The Shark Tank

I’m definitely feeling like poker is starting to run its course for me.  I don’t usually stay interested in anything this long, so I suppose this is some sort of record anyhow.  At the moment, I plan to play four or five events at this year’s WSOP, including the Main Event.  I expect that I will stop playing on a regular basis soon thereafter.  I’ll probably always play some poker here and there, but my love for the game is clearly fading somewhat.  Unless my life situation changes dramatically and I quit my job to concentrate on poker (which is beyond unlikely) I don’t think I’m destined to keep at it for much longer.

I feel like I am always one of the better players at the table in most every setting I have played and I feel like I’m still learning new tricks at the same time.  Poker is a wonderful way to sharpen your thinking because there are so many subtle things to master.  I’m not willing to continue to devote the study time it will take to get beyond my current skill level at this point.  I also feel like I’ve beaten every level I’ve played up to 30/60 and my brief attempts at 50/100 have also been profitable, although I don’t have nearly enough data to be sure I would win at that level in the long run.  One of my strengths has always been an ability to watch the play of others and evaluate to what extent they are making mistakes that cost them expectation.  I find that the mistakes I see at limits 30/60 and up are not as frequent and not as costly as they used to be.  I really do believe that the golden age of internet poker is over.

I’m pretty certain that I’m also going to stop posting on ITH.  I still really love the site and think that I’ve met some really great people there, but if I’m not playing poker so much it doesn’t make as much sense for me to be there.  I’m pretty sure I’m going to make it to 20,000 posts and make my exit at a nice round number.  I expect to attend the ITH meet-up this fall and I’ll still talk to ITHers from time to time when I go to Vegas or get invites to local meet-ups, but I’m clearly starting to burn out on the whole deal.

Of course, if I win the Main Event, everything is out the window.  I suppose I’d manage to keep playing poker then!  I have received a number of requests from people who want to buy a piece of my action at the WSOP and I guess I’m going to sell some of it, since a proper bankroll for 10k events is probably something like three million bucks.  For whatever reason, some of my real-life friends are obsessed with owning a piece of my action and some of the forum folks have also expressed a strong interest.  It feels odd to sell stakes, but I think if I do it by suggesting that they shouldn’t do it, I can find a way that doesn’t make me feel wrong.

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