I always hated cash games but since a month ago i decided to try seriously playing these games only for money reasons. A lot of people says that is profitable but it was not profitable at all for me, i'm not that bad player and even i took some lessons to play cash.
The fact is cash games turned terrible tedious for me, sometimes i win, sometimes i lose but the most terrible thing is to play hours to get only cents, so it's worse than long tournaments. if you have luck and get several good hands is easy but whit bad cards is very difficult and is really hard to find real bad players even in micro stakes, i have experience of getting low value whit nuts.
The only good thing is you get "loyalty points" faster that is quite relevant in rooms like pokerstars and intertops, hmm maybe 888 and yes there are a lot of promotions only for cash games.
I see there are players that get profit playing 4 tables simultaneus, and this is a hell for me, doing that way you're obligated to stay focused at game. i like to do other things while i'm playing poker and playing more than 2 tables is stressful to me.
so i will play mtt's and maybe some sit and go. i will play cash for a short time in 888 just because i want to get 20 level faster.
I totally get what you are saying. It takes a large sampling and goal setting and a ton of grind in cash but you can do it. The problem is that you are not going to make big high roller cash game quickly. It a grind. I will say there is less variance in a cash game especially as you study and get better.
I started in sng/mtt in poker and then as I have gotten older, I have started doing more cash games and added it. I now play more hands cash than I do MTTs.
I seperate my cash sessions from my mtt sessions. I never mix the two. I have cash goals and mtt goals.
I would suggest setting goals and separate your cash game study from mtt study. Develop goals. For example with a 100 roll, hit the 5nl until you get to 250 and then withdraw 60 and then move up to 10nl. If your roll falls Down to say 175 move down and 500 move up. Withdraw each move up. Treat yourself. It's not life changing but get a hud and also graphs help in deciding your profit. It actually is a different kind of strategy than Mtts. It actually is a grind and you won't win life changing money instantly but imagine if you start at 2nl and you have moved up to playing for 500.00 pots or 1k pots and have a roll to play them well?
Hint: If this is how you go about playing on cash game tables, you're missing out on a huge part of the game!
I would encourage you to keep working at it. I think we should all play as much variety as we can. This helps you in all your games because every variant is different and you can learn skills that become useful in certain situations even in other games. Playing a lot of heads up cash for example helps prepare you for the rare times you are final two in a tournament or sit and go. If I read you correctly you were losing and bored at the same time. that is an ugly combo. I suggest mixing it up. Work on new ideas and different strategies and approaches to the game. This way you are less bored than "fold, fold, fold, raise and win , fold, fold, fold, AA raise no callers, raise AK get it all in and lose to AA!, fold, fold, fold, raise suited connectors and get jammed on, etc...Once you have explored a bunch of different strategies maybe something new will develop for you. Maybe you will find being loose aggressive works for you or super tight is better or a mix..Give it more time. If you win in other games you can win in cash but as stated above you do need to grind and be patient.
It's going to be hard to get a reasonable sample size while playing only 2 tables at a time. You may just be on a "downswing".
Maybe do some off the table studying or take a break and then try pump out some more playing volume.
You have made the correct analysis for you game. Cash requires focus, and if you want to do other things whole playing, tournament poker is for you. Cash is a grind, and loss of focus is pretty sure to cost you loss of bankroll as well.
Focus, Decision-Making, Self-Discipline, Mental Endurance.
Review your hand histories, or better yet, get someone else too... This can do wonders for your game... and if you aren't putting in time studying off the felt, your game will continue to be stagnant.
Same logic can be applied to MTTs. You play 3 hours and because of a cooler your AA lost to 66 and you won 3$ YOHOO!
If you saying playing for a 3 hours , and winning only some cents. I think this is not profitable. Why you didn't trying to play biggest limits ? I mean play at NL0.25/0.10 10max tables this is not so much money , but if you play at this limits. I think you can win some money in plus.
Ahoy there - brigante `canabero` !
As you say : you "..decided to try seriously playing these games only for money reasons.."
1st of all - I have the question : where ? .. at NL2 tables ???
C`mon ! don`t be silly one !
Think - at micro limits most of `thinking` people play only for fun ! Other part - aprox. 40..50% play here only for rake `woop-woop` (in other words - the play into zero profit, but thinking - the have here some small profit).
Any limit lower than NL25 - by my opinion, is the `fun` limit : you take to the table some cash (2..5 stacks) & play there. If you win some - good, but if you lost - stand up, go out & forget it ! That was fun.
But if you wanna to play `for money reasons` - you must to do it at the tables NL50 & higher. That`s the real cash game, not the nest of junkies & monkey dudes.
From the beginning - you really feel : you play in real cash, no time for joke`s, no time for mercy & etc.
Think - you can do it, if you`re the man !
GL for you & hope you will be play really good hand`s hard & smart !
What ever form of poker, you are playing your opponents tenderizes and you have to stay focused.
I appreciate this honest post, and the good advice that followed. I get a little tilted by fatigue, and it exposes the parts of me that I need to look at in poker - and in my general psychological makeup. Playing poker has been illuminating for me, and beyond challenging. My technical game is getting very, very good, and I am not yet so blind that I can't see where I have to learn A LOT. But, I can't be trusted in cash games. I don't get mad - I get tired. So, it's freerolls for this noob. Talk about facing your demons! Good luck, with whatever you do!
Some players just like the MTT structure better than they do cash. With cash there is no rush to play and from what it sounds like you are getting bored waiting for the big hands. Why not try a super loose aggressive approach and see if this fills the void. It is a tougher strategy to master but it can be very profitable and you certainly won't find it boring. Be careful though cause you can lose your stack in a moment. Good luck on the felts!
If u feel that bad just quit it !
I want to say everyone have up n down ,no one can always win !
Do not play poker more.
Sounds like you should be in the moment when the moment is there and not other places. Focus on one or two things completely and I'm sure results will follow no matter what your focus is on.