I don't know how much of this falls under tough love as opposed to just advice and thoughts, but hopefully it's helpful either way and not too tough! I know one thing; it's long.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pure_aggression
I should probably be studying more, need to find some material that I find interesting. I know I can beat 1/2 for 14/hr and 1/3 for 17/hr I doubt I can improve those much. My rate at 2/5 is also 17/hr which I think I could probably improve to 30 or 40/hr if I played my best. But I haven't been able to play much 2/5 because of bankroll pressure. Feeling stuck at the lowest stakes is certainly a contributing factor in not really enjoying poker much.
In general, avoiding getting stuck at the lower stakes is largely about volume when you're in trouble with the bankroll. Perhaps trying for a 250 hour month, or 400 hours over two months would get you back in good shape. I know that's rough, but financially it could be the move.
I'd also advise you to have an open mind toward improving your winrates. Unless Vegas 1/2 and 1/3 are way, way tougher than the rest of the country, much higher winrates are possible. The jump from 7 bb/hr to 5.6 bb/hr from 1/2 to 1/3 when 1/3 should be deeper is likely pointing to an area to focus on: deep stacked play. Your winrate should be the same or higher at 1/3, unless there's some weird factor in Vegas that I don't know about. Deep stacked mistakes would also be a reason your 2/5 winrate is lower. Obviously without a lot of hand histories there's no way to say for sure, but it's the first thought I had on what you might want to look into.
I'd also suggest thinking outside the box to an extent. You've been playing for a while, and as people get more experienced they tend to ingrain their views on what is correct for them, what their style of play is, how they think about poker... these things are all tougher and tougher to change as they become habitual. As a result, studying different materials may not help much - you're going to be looking at it through your filter, when you really want to improve/change your filter. Poker is all about changing and evolving your game over time, or getting to the point where you can make all the changes on the fly.
To some extent your experiences with downswings may also be making you more likely to have sustained downswings rather than the other way around. I think this is the case for most people, and I am very careful to try to avoid it myself. It's why you see a lot of new/young players crush it until their first major downswing and never regain the same level of play again. I'd encourage you to take a wide angle lens and look at your play over the years and try to be critical as to what has changed or hasn't changed (and what should have or should not have).
You should also think outside the box... Improve your image at the table to work with your style of play, as well as your meta game. There are a lot of ways you could do this and I think it's worth 1-2 bb/hr for you.
I think a change of scenery can also help a ton. It's one of the first things I suggest to pros who are on a downswing or frustrated with the game - even just a couple weeks playing somewhere that the player pool doesn't know you could be very profitable for you, and also make the game less mundane. Sometimes even a weekend is good enough.
One of the things I've always respected the most about your poker career is your longevity and ability to just keep earning. You're not the flashiest player, you don't have the highest winrates in the world, but my impression has been that you know these things, stick to your strengths, and you've got a long track record of continuing to get the job done... That's a huge positive trait and I think it's something people in poker don't respect enough... But now's your time to use the experience you've gained to try to make the changes you need to your poker game, poker mindset, and overall business mindset for Pure Aggression Inc., to figure out what needs to work for you.
For example, it's easy for me to say go play 400 hours in two months and pad the roll, but if you know that's not possible given your current burnout/fatigue, then you know best.... So use your head, and all of your experience and put together a plan... then execute!
P.S. - Some other things to consider in addition to poker, art and music might be getting a gig as a poker dealer, bartending or waiting tables. They're jobs you could get quickly, could consistently earn at and could have flexible hours and use as a temporary solution - it's no big deal if you quit those jobs after 3-6 months when your roll is in good shape again, in that you can just leave them off the resume if you go for something else in the future. If you're able to make 20/hr playing guitar, that's gotta be better for you right now than 14-17 at poker, right? More fun based on your recent posts about burnout with poker, steadier and more money. Also, if you have ideas/plans related to expanding your art/music and your profits from them, I'd suggest posting them here and bouncing ideas... you never know what might stick from someone!
P.P.S. - If you have any questions about some of my thoughts on poker for you, or whatever, feel free to hit me up.