Losing Players

[beans422 0]

Who was a winning player when they first start out? I was or have been a losing player for years but things won't always stay the same as I get better with each session. A lot of losing players come back b/c they want to be winning players one day and the only way to become a winning player is to keep on playing.

[UncleHoot 0]

Who was a winning player when they first start out? I was or have been a losing player for years but things won't always stay the same as I get better with each session. A lot of losing players come back b/c they want to be winning players one day and the only way to become a winning player is to keep on playing.

And I can suppose a lot of players play above their limits, not realizing (yet) that the higher you go, the better the play. Some losing players are playing at the $20 level, because $20 is almost nothing, but winning $90, is nearly something. I would imagine that if these players dropped down to the $5 level, they could become winners, but they have no interest in playing at that level. So, in that sense, they are only losing players because they are at the wrong limits (for now). Some day, they may be a winning player at the $20 level. It makes sense. I learn a lot whenever I try to move up a level. I'm never certain that it was worth the losses, though. lol

[theresa113 0]

ISAP. I play because it is a social game and occasionally I win some money and once I won a free trip. Overall though, I suck, but it is ok because I spend less on this social function than any other social functions I participated in the past. Enjoy my money and don't complain or one day I may actually take the game serious.

[psujohn 0]

One of the heads of a big online site (could be Lee Jones I don't remember exactly) said that their research proved that money came in at the lowest levels and went out at the highest. That is people playing the lowest limits deposit the most. Those that win a low limits tend to move up until they start losing then drop down and repeat. Only the guys who played the biggest games where consistently withdrawing money from the site.These are averages of course. I really don't care if you play $22 SNGs and withdraw weekly.I'd guess that a good portion of the people who play at the lowest levels are playing very casually. Their knowledge of poker doesn't extend much beyond flush beats a straight. They view the game largely as gambling and play for fun. They'll never read a poker book or visit the strategy section of a poker forum because that's too much like work.

[hblask 1]

They view the game largely as gambling and play for fun. They'll never read a poker book or visit the strategy section of a poker forum because that's too much like work.

Interesting post. To comment on the part I left in here: my wife has pointed out that if I had taken all the hours I spent playing or studying poker and devoted those to some of my other hobbies, like woodworking, I'd be WAY ahead financially of where I am now. Or, as the pros say, poker is a tough way to make an easy living.If it were just about the money, there are much easier ways to earn money.

[Actuary 3]

You play to win the gameChucksty was who we thought he was.And we let him off the hookAre we talking about practice

[Fidler0 0]

Ok...flame away if you'd like...but i haven't read anything in this thread except for the title. All i can say is:SHUT UP OP!!! What i can't stand are the guys at the table who verbally bash the bad players. They're playing to HAVE FUN...let them play (and give me money at the same time) The first few months i played on FCP, i would always seem to be at a table with that ONE guy who used every curse in the book to try to get on the nerves of the other players....it's just not fun playing in that environment.

[psujohn 0]

What's that line about the real trick to poker being making sure the suckers have a good time while you take their money.Hell FCP even turned it into a promotion - come play in Daniel's home game. If he takes chips off the poor Make-a-wish kids don't think he's going easy on you in his home game.

[Jam-Fly 8]

Not sure if I was the player the OP was referring to, but I was losing about $1k when starting. The reason I kept play was because I felt I was getting better. And naturally, getting better means losing less, which eventually leads to winning.As for others, my mom for example, she likes to play just because it helps her unwind and relax. She knows shes a loser but she likes to play, and playing 10c ante Stud isn't going to break anyway. You gotta look at it like this. You go to the movies. $8 for the ticket. $5 for the popcorn. $3 for the XL Diet Pepsi. Surely that is a longterm -EV move.There are others who 'think' they are winners, they see guys like Doyle racking in big pots, and Daniel calling a guy down with 66, and Gus calling an all in with T8s, it's obviously not that hard in their opinions.

[hblask 1]

Hell FCP even turned it into a promotion - come play in Daniel's home game. If he takes chips off the poor Make-a-wish kids don't think he's going easy on you in his home game.

Heh-heh, it occurred to me that this promotion is a "give Daniel and his friends $5K" promotion... but it's still a great promotion. Free trip to Vegas, the right to say you played against some pros, and if you take a hand or two you can say "hey, I beat that guy, and now look at him there on TV winning a million...".

[No_Neck 0]

many of fish think they are winning players. For example there is this one guy that I play with that is super aggressive, if checked to he will bet the pot or a good chunk of it. Will fire three barrels if he things he has any chance of winning.He loses 5 out of 6 sessions but that one session that he wins he wins pretty big. He thinks that he is ahead and a winner in the game. I don't have the heart to tell him he doesn't...

[Vatche 0]

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[chewybarber 0]

The obvious question is, where the hell are all these loosing players? Everbody is either a winner, or they don't post--or well, theres that other option we wont talk about.

[Actuary 3]

The obvious question is, where the hell are all these loosing players? Everbody is either a winner, or they don't post--or well, theres that other option we wont talk about.

several players have admitted to being losing players here.you are new and will see that eventually.many eventual long term losing players are not aware of that and currently believe they are winners because of their short term successpoker forums would naturally attract those that think about the game and would be skewed towards winnersyou are getting on my nerves from several threads.stop.

[mtdesmoines 3]

FYP

Nice catch.

Heh-heh, it occurred to me that this promotion is a "give Daniel and his friends $5K" promotion...

OK ... so I wasn't the only one, then. Good.Can we take the +/- $5K and go to a casino and play instead?

And I can suppose a lot of players play above their limits, not realizing (yet) that the higher you go, the better the play. Some losing players are playing at the $20 level, because $20 is almost nothing, but winning $90, is nearly something. I would imagine that if these players dropped down to the $5 level, they could become winners, but they have no interest in playing at that level. So, in that sense, they are only losing players because they are at the wrong limits (for now). Some day, they may be a winning player at the $20 level. It makes sense. I learn a lot whenever I try to move up a level. I'm never certain that it was worth the losses, though. lol

Yeah. Huh? Yeah. Ok. Wait ... huh?

[Socrates 0]

The obvious question is, where the hell are all these loosing players? Everbody is either a winner, or they don't post--or well, theres that other option we wont talk about.

Losing players don't frequent poker sites and message boards in general. I would suspect that 90+% oif the "poker" playing population right now does not read strategy forums or do hand analysis and most of them have never read a poker book or understnad basic concepts such as pot odds. We've had this discussion before about how we are a very, very, very small section of the poker population. Spend some time in Vegas and just listen to people at the tables talk. I would say that I've never sat at any 1/2 or 2/5 NL cash table with more than 2 players who understood basic concepts of the game. High school kids play $5 tourneys and think they're great and the home game hero is always around - he generally loses everything and blames it on bad luck, not bad play, but he should be blaming it on ignorance.Poker has become something like pee-wee basketball. The kids have no idea what the rules are, they commit tragic violations of the rules but people allow them to continue and they don't keep score...but they have fun and for some that's all that matters. Poker is cool, its on t.v.; hollywood is playing and like advertised, it takes a minute to learn. That's all that most of the poker playing population heard over the past few years. People believe they've mastered the game when in actuality they've only learned some of the basic concepts, but enough to beat their youinger brother and his friends.10+ years ago I would have said I had never sat at a table with more than 2 people who didn't know what they were doing. I would take the worst player from back then and put that person well above more than 70% of the playing population today.

[chewybarber 0]

several players have admitted to being losing players here.you are new and will see that eventually.many eventual long term losing players are not aware of that and currently believe they are winners because of their short term successpoker forums would naturally attract those that think about the game and would be skewed towards winnersyou are getting on my nerves from several threads.stop.

Stop getting on your nerves?Poker forums naturally attract winning players?Come on, you think I'm annoying because I question "winning" players--oh well.I'm just trying to keep things objective.

[Actuary 3]

Poker forums naturally attract winning players?

yes that is right, generally.they don't attract a represenstative sample of the poker playing community.are you trying to find more players that lose so you can feel better.I'm confused by your cynicism. I bet I spelled that incorrectly.

[hblask 1]

Why are there so many people who claim to be winners here? Actuary has the correct answer.People who take time out of their day to read about poker have something wrong with their brains. It's a sickness that infects a small part of the population. In General, it appears that about 1/3 of the players will admit to being losing players. This is a wildly rough estimate, just a gut feeling I've gotten over the last couple of months. This is a self-selected group of people who like the subject, just for itself. There can be little doubt that such a group is better than the average poker population. This is just for people who have enough interest to register and post. For each poster, how many unregistered lurkers are there?For each person in General, how many can be bothered to read the strat forums? It looks to me like it is a small fraction. These are the serious players who really want to learn.So how hard is it to believe that long-term winners will be over-represented on a forum like this?

[mtdesmoines 3]

yes that is right, generally.they don't attract a represenstative sample of the poker playing community.

I agree -- with the caveat that a lot of 'forum-rats' are lower limit players who are "learning the game" (but not all). Why would you spend time in a forum if you were already busting up the game? Some altruistic notions of making everyone better? I doubt it. And if you suck, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking or talking about the game.

[MyPlayIsRAB 0]

Why are there so many people who claim to be winners here? Actuary has the correct answer.People who take time out of their day to read about poker have something wrong with their brains. It's a sickness that infects a small part of the population. In General, it appears that about 1/3 of the players will admit to being losing players. This is a wildly rough estimate, just a gut feeling I've gotten over the last couple of months. This is a self-selected group of people who like the subject, just for itself. There can be little doubt that such a group is better than the average poker population. This is just for people who have enough interest to register and post. For each poster, how many unregistered lurkers are there?For each person in General, how many can be bothered to read the strat forums? It looks to me like it is a small fraction. These are the serious players who really want to learn.So how hard is it to believe that long-term winners will be over-represented on a forum like this?

this is me. i ***** and whine about bad beats and not cashing, but i never bother to read the strat forums. that is actually my new years resolution/christmas break resolution. i know ive got some talent because i can run over the games i play, and if i could use proper bankroll management, not take shots every other day, and keep my roll online, i could move up. i think the strat forums will help me immensely

[eYank 0]

I agree -- with the caveat that a lot of 'forum-rats' are lower limit players who are "learning the game" (but not all). Why would you spend time in a forum if you were already busting up the game? Some altruistic notions of making everyone better? I doubt it. And if you suck, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking or talking about the game.

People do like to brag

[Balloon guy 158]

People do like to brag

Has my wife been telling stories again?

[IQCrash 1]

I play for coke and whore money.

[fleung22 1]

I play for coke and whore money.

in which order?