A lot of traffic on this site deals with feeling bad about certain aspects of this game.

I got sucked out on when I was winning.
I got bad beat.
I got it in good and lost on the river.
It's rigged!
Bots
I lost my entire bankroll in less than 4 hours.
etc etc.

I'm interested in finding what unique aspects of this terrible/awesome game - players find enjoyable.
What are certain aspects of the game that are euphoric?

I play tournaments exclusively. Generally I really enjoy playing the game of poker. Even with all the negative stuff that every player has experienced, even when getting 2 outed on the final table bubble, even when my Aces up boat gets destroyed by quads - I still really enjoy playing poker.


Certain aspects of the game bring greater enjoyment to me - much more than just the general, every day enjoyment I get from playing the game.

I receive great pleasure from
1. Winning hands vs passive, slow playing, trappy players.
2. Making an instinctive winning hero call on the river when the math say I should fold.
3. Folding a strong hand A/Q+, 99+ preflop and not regretting it.
4. Correctly avoiding the temptation to shove on the flop when I flop the nuts.
5. Making a crying call pre/post based on notes I have taken - and being correct.
6. Collecting chips from and/or busting players who play overly aggressive.
7. Of course final table.
8. Of course - finishing top 3.


What are some aspects of the game that bring greater pleasure to you - beyond the general enjoyment of playing the game?

I often lose. But when I see my bankroll growing, I feel very good

I love trying to figure out my opponents card range and betting the pot according to my reads. This is really intriguing part of the game for me.
I also love pulling of a positional raise with trash cards and hitting the ultimate flop.
O love to bluff also when a situation presents itself.

Being in the zone, where reads are right and crushing it.

Hello.
Most of all I like to create traps for aggressive players who play everything in a row. This wonderful feeling always gives me pleasure.

Obviously winning big flips late in a tourney is up there

I also really enjoy making a great call when someone has triple barrelled or facing a river bet.

Getting there is another great feeling for huge pots if you've shoved your nut flush draw and get there that's a great feeling

Making big bluffs is also enjoyable

I enjoy the game in many ways. Of coarse winning is the goal, but there are times when you are just feeling it and every time you play your cards you hit! I love that feeling, its almost unreal. Then I also enjoy being at a table with someone with a large stack and they are raising non stop and stealing chips. Makes me feel good when I just sit and wait and that moment hits. Since they are the aggressor at the table I just let them feed me chips in a hand. Often if you hit them hard enough, It puts them on that famous "tilt". I don't always win, rarely actually, but just knowing I played the best game I could with what I was dealt is very satisfying.

Originally Posted by MrPokerVerse

Being in the zone, where reads are right and crushing it.

Yeah, that is the best feeling. Good reads, playing the players, losing the minimum, and extracting the maximum.

The best hand I played recently was when I defend the BB with QT, flopped a set of tens, check called the flop, turn and paired river. I got the other guy's whole stack save for 2 BB that had me coved. I busted him on his rebuy too.

When I come to final table I feel just super amazing. Its one of biggest pleasure in my life I cant even descirbe this feeling but even word "amazing" is too weak I think. I feel power then

In poker, I feel great when:

1. Make a good fold... (when I can see the oponnent's cards).
2. Apply a bad beat.
3. Running good and make much money.
4. Bluff successful.

* Knocking out every dislikable person during cc events *

When I am "running like God."

I feel great when I play poker at the final table.

Flopping sets and disguised made hands

1. Folding a good hand, but eventually see that I would have lost if stayed
2.winning a bluff hand
3.advancing to final table

The best condition is when during the game you are not distracted. Also, the main thing is that the card goes well in the game and the river saves you from losing the stack.

Hi mate.When I take the right decisions during a session,and of course,when I reach the final table and win the tournament.I´m also satisfied when I´m ITM.

The closer I get to the final table, the better I feel.

I feel good when I don't make mistakes, regardless of the result.

For me it's being on my game .. making good decisions ... without having to even think about them ... kind of that automatic pilot thing where I just do the right things and can't do wrong ... and it does feel pretty good ...

when my straight and flush hits and I win a big pot and reach the ITM without any problem

What makes me feel great when playing is when my hands hold when they need to and the beats don't completely negate hours of work for days running but that's the extreme side of variance and those downswings are eventually counterbalanced by playing well.

You definitely have to always question whether poker is giving you back what you're putting in (if not in monetary then in entertainment-value terms) so I think it's great to think about what makes you feel good playing the game

Makes me feel good when i dont get a lot of bad beats..

Im not even asking for a good sesion, just a normal sesion...

last nine in the tournament

When you are dealt the cards you are ok going all-in against the person at the table that goes all-in every hand. The same if someone else at the table has the cards to do it. Reaching the final table is a big one.

When my maths calulations come true and I win with my weak hole cards, and when I do not have good cards and my instict comes true!

Definitely being in the zone is most enjoyable for me (where you know you are not donking or "trying to get lucky", but simply playing, outplaying, reading your opponents properly)

Also love the feeling of winning a monster pot when its needed the most (that perfect timing, where you read your opponent accurately and the turn and river didnt help your oppenent suck out)

I feel really good every time I make it to the final table, it does not matter if I end last in that final table but it is a pleasure to me to say "I did it"

Making it to the money is always a good feeling. Final tables are double the pleasure. Winning is the hat trick. Hat tricks few and far between for me for some time I'm afraid. Pretty sure I've regressed quite a bit after being away from the game for so long. Trying to build up a little of that good feeling again.

Originally Posted by MrPokerVerse

Being in the zone, where reads are right and crushing it.

This is definitely a great feeling. Just now - I called a big raise from the button with A/9 s
I felt like he was betting big with a pocket pair, probably 99+.
Flop comes AJ9. Bam! Two pair - Guy 3/4 pot. I'm about 85% sure he has Jacks now.
I call - reluctantly.
Turn is an 8, making 2 to a flush, Guy shoves. I have him covered by nearly double so I pouty face call - because I got two pair darn it, although I'm about 185% positive he has Jacks, could he have A/x, or Q/T, or a 9/8 - Nope - I just knew. I should of folded my flopped two pair - but I'm terrible at folding, so I doubled him up.
The crushing it part - is when my reads are correct making accurate - callable bets for my opponents, and they call - when they shouldn't have with top pair - and they pay me off.
Still working on that - but it really feels good building the stack with accurate reads.

Originally Posted by digdug0037

I also enjoy being at a table with someone with a large stack and they are raising non stop and stealing chips. Makes me feel good when I just sit and wait and that moment hits. Since they are the aggressor at the table I just let them feed me chips in a hand. Often if you hit them hard enough, It puts them on that famous "tilt".

This is also a great feeling. I'm able to feel this roughly once a day in the Venom satellites. There is always one total AGGRO player who breaks the LAG status - those players often have huge stacks - but can never hold on to them, and it's a real treat to be the one that takes 3/4 of the chips he lucked into - and have them tilt off with J/5 suited. HA!

Originally Posted by Risto234

* Knocking out every dislikable person during cc events *

Do you have a list?
Am I on it?
Agree - there are a couple - that provide a bit more enjoyment than most others.

Originally Posted by jadaminato

I feel good when I don't make mistakes, regardless of the result.

I would love to make this a goal of mine some day however I think if I made that my current bar - I would feel quite bad about my play nearly every day. (I've still only been playing for less than a year).
The best day I ever had - just a couple months ago - I can remember two specific errors I made during one of the events I ended up winning. The one that sticks out is near the final table - with about 20 players left I made a bad call on the turn with 2nd pair and the bottom end of a straight draw. Villain had a set - and I totally misread his hand. Although I won the event - that particular hand sticks out to me.

Originally Posted by Cam54

For me it's being on my game .. making good decisions ... without having to even think about them ... kind of that automatic pilot thing where I just do the right things and can't do wrong ... and it does feel pretty good ...

Yes I have experienced this a couple times - and it is quite pleasant.

Originally Posted by quartz

What makes me feel great when playing is when my hands hold when they need to and the beats don't completely negate hours of work for days running but that's the extreme side of variance and those downswings are eventually counterbalanced by playing well.

You definitely have to always question whether poker is giving you back what you're putting in (if not in monetary then in entertainment-value terms) so I think it's great to think about what makes you feel good playing the game

Yes - I like to think about the good feelings - to counter all those things that make us feel cranky.
Sometimes - similar to your description - I get quite irate when making great reads and collecting chips, after leading a tourney for well over 1-2 hours, breaking into the money and ending up cashing for less than EV due to 1-2 hands where your set was rivered by a straight/flush. Those moments are quite frustrating when 1-2 hands totally destroy 4-8 hours worth of hard earned work.

Winning / because I played good or bad is irrelevant.

Winning is the goal ....

You know i take horrible bad beats on a daily, People hitting impossible one-outters on the river, That dont discourage me from play, i try to use it to make my self become a better player long term, i see my bankroll rise my smile gets bigger,

Knowing I put someone on monkey tilt because I made a really cheeky play is like my favorite thing about poker, they may as well just send you the money directly if you have them on tilt like that and they stay at the table, It would save rake

Originally Posted by theANMATOR

A lot of traffic on this site deals with feeling bad about certain aspects of this game.

I got sucked out on when I was winning.
I got bad beat.
I got it in good and lost on the river.
It's rigged!
Bots
I lost my entire bankroll in less than 4 hours.
etc etc.

I'm interested in finding what unique aspects of this terrible/awesome game - players find enjoyable.
What are certain aspects of the game that are euphoric?

I play tournaments exclusively. Generally I really enjoy playing the game of poker. Even with all the negative stuff that every player has experienced, even when getting 2 outed on the final table bubble, even when my Aces up boat gets destroyed by quads - I still really enjoy playing poker.


Certain aspects of the game bring greater enjoyment to me - much more than just the general, every day enjoyment I get from playing the game.

I receive great pleasure from
1. Winning hands vs passive, slow playing, trappy players.
2. Making an instinctive winning hero call on the river when the math say I should fold.
3. Folding a strong hand A/Q+, 99+ preflop and not regretting it.
4. Correctly avoiding the temptation to shove on the flop when I flop the nuts.
5. Making a crying call pre/post based on notes I have taken - and being correct.
6. Collecting chips from and/or busting players who play overly aggressive.
7. Of course final table.
8. Of course - finishing top 3.


What are some aspects of the game that bring greater pleasure to you - beyond the general enjoyment of playing the game?

I try not to feel "pleasure" or "euphoria" when playing poker. Just like I try to not feel tilted or sad when I lose a hand or take a bad beat.

The only way I like poker at all is winning. Yes final table, yes top 3 finish.

Good luck !

It's a game that I truly enjoy and that I feel I have a decent handle/know what I'm doing a lot of the time. When I get to play, I'm happy .

Oh, and hitting my set on the flop and not having them know of course. Best feeling haha.

Everything that you described is suitable for me. Most of all I like it when I do everything right, and there is no unexpected move on the river with 2% for the opponent’s victory. Love and play with the Alpha game.

Weed

When I'm loosing I sit back and relax, listen favorite music, clear my mind of negative emotions. Go walking around the world.

Few things feel as good as winning a tournament. That cannot be denied.

Except maybe the money spending that was won

Originally Posted by theANMATOR

Do you have a list?
Am I on it?
Agree - there are a couple - that provide a bit more enjoyment than most others.

This "list" was, is and will be top secret cause believe or not but it also includes atleast 2 cc staff members
You ... It seems you are american therefore we probably have never even played same cc event therefore answer is no

A bluff getting through.

I enjoy outsmarting my opponents. Thats the biggest thing for me. Not money but being the best and smartest player at the table.

hmm propably when iam fresh stomach is full etc.

It depends why you play poker i suppose. It is one thing to do it as hobby like i do and very different if you do it for living. In my case i like the game itself and the challenge it represents to your skills. here are some things that makes me happy while i play:

1. Winning some money (albeit just a few $) and getting deep in tournament. When i get close to the final table i feel happy and more confident.
2. Making correct fold of strong hand and saving myself from elimination.
3. Making correct read of opponent and catching bluff or semi bluff with correct call from my side.
4. Winning in coin flip situations.
5. Winning hand with few outs left on the river.

The laughter of my children and the happy smiles of the whole family bring a huge rush to me. It doesn't matter if it's a poker game or housework.

When I have the perfect read on the opponent and that I hand in my hands it is my moment of total happiness in poker

The feeling after a great day of play. Winning the jackpot freeroll and topping it off with a CC freeroll first place win. Turning the computer and lights off. Then going to sleep knowing you had a good day.

anywhere in top 10% I feel like I did ok

When i finish the tournament in a 1st place

I too enjoy the MTTs , sick degenerates we are lol

So I enjoy winning flips and stacking chips !