a long break, all the built-up tilt and negative expectations are gone and I'm playing without the fear of losing.
 
dbchristy

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I also play better if I haven't been playing very frequently. That doesn't mean I'm not watching poker videos and doing some form of poker study, but being in the game too much creates a great chance for auto-pilot to kick in.

This makes so much sense
 
antonis32123

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You can play whenever you like , things you learn for good in poker you never forget . So you don't become a dump player if you don't play all the time , but you need to study consistently theory and villains to get improved if you need it.
 
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