Quote:
I have decided to take a long break. The micros will always be there and if I am being honest with myself I don't see me creating a career for myself with poker. I do think I am pretty good at my stakes but I don't think I will have the skill to make good money at higher stakes. This is fine as it was always a hobby anyway.
I think the monotony of zoom has gotten to me. Slinking into autopilot far too often and not respecting the stakes (also some long-term winner's tilt thrown in) I have lost my desire to win/play well.
I will take some time off, still enjoy poker content online and try and stay up to date on some things. When I return I will move up and return to ante/HU where I for sure have the most fun.
I will actually study some GTO stuff as I know this will be somewhat important in moving up (even if just understanding how opponents are playing). Any ideas on where to start without breaking the bank?
Ryan Fees Book to get back to the basics.
The Grinders Manual to improve and play fundamentally. As he says, and I agree, you can beat a reg infested small site up to 100nl with that book. I can tell you that from the bit I have read if you smartly apply his brushes at advanced thinking processes you'll learn how to think. At that point, small adjustments will make a winning 200nl player.
Study the game 30-50% of your poker time. HH reviews, software, videos, training sites, coaching. When you're playing great study 20% of the time. When you're on your B game or less study 50% of the time.
Play some MTTs or SNGs, but keep them very low BI in relation to your BR. When I was playing 100k a month this was a huge way for me to play (as I enjoyed) but also not see the same horizon at all times. I made friends with the best mid-stakes 6m and 45m player on Stars back then and learned a ton. I had a 98% ROI at small stakes MTT's over 1000 games and was a big winner in 18-180 mans. Winning a $5r or a $20 Fo at times makes poker enjoyable.
Stop playing Zoom. GTO is great, but applying exploitative lines to your game based on table dynamics, image, and reads is far more rewarding. Fast-Fold games make things repetitive and remove the lure of poker.
Unless you are (be honest with yourself) playing your A game, play less and shorter sessions. If you have the option, play a softer site that might be less attractive due to fewer tables etc. Focus on a concept from your HH reviews in these sessions.