Psychology of checking your stack

[J_V]

I have always been someone who likes to know how much they are up or down at all times. In live play, I count my chips often. On the internet, I check the cashier after every decent pot I play. It's almost like an addiction. Checking the cashier seems harmless but causes me some problems. I might tilt if I see how much I am down for a session, which doesn't happen often, but I do tilt once in while. Also, it can cause me to force my way back to even before I quit (i.e. if you are down a 100, you might try a blind steal that isn't called for to get back to even). Also, I am a person who doesn't like to leave on a loss so I occassionally try to force my way even.

So, I decided that I wouldn't look at the cashier at all. Maybe at the end of the week. This would help me not get results oriented and I really feel like it would help me play my best game at all times. I have been at it three hours. I looked once in the first half hour, couldn't help it - since I got brutalized I had to see how much I was down. But the next three hours, I didn't look and I still haven't and it feels great. This has been one of my best played sessions this month. I really think I found something here. Something about not knowing where you stand prevents tilt. Since, I play three 15/30 games, often shorthanded, it is easy for me to lose track of where I am. I doubt I could guess my stack within 500 dollars right now. Really gets the focus off results.

You guys should try it and let me know what you think?

Thanks in advance.

[JTG51]

Are you saying the site you play on doesn't show you how much money you have while you are playing? That seems bizarre to me.

[J_V]

No I am saying that I don't check my cashier. I play three games at one time, and hop in and out adding on if I lose some quickly. So, if I don't check for about half an hour it is difficult to know how much I am up or down without going to the cashier.

[soda]

Yeah, it's easy to lose track. I put my cashiers so that I can see my balances at all times. I'm going to stop doing that and try to stop looking every two seconds.

Good Post JV, thanks for the advice.

soda

[Mark H]

i try to play tight agressive lower limits usualy when i get to atable i usualy dump my chips in a pile and just keep my chips a mess it does 2 things that i see people talk about your mess and dont notice my play as much, you can spend the time stacking watching ps its also a chick magnet some girls cant stand the mess and try to stack them for you

[balt999]

I also have a bad habit of checking the cashier after every pot I win and every big loss....sometimes, it effects the way I play...next time, I'm going to try and keep my cashier off until I'm done for the night...

[rockoon]

here is an idea: buy in for everything you got (online)

[J_V]

Why would I do that? I do have a lot on there, however. Probably more than normal people would feel comfortable with. Don't understand your point?

[JAA]

After reading your post, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to stop checking my cashier every showdown. I never realized how much of a habit it had become for me until your post induced me to reflect on it. So I declaed, as of Dec. 21, 2002, I would only check my cashier twice a session: at the beginning and at the end. This will allow me to focus more on the games I am in and hopefully allow me to play better. I like the sounds of this.

Conclusion: I can't do it!!! Now I know how heroine addicts must feel.....Win a monster pot??? Oh yah baby show me that cashier! Took a bad beat huh?? I NEED to know how much it hurt me.. Feel like you've been getting blinded to death for the past 2 hours? Show me that it's not as bad as I think baby!

Anywho I had to give it up....maybe cold turkey isn't the answer for me....

- JAA

[thebroker]

I keep at least 350bb for my limit in my account. With at least this much in my roll I don't have to worry about one session worth of swings. Are you guys playing a short roll? Maybe that is why you feel you have to look constantly. As to putting it all on the table, I feel it is a bad idea. Gives away too much info how you been running lately.

[rockoon]

Poker is a game of information but this information is poison. If I do not adjust my play based on my stack size or "how I have been running lately" but you think I might be because of something as silly as a large buy-in, then you lose.

[JAA]

What you said makes sense, but I have over 400 BB in my account and still look every couple minutes....I don't really know why. It's not that I'm worried about the swings (I've been playing for quite a while and have grown used to them). There's just something about knowing exactly where I'm at each moment that keeps me checking.

- JAA

[thebroker]

What I mean is this. I see guys online that play with their whole roll say $3000, on the table. With a player like this you know how they've been running lately. There are many players that do this at all limits on paradise. It's nothing major but it is not info I wanna give away. That is why I buy for 50 bb and reload if I drop 20bb.