PokerWorks

I’ve only been playing poker for five years but there’ve been times over the past couple of years when I get tired of poker and don’t look forward to sitting down to play the game I was so passionate about just a few short years ago.  

When you have to rely on poker as your primary source of income, it can take all the fun out of it.  It starts to feel like real work, reviewing sessions, plugging leaks, reading, watching training videos, poker forums and facing the inevitable bad beats and coolers.  

Unfortunately, you have to get accustomed to failure after failure while fighting for success.  Even after five years of poker I’m not completely numb to bad beats and coolers but, I’ve played long enough not to let them bother me as much as they used to. It’s just part of the game.

I’m mostly a low-stakes grinder which can really get boring sometimes. When the game becomes almost unbearable, there are a few things I do to change things up and keep it interesting and fun.  

Play low buy-in SNG’s at PokerStars and try to out donk your opponents.  What I’m talking about is sit down at a $1 or $2 SNG and play like a complete aggro donk.  Don’t come into any hand without a raise or re-raise, play suited garbage, any Ace, any two broadway cards and any pair like you just woke up with pocket Aces.  You’ll still be selectively aggressive because you’ll be tossing complete garbage hands and only coming into a hand with what I’ve mentioned.  Don’t fold any draws, even gutshot straight draws. Play them like you just flopped the nuts.  This kind of thing can be somewhat therapeutic for me.  It’s fun to try and suck out on other players when the money is insignificant.

Watch a WSOP or WPT final table.  I enjoy watching well known poker professionals play against average Joe’s for life changing money, especially when an average Joe takes it down.  It reminds me of how excited I was when I first starting playing and watching poker on TV.  The feeling those guys must have playing for a World Series bracelet or WPT title can be inspiring.  

Read poker blogs.  Some of my favorite poker bloggers don’t even write much about poker strategy.  While some poker situations, successes and failures will find their way into a poker blog, it’s the comedy, life challenges and opinions on current events that keep me coming back.  Some bloggers have a special talent reviewing television shows and movies putting their own hilarious twist on characters and plots making for a very enjoyable read.  

The next time you need a break from the poker grind, do something a little different and come back inspired and focused.