I Hate Poker!

…sometimes.

The following are what I really really hate about online poker:

• Hopelessly addicted: I’ll be the first to admit that i’m hopelessly addicted. There are times I play just for the sake of playing and get easily frustrated and/or do stupid moves against fish who never fold a pair. Other times I am bored and instead of looking for a proper job or reading one of the dozens of books I have recently bought on Amazon, I play. Not good. Any addiction is bad but it could be worse since I do win in the long run but, just think of the 80% people who play all day and lose in the long run and what a waste of time…

• Time consuming: Money is easily won and lost but time is gone forever, daunting stuff! It requires a huge dedication of time and attention. I am guilty of often skipping meals or eating while i’m playing. Other times, I can see that my girlfriend is talking to me or there is something interesting on TV but all i’m thinking about when i’m playing is how do I play this hand versus this 65vpip fish who just donked into me? It is damn time consuming. Maybe I should program a bot, great idea, I bet nobody has ever thought of that! hmmm

• MY fishes: Everybody speaks about games becoming toughe than they were a year or two ago. However, my fish list is getting longer by the hour. Why would I want to move up limits when I am surrounded by these gorgeous clueless fish. I had a hand the other day (small pocket pair) where the board was Q96Q9 and I raise the button and fish in big blind called, I bet flop standard 3/4, checked turn and bet 3/4 of the pot on river on a bluff and what does he turn over???? 78, lol he was calling the river where at best he could split the pot with me! This isn’t unique (I could give you dozens of similar examples), it seems like these fish, like bacteria, are multiplying and usually come from a country in South Eastern Europe that is heavily in debt (ironic!) and an island that starts with C - no prizes for guessing where.

• God I hate NL: When I used to play fixed limit at Betfair, I would regularly observe the small number of  5/10 and 10/20 tables and to my disappointment see that only regulars were playing then i’d go do something else with my time, like go to the gym or look for a proper job. Now I turn on Betfair 50nl and 100nl tables and there’s dozens of tables and I ALWAYS see 70%+ vpip playing and I tell myself, screw it this is free money and procrastinate so many of my priorities. Sick game, go away fish and let me live my life properly!

I just spent a weekend where I played 13,000 hands so it might be that i’m slightly burnt out. I didn’t mean to sound so negative considering that I am a long-term winner afterall. Without sounding too cocky, I can boast to earn 6 BB/100 hands (large sample) and I usually play an average of 3/4 juicy tables of 50nl and 1 extra juicy table of 100nl.  If my calculations are correct then my hourly rate is equal to $24 an hour (roughly £15) including my 30% rakeback. This is tax free. I should be playing 200nl but then those gorgeous 75% vpip wouldn’t be there would they!?

Becoming philosophical

My healthy win rate is even more reason to play longer (you would think)…but then i’d turn into a zombie! In retrospect, I just need some more discipline and pace myself and not play all hours God gives me. Fishes will be there another time and don’t need busting at this very hour! Better yet, just play when i’m feeling up for it and not just for the damn sake of it.

At the end of they day, I really love the game or else I wouldn’t play it in the first place. I suppose i’m just in one of those moods.

A very confused Alex