That's about been my month CJ - I'm down overall $70, but if you take out the bonuses, I'm down in the order of $400.

The important thing to do is to review your play and make sure you aren't making mistakes. Reread the hands and see where you lost or where you didn't maximize your profit. Find out what has been leaking during the recent period.

Taking a break isn't a bad idea

Playing another game can do wonders (try some razz at Full Tilt for instance).

Keep your head up - review, relax and relearn. Pick up another poker book to give you a different perspective.

/d

Here's what I think. After playing most of the day, I'm down $9 from my initial deposit on Classic Poker, after 441 hands. I made back much of what I lost earlier today when I posted this originally.

Here's what I know:

I'm not winning as much or as often. Recently, the bonuses have kept me going.

I feel very strongly I'm playing better than I played three months ago. I know that I know more.

I know I'm playing a little more loosely, but also better with marginal hands. I probably didn't play as many small edge hands three months ago, but I play them better, understand position better, am more aggressive when I think I should be. I know I'm not a victim of Fancy Play Syndrome. (Already passed through that.) See below.

Here's what I really know:

In any new learning environment, you will slow down. You will reach a plateau which will either be where you stay or where you begin to climb the next level. I'm here.

I believe you can get more experience playing online poker--about the basics of the game itself--faster than you can back when you could only play live games. You play more hands. A LOT more hands. The only way to improve is through experience, and you get a lot more playing online. Very few people can play the amount of time live you can online. This accellerates the learning curve, dramatically. I believe that in one month you can get a concentrated experience equal to a year of playing live, only. With this concentration, however, comes a period of time when you have to digest what you've learned. Recently, I've gone back to read Small Stakes Hold 'Em. It's amazing what I know now, versus what I didn't know when I first read it. Did I process it completely? No. That's the point I'm at, now.

Does any of this make sense??? (I've been kinda out to lunch with my thought processes, lately. Too much input.)

CJ

CJ,

I know exactly how you feel, I have been in a rut for the last month or so. When I say a rut, I have been a break even poker player this month, my bonus whoring has put me in the black but that doesnt make me feel that much better. I feel like I am playing well, but the results just arent there. I had a 12 month streak of making money broken in march. I and now this month has not been much better. Its frustrating, I could say dont let it get to you, but if your like me, that is like saying dont breathe. I have had a couple of nights where I couldnt sleep in the last month due to frustration. What do I do, exercise and a couple of days off usually help me. When I get really frusterated I put in an extra hard workout and usually that helps.

Do whatever you need to do...either go to the strip club or get laid. You have to get your mind into a postive attiude or you're not going to win. Seriously.

CJ,

Here's a some recommendations. You may be at a point where your trying reach a new "level" of play quicker than you may be ready for. For whatever reason you may need to change your prespective. Some ideas on how to do this - drastically cut down on your online play for a while and spend time playing live games if possible. Play FEWER hands, but be more reflective on them . Another idea (and something that worked well for me) is spend time learning a new form of poker. For me, learning 7 stud/razz helped my hold 'em game immensly. For you it may be omaha8 & 2-7 triple draw. Doesn't really matter - the big thing for me was I was thinking about poker but not hold'em. The prespective change was everything.

*shrugs* That's my 2 cents.

Thanks, guys. All that is really good advice. There is another alternative...

Play through it and shut the f**k up!

Won everything back I'd lost, yesterday, plus a nice little profit. Over $200 on Absolute alone, at $2/$4. Caught enough cards to make my bluffs work nicely. Another couple on the Crypto sites. It was a pretty good day.

Anything you're going to do well enough for long enough will have peaks and valleys. If you're going to have any staying power at all, you have to hang in there. I'm sticking with the plan.

CJ