Enjoy Losing!
11-06-2022
, 12:12 PM
Aah, the dynamics of Poker… The stats, the discipline, the sound of the chips as they click-clack across those green felt tables, the delicious steak baguette which arrives and gives your fingers the grease to wipe back over the cards, the hot female dealer who sits down & forces you to focus on the wrong pair. The glitz, the glamour, the lights, the action, Las Vegas.
We love it. I love it. You love it.
Which is why it comes as a surprise to read on here that so many of you are thinking of giving it all up.
Well, here’s a reality check.
Most players are losing players. Over 50% in fact. If you are a break-even player, then you are good at the game. If you are a winning player, consider yourself very advanced in the field. Man, you’re one of the top dogs. But in truth, you won’t know what category you fall into until you have played for years. Variance is so great it cannot help but skew your perception of how good you are. I played the other night against a guy who recently won a massive pay-out for coming first in a big tournament down The Vic in London. He was up against veterans & professionals, and he beat them all.
When he sat down at my table the other night however, it wasn’t long before I realised he was ****. Now, he probably doesn’t think so. But I know the game enough to see he was making some horrible plays, and in a short time he’d done about five buy-ins & gave up for the night. He’ll probably come back for a good few years before he can admit that he loses more than he wins.
So, my message here, or lesson if you will, is don’t give it up if you like playing the game. Don’t be put off by losing or breaking even if you like the game. Think of it as I think of golf. I’ve been playing for twenty years, I’ve had good spells, but really, in truth, I’m not very good. But it doesn’t matter because I enjoy the game. I enjoy smacking the ball. I enjoy it when my friend shoots the ball high & then down into the pond. I enjoy those splashes. But I also enjoy playing & then losing. I know, it’s crazy. But it’s the game that I like – winning is just the bonus. So, start seeing Poker in that way. Don’t give up just because you lose. Find your love for the game again. Start playing for low stakes that don’t matter. Realise that if you want to become one of those top dogs then you must study & put the work in. And it is hard work, like most full-time jobs are. But don’t quit if you’re a loser. Enjoy losing. Embrace being a loser. And like some guy who sat down at my table last month and announced quite happily to everyone that he can’t yet beat the 1cent/2cent cash games on Pokerstars, don’t take it seriously. Laugh it off. Let the fun of the game outweigh all its frustrations.
I thought I would write some of my journeys in Poker on here with a view to teach a lesson or two to those who may not yet be that top dog. I shall start with my foray into The Pokerstars open last month, where I came out as a loser. But let that be for tomorrow. The lesson for today is: Enjoy losing!
We love it. I love it. You love it.
Which is why it comes as a surprise to read on here that so many of you are thinking of giving it all up.
Well, here’s a reality check.
Most players are losing players. Over 50% in fact. If you are a break-even player, then you are good at the game. If you are a winning player, consider yourself very advanced in the field. Man, you’re one of the top dogs. But in truth, you won’t know what category you fall into until you have played for years. Variance is so great it cannot help but skew your perception of how good you are. I played the other night against a guy who recently won a massive pay-out for coming first in a big tournament down The Vic in London. He was up against veterans & professionals, and he beat them all.
When he sat down at my table the other night however, it wasn’t long before I realised he was ****. Now, he probably doesn’t think so. But I know the game enough to see he was making some horrible plays, and in a short time he’d done about five buy-ins & gave up for the night. He’ll probably come back for a good few years before he can admit that he loses more than he wins.
So, my message here, or lesson if you will, is don’t give it up if you like playing the game. Don’t be put off by losing or breaking even if you like the game. Think of it as I think of golf. I’ve been playing for twenty years, I’ve had good spells, but really, in truth, I’m not very good. But it doesn’t matter because I enjoy the game. I enjoy smacking the ball. I enjoy it when my friend shoots the ball high & then down into the pond. I enjoy those splashes. But I also enjoy playing & then losing. I know, it’s crazy. But it’s the game that I like – winning is just the bonus. So, start seeing Poker in that way. Don’t give up just because you lose. Find your love for the game again. Start playing for low stakes that don’t matter. Realise that if you want to become one of those top dogs then you must study & put the work in. And it is hard work, like most full-time jobs are. But don’t quit if you’re a loser. Enjoy losing. Embrace being a loser. And like some guy who sat down at my table last month and announced quite happily to everyone that he can’t yet beat the 1cent/2cent cash games on Pokerstars, don’t take it seriously. Laugh it off. Let the fun of the game outweigh all its frustrations.
I thought I would write some of my journeys in Poker on here with a view to teach a lesson or two to those who may not yet be that top dog. I shall start with my foray into The Pokerstars open last month, where I came out as a loser. But let that be for tomorrow. The lesson for today is: Enjoy losing!
11-06-2022
, 05:43 PM
Quote:
The lesson for today is: Enjoy losing!
