How to avoid boredom?

[XxsleepydxX]

Hey Sneaky,
I also often find myself yawning in between hands.. especially if the table I'm at is pretty much dead where everyone is playing tight poker.
The only things that helps me fight boredom in those kinds of situations is by turning on the radio and listening to some good tunes... It really puts my head in the game and makes things more lively. Although, poker does require a good amount of concentration.
I'm sure you'll find a solution one way or another! =)

 

[Evildrum]

2NL is all about being a nit and playing abc poker because you want to move to 5nl as quick as possible. Even 5nl on a lot of sites plays like 2nl.

I suggest taking a break every hour,say 10-15 minutes. On some of my days off early in poker I would play 14 hours and wonder what happened to the early profit in the day. Sometimes its not the amount of hands you put in but watching your mind. What I notice is I can drift in focus and lose a hand and suddenly become tilty but not in a angry way but just bored way. So now I see it and log off once the blinds hit me again.

What really helped my game was playing HUSNGs so that I was comfortable starting my own tables. You can exploit fish that are looking to flip so they can get a quick double or action. Once the table hits 5 or more players open another and get ready to close the current one once a player sits down.
Reason you do this is quite often the bumhunters will instantly fill up the empty seats and wreck any chance of getting HU with that fish.

 

[Blue_Fossil]

It's been said many times...playing good poker is boring.

 

[ChuckyEgg]

Playing music in the background stops me from getting bored.

If I do anything that I need to spend a good amount of time on, I play music in the background to fend off the boredom and help maintain my concentration.

Mozart seems to work best for me, especially if the brain needs to actually do stuff, such as solve problems

Mozart for studying and poker
Metal for the gym
RnB for when I am driving

I used to listen to metal when driving.... soooo many crashes (only the cars suffered)

 

[wizz__]

I agree about the Multi tables, but if you are concentrated to one table - Than i think music can help you or like mini games or something

 

[Sneaky Feet]

Playing music in the background stops me from getting bored.

If I do anything that I need to spend a good amount of time on, I play music in the background to fend off the boredom and help maintain my concentration.

Mozart seems to work best for me, especially if the brain needs to actually do stuff, such as solve problems

Mozart for studying and poker
Metal for the gym
RnB for when I am driving

I used to listen to metal when driving.... soooo many crashes (only the cars suffered)

What do you usually listen to at the gym? I've been listening to 5 finger death lunch lately. They're pretty good for getting you swole brah lol

 

[hffjd2000]

I agree mostly posted here. You can beat that boredom by simply playing multitable low stake tables or play low stake rush/zoom poker-just to keep you busy.
Since you said youre new, start it at the bottom low stake. the game there is soft and beatable. I dont recommend middle and high stake table especially if youre just starting. The game above is very tough and bankroll swing is very high, meaning you must have a huge bankroll.

 

[TheNoobie]

You must not get bored. Listening to music helps a lot. Browsing the internet. But what you should be doing is studying your opponents. This way you get more action than when in a real hand. If you know how they play, you are one step ahead of them and this is important for cash games. If you dont feel like studying do something you like - music, reading something on the internet and folding trash hands until you get something thats worth playing. But it is 10 times more important to study your opponents when you are not playing. Take it like this - you will be very likely awarded for that boredom if you keep an eye on your enemies, so isnt that worth it? You are playing to earn money. So focus on that. Keep an eye on them and you will be awarded. It will be worth the time. You can watch movies and talk to friends on the phone but everything like that is distraction from your primary subject and it will not win you more money. Poker is about patience.

 

[JusSumguy]

It's been said many times...playing good poker is boring.

yep... it's supposed to be boring.

-

 

[OldschoolSteinhausen]

Playing poker profitabl,y while not improving at all, is pretty boring. Walk away from a boring session, I like to mix up stack sizes to keep my brain engaged...or maybe even do a little Heads up! There are other things you can do with your time, when the game gets to tilt you with boredom, do something else =)

 

[besplatnee]

Where is that passion, the desire to go forward, to win and conquer new heights? It is enough to remember the day when you first got acquainted with poker and compare your impressions of playing today and playing then. Admit it, because at that time you probably had thoughts that you will reach the peaks of Olympus and become the best, at any cost. Alas, not everyone manages to keep this fervor

 

[Evan Jarvis]

I seem to be fighting boredom lately on the tables. I'm currently playing .01/.02 just trying to learn the game but I'm finding that when the action is really low (which it usually is) I get really bored and make stupid calls. Then I get frustrated and make more stupid calls and end up loosing. I guess that makes me a fish lol. Typically I play TAG (At least I start that way) and I think I have a fair level of comprehension of the game itself and reading bet patterns. My goal is to become proficient enough to make a few extra bucks and pay for vacations and the like. Maybe buy myself and new motorcycle

Do any of you have suggestions for me? I've never tried higher stake tables. Are they all so boring?

If your motivations are purely financial, then you will always be bored playing micros.

If your motivations are to play the game, learn it, and understand it, then you'll be excited regardless of the stakes you're playing for.

Check in with yourself your motivations for playing... and if it's just money and wanting to buy a motorcycle, maybe see if there are more effective ways you could use the same hours to make guaranteed money that will get you the motorcycle sooner rather than later.

Lots of ways to make money out there, poker is just one, and it's a tough one!

 

[ROYALROAD]

It's boring because there is no concept of devising a stronger method.

 

[dreamer13]

You can hear from poker players all the time how much variance has screwed them up. However, the truth is that this is an integral part of the game that we all love so much. However, there are definitely a few ways to reduce variance and make your game less prone to big downswings. While many people don't realize it, variance is what keeps poker alive and thriving. Well, since variance is inevitable in poker, it's best to focus on what can be done to reduce it. You can still listen to good music or just go to nature.

 

[lyki67]

Sometime I have enough of poker. And I think best way to go throw it is to make some days poker-free between playing.

 

[beatlebug]

I do not get bored playing poker. It is good for me to play as I really enjoy playing the game. WIn or lose it is always enjoyable for me to play.

Beatlebug

 

[Joselmb31]

Playing poker, there is nothing more beautiful...

 

[Stringy]

Learning more and trying new things out

 

[ObbleeXY]

I seem to be fighting boredom lately on the tables. I'm currently playing .01/.02 just trying to learn the game but I'm finding that when the action is really low (which it usually is) I get really bored and make stupid calls. Then I get frustrated and make more stupid calls and end up loosing. I guess that makes me a fish lol. Typically I play TAG (At least I start that way) and I think I have a fair level of comprehension of the game itself and reading bet patterns. My goal is to become proficient enough to make a few extra bucks and pay for vacations and the like. Maybe buy myself and new motorcycle

Do any of you have suggestions for me? I've never tried higher stake tables. Are they all so boring?

Happens to many of us!
I suffer greatly from this. The solution for me has been to play multiple games simultaneously. You can decide whether two is enough...or whether you can handle three or four. Eventually, you can get up to 16.
If you've got a solid strategy for cash games and you're making money, the more game you play, the more you can make per hour.

Alternatively, do something else whilst you pay poker. If you're making supper, playing the bills, doing the laundry, etc... then you can pre-occupy the boredom meter in your brain.

Another thing you can do is consider what your "ideal robot player" would play like. ie decide what hands to play from what position. Decide what Opening hands you need to respond to certain bets from certain positions. Then follow the game plan. make a note for every hand outside of your programmed range, note the progress of the hand and identify probabilities.

At the end of the day, you need to decide whether you are simply a recreational player who plays for fun, or whether winning is important to you. For many it isn't. In fact for MOST, winning is a happy coincidence which happens occassionally, but it is the thrill of gambling that they are really playing for.

Plan your work. Work your plan.
If you cannot get a handle on discipline, then poker is a game you really shouln't play.

Cheers,
JT

 

[barbados]

It takes perseverance to play poker well. You need to understand that the opponents at the gaming table just like you - want to win. And each player has his own tactics and his own strategy. And everyone wants to get rid of you and the rest for the sake of victory. If you play fast, you can also leave the table quickly. Playing too slow is also not an option. The opponents will also have extra time to think. The standard time of the tournament is approximately 3 hours of game time. Weigh the pros and cons before you start the game. And most importantly. If you play poker, then play poker. And postpone the barbecue preparation for another time.

 

[valetgll]

The quick pursuit of riches in poker usually leads to losses. A big mistake for beginners to play poker is that you can win big money in poker quickly. It is a long and painstaking journey to dreams of profit. Sometimes this leads to big losses. You need to be careful and stick to the bankroll rule. When you overcome boredom and pay attention all the way around the table and even then you will not be 100% in the black.

 

[slicheri93]

Multi table or have a video/movie running on the otherside when you arent in the hand you can watch that end then switch back, or listen to some music, helps me to avoid limping to much ..

 

[Newmy12345]

Listen to music helps or my favourite thing is play candy crush on phone lol. Remember to keep sound on at the poker tables so you dont get folded /sat out

 

[AzazeL0707]

I like to watch movies so i don’t get too bored waiting ��

 

[vardyonfire]

Every day, there is something to cheer you up, to annoy you at least a little, to make you think, to incite you or to get you excited. But how often do you happen to be bored? In a world so full of stimuli, activities and knowledge, it is hard to believe that such a state can occur. However, studies show that instead of being more and more able to deal with this state of discomfort ourselves, the general tendency is to blame the environment for not providing enough 'entertainment'.

In fact, it's often the other way around. There are so many forms of entertainment that our sensitivity thresholds have become higher and higher. We are becoming more and more resistant to stimuli, so few things end up impressing us.