[Dodoubled]

Any time anything you enjoy becomes a grind, I think it's always good to step away and look at it from the outside in. Think about what got you into poker in the first place. Was it the possibility of making money, was it because your friends did it, was it because you liked the casino scene, or was it because you just like playing cards in general? When you can answer that question, I think you'll be on your way to figuring out why it isn't as much fun right now.

For me, I got into poker because the guys at my old job got me into it. I don't get to play as many live games as I used to because I left the job in December, and I have neither the time nor the money to travel to A.C. consistently.

That leaves online poker, which I play a decent amount, but not enough to build a serious roll or really get my skills where they need to be to build one. That's why you never see me on here hawking out straight poker-playing advice. I'll occasionally ask for it, though. But life advice? That's a whole new can of worms.

If you're bored online because you're crushing your opponents, moving up may not be a bad option. But if poker isn't fun to you right now for other reasons, then don't move up. If you want to succeed at the higher stakes, it HAS to be fun. The players only get better, and the second you start getting bored again, your game's gonna slip.

A few more questions: Is your game purely online, or do you get in some live brick-and-mortar games, too? How often? Do you play purely Hold-'em, or do you vary your games? When you're not playing poker or working, how else do you spend your time? What do you enjoy the most about it? And, on the same vein, if poker isn't much fun for you right now, what is?

Figure those things out, and I think (read "hope") poker will become fun once again for you.

My two cents, anyway ...