The dispostion effect

[Mikey]

I have a problem......

when I'm playing poker and I'm off to a huge win early, I sometimes cut my sessions a lot shorter to insure that I have a victory for the day.

Sometimes there is also a long gap of time from when I begin my next session so I can savor the victory of my win...

when I'm playing poker and I'm off to slow start or losing my sessions will generally be longer, somtimes a lot longer than if I had a win.

I want to make sure that you understand that I do not play any differently when I'm winning and when I'm losing at least in my conscious mind I don't. For instance I don't try to force a hand or gamble it up to get back to even which can dig me into a bigger hole when I'm losing.

What I would like to know from you is what is a good way to counter this level of thinking from a psychological perspective?

Any thoughts? Ideas? Helpful comments?

Thanks in advance.
Mikey.

[BugSplatt]

If you have the book "Inside the Poker Mind," by John Feeney, there is a good essay in it called "The Hit and Run Follies."

Maybe that will provide you with some answers.

If you don't have the book, perhaps the essay is here in the archives somewhere.

Bug

[tek]

Mike Caro said it best an said it succinctly: "If you are winning, keep playing. If you are losing stop or change tables."

Winning begets winning because your table image improves. With a good table image you can semi-bluff or stone bluff. Plus you can play rushes.

Losing makes sharks converge on your bloody carcas. Not only do you not have a good table image, but your confidence will decrease, tells will emerge and you will get played at.

I would also question your motivation for playing...

[Al Schoonmaker]

Rolf Slotboom has written about this subject. Email him at either rolfslotboom@chello.com, acespeaks@hotmail.com to get his article on it.
Regards,
Al