Toughest part of game

What is the toughest part of the game for you?


For me it's disassociation myself with the money. I am fine with 1-2 NL and losing a few hundred if I play right but when the stakes get bigger sometimes I feel myself thinking about a big bet in terms of rent, or gas or whatever. If I had a better job this wouldn't be as much of an issue.

It isn't an every day thing and in large part it really doesn't happen to me but man when it does I almost always make a mistake. Even if it's only once a week or something I want to find a way to just block it out at all times.

I am one of those people who has to have a clear mind when I play. I don't think about winning/losing, or a fight with my girl. For me it's alla bout playing right and having some fun while doing so.

If you have gas/rent etc on the table stop playing right now.

Having fun is one thing but when it comes to other more important issues you need to get those things right b4 having fun.

I guess that came across wrong. I am not out there playing with my bill money or anything. All of that is covered and I have a pretty comfy bankroll right now for a 1/2 game but sometimes I can't help but think of what else I could be doing with money. Not every often but enough to distract me at times.

Just learn the math and play the odds, you will still lose at times but roll with the punches because the times the correct moves work against you will be outweighed by the times the do. If you do start thinking about the money thinking of the fact you may lose this hand but win in the long run can help get you on the right track.

I got an inner degen troll living in me....

When these fish won't fold, he comes alive and I find myself playing 2-7TD for decent stakes or just playing HU.

I am not good at either of those forms of poker btw!

Putting long hours and volume in summer time :]

My rule of thumb is only to play with money I'm able to lose without it leading to any negative emotions. In practice, this means I play at different levels depending on my loss tolerance at any given time. Sometimes, when I know even a tiny loss would bother me, I don't play at all.

The toughest part for me is living in America, lol.

rule of thumb for me is never play with money i would miss. my wife and kids get to spend on the things they enjoy and im entitled to spend on my favorite pasttime

hobonc said:

The toughest part for me is living in America, lol.

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I concur. Other then that i really don't have a "tough" part. I play at 2 5nl so i don't really have any pressure of losing money or anything like that. Once the game isn't fun i just step away for a while then jump back in when my mind is clear.

I know that's not for everybody. But it makes it fun for me. GL on the felt!

A2345Razz said:

I got an inner degen troll living in me....

When these fish won't fold, he comes alive and I find myself playing 2-7TD for decent stakes or just playing HU.

I am not good at either of those forms of poker btw!

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lol, same here.

my biggest weakness tho is calling when I know Im beat. I just have to see the hand, even if im 99% sure he has it Im probably calling the river. more so online than live.

My problem is I cant refuse flips.

You have to know when to fold. I think this is where a lot of the better players manage to save chips. When i have gone deep or won there has always been an occasion when i have had to fold a monstor.A golfer once said "its not how good my good shots are but how bad my bad shots are"..Just my opinion though.

steveiam said:

You have to know when to fold. I think this is where a lot of the better players manage to save chips. When i have gone deep or won there has always been an occasion when i have had to fold a monstor.A golfer once said "its not how good my good shots are but how bad my bad shots are"..Just my opinion though.

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The trick is not just knowing when to fold. its also caring enough to fold.

At this stage, im jaded enough to want to see the hands Im beaten by rather than worry about the money.

I was much better in my youth when I could fold with pride.

Now I call out of spite ;-)
Poker has broken me. haha

It is a good quote tho. Long term success doesn't come from winning your good hands, it comes from not losing so much on your bad ones.

pokerjack43 said:

The trick is not just knowing when to fold. its also caring enough to fold.

At this stage, im jaded enough to want to see the hands Im beaten by rather than worry about the money.

I was much better in my youth when I could fold with pride.


Now I call out of spite ;-)
Poker has broken me. haha

It is a good quote tho. Long term success doesn't come from winning your good hands, it comes from not losing so much on your bad ones.

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I aggree tiredness does come into it in the later stages, but again this is where the better players can keeep making the right decisions..

If anyone tells you that a good poker player's life is easy, they have never played poker for a living

have you played for a living?

Marginal said:

have you played for a living?

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I've had my periods when gambling was a primary source of income

steveiam said:

I aggree tiredness does come into it in the later stages, but again this is where the better players can keeep making the right decisions..

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I meant at this stage in life, not of play.

after this long playing poker, casually, professionally, semi professionally and just for fun. SOmetimes I want to call a bet purely to see the hand. maybe Im getting old and mental.

Hardest part of the game for me is patience, waiting for the right spot.
Easier in cash but tournaments really screw with me......

playing everything right and getting sucked out. and also knowing when to walk away from a losing streak.

The most bittersweet part is the huge sng field win but the time invested most of the time doesnt justify the win.

I'm the same I will never play with money that I can't afford to lose.

That is the reason I play freerolls. I never deposited as I have don't have enough funds to do so. The bankroll I have made from freerolling is what I will play with so if I lose this, it is no big deal as it was never my money to start with.

The toughest part for me is getting used to the fact that it is not the outcome of the hand that matters rather its getting my money in good that's important.

For me, it's knowing the loose aggressive player who just bet has nothing, but because I missed the flop entirely I have less than nothing. My choices are to fold like a little mouse or re-raise on a stone-cold bluff.