Do you stop pushing when winning?

[fimbulwinter]

often when i get a big stack live i stop playing as agressively as i normally do in what i think is an effort to avoid possibly doubling up another player who might then be a real threat to me. like if i have $1500 i won't really want to play a big pot, even though i should against someone with $400 because of the fact that doubling him up puts us near even. i guess this is a NL only situation.

my question then is this:

anyone else feel fine making what you know to be the right moves when you're not the big stack but then you ease off when there are no real big threats to you on the table?

i assume this happens pretty often in tournaments; if so how do you tourney guys deal with it, if at all?

fim

[PassiveCaller]

There's certain stack sizes and hand situations you should be more careful with and certain ones you shouldn't. This is more of a read situation on the player and the given hand. People fear a bigger stack and play against one a bit differently. However if you are playing this carefully due to a fear of losing the winnings you've already accured then this is a problem.

A problem that should be remedied by saying it's time to get up because I'm not playing my best anymore.

[tdarko]

if i am at a table and i don't feel the need to get in the action and mix it up a little or if i am scared to then i just leave.

IMO there is no point in not playing "your game" under any conditions, so if i am uncomfortable i go to where the comfort lies.

[SNOWBALL138]

Its important to have a good bankroll, but also important to have a good psychological bankroll.

Lets say that you always have at least 40x buy in in your bankroll. You have 8k in your roll, and you decide to to take a seat in the 1/2 max buy in 200 NL game. Your friend asks you why you aren't playing in the 2/4 400 NL game. You explain that you wouldn't feel comfortable losing %5 of your roll on a single hand.

You sit down in the 1/2 game, and on your first post you find AA in the BB. You run into KK and get all in b4 the flop. All of a sudden, you have $400 on the table. Your friend comes over and asks you if you are gonna quit. He explains that you now have almost 5% of your bankroll on the table. You shrug, and say "well, these are winnings", and continue to play. All of a sudden, you notice that you are only playing the nuts and everyone is running over you. You have fallen below your psychological bankroll, not because you lost, but because you won!

[deacsoft]

I sometimes take a couple buddies of my to my local B&M and sit at a poker table with them. I've been teaching them the ropes here and there for a while now. Anytime either of them had a nice stack going I always pull them aside and tell them, "You're playing well and have a nice stack going. Those are your chips. Now it's your job to protect them". It may be correct to advise them to just keep doing what they are doing, but I believe their mentality is still fragile. i think it's more encouraging for them to leave ahead at the end of the night. They're both oozing with potential but lack confidence.

[SeattleJake]

My experience is limited, but I do run into this during the tournaments I've played. Especially as it gets close the cut, I almost feel like I don't want to put any money out there, as it can be used against me. If I do face up against the short stack to try to get them out, I always regret it when I double them up, and probably consider it a leak in my game. Haven't read any tournament books yet, but I'm guessing at least the feeling is common. After I get in the money I usually switch back into gear.