Should I Try to Get Better at Poker or Quit?

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Mikey0844

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First I just want to say this is kinda long and probably a stupid question, thats why I am asking it under "Beginners Questions" so please don't get all pissed if I wasted 30 seconds of your time if you read this.

Anyways, I am pretty new at Texas Holdem and I am not sure weather I should keep playing to try to get better or just quit and save my money.

I know how the game is played but I just started playing at Bovada and after winning some and losing some I eventually ended up with a loss of about $300 which was all from cash games..so I was about to give up but I had a few free-roll tournaments I could enter so I figured why not, if anything its practice. Most the tournaments I entered had about 350 players

After about 7 tournaments here are my results-

1st. Got knocked out almost instantly../No Idea
2nd. Got knocked out almost instantly../No Idea
3rd. Finished 51st/450ish
4th. Finished 16th/350ish
5th. Got knocked out almost instantly/350ish
6th. Finished 150th/350ish
7th. Finished 116th/330ish

I'm not asking if I did okay for starting out, I just want to know if there is hope for me lol. If there is a normal chance for me to get good by practicing more and maybe reading some books i'll definitely do it, but if I am on a road to losing a lot of cash then i'll just take my losses and quit now. I'm not going to deposit anymore until I feel confident that I can play decent and when I do I am heading over to the $1 buy in tournaments lol

Also I should mention I love playing poker when its with real money, I can play on my 360 with fake money but only if I am with friends. I tired reading a couple of questions like mine and that seemed to come up a lot so I figured I'd mention it. The feeling you get going all in with another guy waiting for the turn or river cards to come up knowing its all real money is Amazing :D
 
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WizardRubic

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I'd say you have hope. You took the time to write this. Shows focus. More focus than most in fact. In the freerolls, what kind of strategy are you employing?

Tight aggresive until the all inners have been kicked out? Stealing blinds from the people who are willing to fold? Taking advantage of the guy who sits there limping and calling everything giving you awesome implied odds?
 
steveiam

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Do you have the following if so carry on if not then consider spending your money elsewhere.

Disciplined = The most successful poker players know when to stick to their guns and when to throw in the towel. You won’t win every hand, and you should know when you’re outwitted. Just keep at the game according to your long-term strategy, not letting a bad deal of the cards distract you. If your opponents are well-matched to your own skills, a little discipline could be the difference between a loss and a win at the end of the night.

Focused = You have to keep your eye on the game and pay attention at all time. Don’t let the television, the banter at the table, the music that you’re listening to, or Internet browsing interfere with your concentration. Successful players don’t let anything get in the way of their gameplay.

Prepared = When you sit down at the poker table, you have to be ready to play cards, both mentally and physically. When you’re not playing your best, you’ll end up losing. When you take your seat, you need to clear your mind from other worries. It helps to come to the table fully rested and fed.

Fearless = The majority of successful poker players have downswings, but they keep moving forward. You must be willing to take big risks and deal with a losing hand now and then while you keep moving up the ladder.

Aggressive = Similar to being fearless, you can’t let others control the action at the table. You need to be willing to demonstrate your abilities, and even bluff when necessary, to make sure you’re the leader, not the follower in the game. Make bold moves when the time is right, and your bankroll will grow as a result.

Ambitious = Poker players continue to improve when they keep striving against the odds. It’s from mistakes that you’ll learn your most valuable lessons. Instead of viewing a loss as a defeat, take it as an opportunity to grow and refine your skill.

Control Emotions = A good poker player knows he has to keep his emotions in check. Any outward signals of stress or worry will tip your opponents off that you don’t have a stellar hand. Keep yourself calm and collected to avoid giving away your position. Control yourself from demonstrating a reaction to your cards, and you’ll end up controlling the game.

Adaptable = The best poker players go with the flow. If you don’t end up with the ideal hand you were seeking, you have to be quick on your feet to come up with the next best scenario. One slip and you’ll lose out on a hand you should have won. You must be able to change gears at a moment’s notice, taking advantage of your opponents based on their gaming habits.

Be Patient = Live poker will seem like a slow game to players who honed their skills online. But it doesn’t matter where you play, as you need to patiently wait out a string of bad cards. The good cards will come to those who wait and don’t act foolishly while they wait.

Cheerful= Remember, at the end of the day, it’s only a game. Don’t get caught up in an opponent beating you on a single hand. Starting fights over a game is lame. The game of poker should be fun. While you can make a lot of money if you’re good, you should still enjoy yourself while you play. Don’t let the attitudes and actions of your opponents get under your skin.
As you can see, poker isn’t only a game of strategy and outsmarting your opponents, it’s an opportunity to challenge yourself and have a little fun. Take it seriously, always strive for improvement, and enjoy the ride while you’re at it. If you concentrate on playing your A game, you’ll find your way to the top.

Good luck
 
micromachine

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It's way too early to know if there is hope for you :) and certainly the results of 7 mtts isn't enough to tell. Start off with the lowest buyins/stakes available and see how you do over a decent sample. Good luck
 
Akorps

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The main thing is bankroll management :)
 
Creepy Jackalope

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The fact that you're here and posting shows a want to get better.. that is a crucial quality, behind only putting in the work.

Bankroll Management is crucial for sure, and acceptance that you can't win them all, not even close. Tournament players sometimes go on LONG stretches without a cash at all, and even longer stretches without a big cash. It's a long term game. And you can bank on losing if you're just starting to play for money.

For that reason, I would stick to low buy-in games for quite a while. But I would NOT stick to just free rolls or "fun" poker. That type of poker is not played the same, and does not have near the same caliber of opponents. Nothing wrong with including free rolls in the mix though.
 
Zorba

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I tossed a coin and it came up heads, so quit.
 
Arjonius

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What do you want to accomplish in poker? There's a huge difference between wanting to be a winning recreational player at micro- to small stakes vs. making a living vs. becoming a big-name high-stakes pro.
 
DrazaFFT

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At the first glance all i can came up with is that you have played way above your level, if not there is a huge chance that you only had a to small sample to tell was it a downswing or not...

Anyway about your question ill play a little with saying:

If you believe you can, you are right.
If you believe you can't, you're still right...

So mate, you are the only one who can really answer your question, ill just say go for it you wouldnt know if you dont try...


Good luck

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Tapatalk
 
trolaAa

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If you have desire to develop r skills you will not give up..
Once you think about it I think you know the answer.

quit and get a full time job :D
 
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RamdeeBen

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Becoming a winning player takes a lot of time unless you're naturally gifted and can start winning and crushing high stakes but these are very few and far between.

It takes effort, lots of hands/tournaments, a lot of patience and love for the game. It took me over 2 years to win consistently (granted not huge money, but a nice side income) but I put in a lot of time into poker because I loved it so much and was willing to put work in off the table which is key to success. Not sure how many hours I've logged in total but it's a lot. I believe that anyone who really wants to beat the game and puts in the effort will do, the ones who don't are the ones who aren't willing to work for it.
 
psychotie

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What do u expect from Poker ? Be a recreational player , becomme a winning player or even make ur living from poker.
Read some books
watch videos
and stick to bankrollmanagement
thats what u can do to start seriously with ur poker carrier , nomatter how id ends
gl on and off the felts
 
micalupagoo

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do you enjoy the game?
are you playing for fun, or money?
do you want to spend time to improve?
theres no hope for me, but Im still here;)
 
sam1chips

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I would honestly suggest playing freerolls. I know there are none on Bovada, but there are open freerolls on Carbon. You can improve your game without paying a dime

To be honest, it's the same as any other game. If you work hard at improving, you will improve.

Also, 7 tournament are nowhere near enough a relevant sample size to determine what kind of player you are...I'm curious as to what level cash game stake you were playing where you lost $300?
 
bullishwwd

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Always strive to improve at what you are doing. If you enjoy poker, then play poker, but don't go "all-in" unless you have the absolute nuts. A good job usually trumps poker.
 
Vhyre

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The only open FR I see on Carbon is a buck entry to that 10k donk fest the 26th.FRs can be found in abundance on SportsBetting and BetOnline as well as Full Flush. SportsBook runs 1 a day for $50 at 8pm EST.
 
Vhyre

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Oh ya... and keep playing, you will improve with time :)
 
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lost2qandisa

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I relate this to a life question....

Just like anything else, it takes hard work, education, dedication and practice to become good at something. With that said, there are some things that I know I will never be good at. I accept that. Ever seen the movie Matrix? Know thy self Neo and everything will be right as rain.
 
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Blue_Fossil

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Like others have said - you need to decide what you want out of the game. How did you feel about losing $300 pretty quickly? Was that a major impact to your finances? If it was, you're approaching the game wrong. If you can afford to lose $300, then consider it a cheap lesson and move forward.

You gotta find your niche. Figure out your strengths and play to those.
 
rifflemao

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The feeling you get going all in with another guy waiting for the turn or river cards to come up knowing its all real money is Amazing :D

I agree, but make sure you are not playing primarily for the rush. I think there is hope for anyone to improve as long as you are interested in solving problems in your game.

Don't worry too much about losing $300. I lost around $400 online in 2012 myself, but turned it around in 2013 on Bovada thanks to studying\playing tournaments, and having the discipline to stop playing outside of my roll in cash games, where I have a ton to learn.

I think having an accountability partner (poker bud) can really help. It gives you a chance to talk through various situations and bankroll management issues etc.

You should consider starting a challenge thread here or a blog to chart your progress. Somehow the idea that others can see how your doing kind of helps in the accountability\motivation area.

Bottom line, if you love the game, keep at it!

P.S. Great post by steveiam.
 
trekmaster

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If you enjoy poker then play.Even if you suck at it you dont have to risk you own money there are always freerolls to play. You dont have to be a pro at something to get enjoyment from it.
 
pietpeter198

pietpeter198

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Thanks for sharing this! I will print this into my head
 
jazzaxe

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The simple answer to your question is yes.
 
DrazaFFT

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The simple answer to your question is yes.

i think that the answer is pretty much easy to find out when we look to his profile and realize that he didnt even logged back to see the responses we gave to him...
 
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wizz__

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After things you posted, it is easy to understand that you are new.
So couple of things: 1) I am not a pro, but i think it is better to start playing in small stakes , and NO CASH GAMES, ZOOMS, etc. 2) Try to play stngos an micro tournaments.
2) When you start to understand the game a bit, than start to watch some video tutorials, read blogs... But remember the bet practice is playing, at current level frerrolls/micro stakes are good, but try to don`t play cash games, i recommend.
3) Remember to watch your hand history and analize your mistakes later, it will help you, but if you have enough money, i recommend a poker instructor or whatever it is- He will give you a lot of information.

So these are my main tips for you, hope it will help you.
 
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