Going up early in a session

[Voltron87]

This pertains to B&M NL. I have this tendency where if I win a few pots and go up early in a session (200-300$) I have trouble motivating myself to stay and play. One part is that a $200 win is a nice session for me and and since I do not rely on poker for my living it is a decent win, I am content. I am confident the game is good and sitting for another few hours is +EV, but I have this perpetual fear of losing back the win. There is nothing more I hate than going up in a session and losing it. Nothing.

For example, during one session last week I had AA over KK early and doubled through to about 500, putting me up 300$ after 45 minutes. Mentally I have a hard time motivating myself to keep playing the way I would if I had been even or up slightly.

Any thoughts? I have these sessions where I go up early and get content with what I have and can't play right (I'm not as focused and I'm worried about losing a win) and I know this is costing me $$ that I would have won if I stayed another 3-4 hours. One half of the problem is I'm content with a medium size win and the other is I have this irrational fear of losing a win back.

Thanks.

[KidPokerX]

c'mon man. get over it. play the game.

-good luck

[TStoneMBD]

its just a natural human tendency, and a disposition persuaded by cultural society that makes us want to protect our advancements and be risk-averse. i dont know what to tell you other than that you need to be mentally concentrated on what is a logical desire and an illogical desire at all times. im a very logical, rational person, but i too have natural human irrationalities that cause me to want to hit and run on occasion, but i understand that they are irrational thoughts and therefore ignore them the best that i can.

[tdarko]

i try to be aware of my chip count but forget about the value of my chips, if that makes any sense. i basically am aware of how many chips i have (in comparison to my competition) but i play as if i am unaware of my gains or losses, this helps me play my normal game because i too can "tilt" because of a winning session.

[steaknshake925]

When I double up early in a session, if there's a fish in the game with a comparable stack, then that really motivates me to stay and keep playing so I can bust him for even more $$.

[shejk]

During NL games, I really like getting a bigger stack - it makes me feel more confident about my game, and more likely to win more money. Especially if I can identify some bad players.

But then, I'm not playing much live. My experience from myself from so doing is that I have much more difficulties seeing it all as +ev or -ev, you play so few hands per hour...

[ThinkQuick]

I guess I'll be the first to say it, but if you are in a situation where you are no longer playing your best, especially when you will be 'content' to leave, then you have every justification to get out of there.

However, rereading your post, I don't think that's what you want to hear. If you're looking for some help in getting motivated to stay, I say remind yourself that it's a game you can beat so you should stay, and that in NL, the increased stack size should make it even easier for you to win. This is what you really want in poker - exactly where you want to be. You don't want to leave a good game, you want to lean on the others at the table with their own money and exploit your edges 'till you have a very good session that leaves you more than content. A few of these should help you get over the times where you do end up losing back your winnings.

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
a $200 win is a nice session for me and and since I do not rely on poker for my living it is a decent win, I am content. I am confident the game is good and sitting for another few hours is +EV, but I have this perpetual fear of losing back the win. There is nothing more I hate than going up in a session and losing it. Nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ok. When you are up $200, quit. What's the problem?

Some opponents will find it rude if you cash out just after winning, since you are taking money out of the game and not giving them a shot at winning it back. Don't worry about that. They'll forget you soon enough, and their happiness is not your concern.

You have identified something that satisfies you, and something easily avoidable that upsets you. Great! Act on these findings, and quit a winner. Assuming you are a winning player, you are giving up some equity if you leave a good game. So what? Be happy. Leave. Happiness is more important than $ equity.

If you start to regret making a long trip to a casino, waiting for a table, then quitting after a half hour of play, then you have something to work on. (Maybe you can find other entertainments in the casino, such as learning to play stud at limits low enough that you won't lose everything back.) If you play poker for a living and can't force yourself to put the hours in, then you have a real problem. You sound like you're fine.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
For example, during one session last week I had AA over KK early and doubled through to about 500, putting me up 300$ after 45 minutes. Mentally I have a hard time motivating myself to keep playing the way I would if I had been even or up slightly.

Any thoughts? I have these sessions where I go up early and get content with what I have and can't play right (I'm not as focused and I'm worried about losing a win) and I know this is costing me $$ that I would have won if I stayed another 3-4 hours. One half of the problem is I'm content with a medium size win and the other is I have this irrational fear of losing a win back.


[/ QUOTE ]

Back in late October, November, and early Dec. I went through a nasty bad run in my live games. I mean NASTY.

I took most of December off, but coming back in January I started off with a couple of nice wins and then bang the nastiness came again.

It does takes a pyschological toll on the mind, there's no doubt about it. What's worse is that I was in the midst of comparing my stats for the last 200 hours with my previous 200 hours and there was a huge difference in terms of winnings.

Lately, I have been running pretty well again, but I also haven't been able to really escape the wild swing rides completely. I'll be up like 20 BB on the session and then see a good chunk bleed away. I force myself to cash out then because my attention span starts to wander and I am just not playing my A game converting most times into weak passive mode which I truly hate.

It's never happened to me before, but I guess it's a sub-consious feeling that comes with me recently turning full time pro and going through one of the worst downswings when I first started.

Lawrence