Odd playing pattern lately.

[Fitz]

I have discovered an odd pattern in my play lately. Overall, I am a winning player, and for the most part, I play a level tilt free game. Over the last few sessions, I've done the same thing everytime. I have started by hitting some big hands and getting way ahead. I then play a long session, and I slowly give it back. I have even gone so far as lose all of my winnings back and then manage to get back slightly ahead. In a couple of these sessions, I have gone on full tilt which is something I have been able to avoid almost entirely over the last year. Very often these sessions become marathons; I am at the end of a 14 hour online session now where I am down about 12 big bets after having been up as much as 50 big bets. I'm shooting for breakeven.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Fitz

[Jeffage]

Do you play live or online? Sounds like online. IMO, marathon sessions are killers and should be avoided. Are you a pro or do you play recreationally? I would play in shifts...as a pro, try to play an 8 hr day and live a balanced life. If you feel like you are on tilt, get up and take a walk. The game will be there later. Playing with some guidelines will help u I think.

Jeff

[Fitz]

I play online, and I'm a recreational player. My normal session is about 4 hours, but it seems like lately, they have all started to become marathons. I take mental health breaks occasionally; they are normally a week or 10 days with no poker. I think I'm over due for one of those.

Thanks,

Fitz

[SittingBull]

and usually do well,DON'T play marathon sessions!
This is where "DISCIPLINE" comes in.
Find something else enjoyable for U to fall back on when your 4-Hr. session is over.
I like to read poker articles,biographies,and watch television stories.
If,however,U still believe U are playing a good game of poker after 4 hrs, compromise and play 1 or 2 more Hrs.
Then make it your business to STOP!
Discipline! Discipline! Control! Control!
Don't LET "poker" [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] control your life!
As one poster said,the games will be there tomorrow,etc.

Happy pokering,
Sitting Bull

[Al Schoonmaker]

Hardly anyone can play his best game after a certain fairly small number of hours, and nearly everyone is more subject to emotional reactions when tired.
Later in this thread you said you normally play 4 hours, but have found that you're playing longer sessions.
The link between the longer sessions, giving back winnings, and going on tilt is rather obvious.
The solution is also very simple. Play shorter sessions.
Dan Negreanu has advised repeatedly playing a certain number of hours, then quitting, regardless of how well he was doing or what he thought of the game. If that principle applies to one of the world's best players, it certainly applies to people like you and me.
If you had to drive four hours to play, that advice would be hard to follow. For an online player it is dead easy. I must also add that several people have told me that online play is more tiring than live play because you play more hands per hour, and it is harder to focus on the screen than on live players.
So set a certain time limit, then stick to it. However, if you find you're getting tired or losing self-control before you reach your limit, get out immediately.

Regards,

Al

[Ryan_21]

"I must also add that several people have told me that online play is more tiring than live play because you play more hands per hour, and it is harder to focus on the screen than on live players."

This is 100% accurate for 4 reasons.
And I do all my playing online b/c I live in poker hell(florida)

1: I usually get about 70 hands per hour online.
2: After about 3 hours I have a massive headache from my eyes straining at the computer.
3: You cant read players and I have a much better "feel" for the game in live competition.
4: You can be very easily distracted from the game, like I do. Right now I'm playing and posting at the same time. Very bad habit.

Ryan_21

[SittingBull]

quitting a game when one is doing well and still feels like playing.
Unless one is tired and is making more mistakes,on the average,than his opponents are,I see no reason to set a fix # of hours to play.
If I feel as if I'm starting to play poorly,then I'll stop;
otherwise,the sky is the limit.
Caro talked about stop-loss limit being stop-win limit.
I believe that stopping after a certain # of hours when U are doing well is putting a cap on your winnings.
While U have an opportunity,U need to try to capitalize on your good run.
However,I agree with U that after playing poker for about 5 to 6 hours,one generally becomes less focused , more tired, and is susceptible to more than his usual # of errors;
hence,a very good reason NOT to continue ,EVEN if one is doing well.

Happy pokering,
Sitting Bull

[Al Schoonmaker]

I've got no problem at all with Sitting Bull's position as long as the player is not kidding himself. That is, if you're playing well and feel like playing more, keep going.
Alas, I often THINK I'm playing well, but I'm not. I'm tired, or enjoying the game, or don't want to face something at home, or don't want to admit that these Magoos can beat me. Do I want to play?
YES!
Do I think I'm playing well?
Maybe, or I may just think that my B or C game is good enough for this bunch of players.
Should I play?
Hell, no.
It all comes back to my favorite theme: Be honest with myself. And, if I can't be honest, have a friend who will tell me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. For example, he might pull me aside and say, "Alan, you're playing badly. Go home."
Every once in a while somebody does it for me.
And I always listen because I know that they are more honest about me than I am.
Regards,
Al

[Fitz]

Thanks for all the responses. I think there is definitely some good advice here. I did read what Dan N. said about just playing a fixed amount of time and quitting win or lose. I'm not sure I'd want to carve that in stone and stick to it, but it does offer a potential fix to my recent problem.

The marathon sessions have come from a couple of places lately. First, for the most part, I have been killing the game. I won over 100 big bets in one 9 hour session last week. Also, my girlfriend is out of town, so I've had a lot of free time on my hands. I did go out this week and pick up Tom Clancy's latest book, so hopefully, that will fill some of the down time until she gets back.

I've also started playing shorter sessions. I work from home, so unless I have something business related that is pressing, my time is my own. Just today, I've played just over 5 hours, but it was 3 short sessions(I worked 2 in between meetings and calls this morning, and I played about 2 hours this evening.) Results for the day, all three winning sessions, and averaging 2 1/2 big bets an hour. Over the last year, I've averaged just over 1 BB an hour on Pardise up to 5/10 that is as high as I play online.

A know a big part of my problem has been the fact that I really enjoy playing the game so much. Maybe if I still feel like playing after I've reached my limit on Paradise, I'll pop over to poker pages and play for free.

It never stops to amaze me how much we become our own worst enemies in this game. Between playing too long, and going on tilt, it is possible to wipe out so much hard work in such a short time. I don't tilt often, but the night I began this thread, I was on tilt, knew I was on tilt, and refused to just step away from the table. My favorite gaming author is man named Edwin Silberstang; in a book called the "Winner's guide to Casino Gambling", he discusses the tilt phonomena in regards to craps players. He says when you begin to toss your money on the hardways and prop bets(which have a huge casino advantage) instead of pass line and come bets with odds(which have a very low house advantage) just pick up what's left of your money and walk away since you are trying to lose it so you can leave anyway. I think the same applies to going on tilt at a poker table.

Thanks and good luck all,

Fitz

You don't sound overly concerned about your occasional losses, you're a recreational player and you love to play. It doesn't sound like you have much of a problem. If going on tilt does bother you though my advice is to just take a break. Whenever I feel after a session that I did something inexcusably stupid I ALWAYS take some time off, chastize myself for being stupid and I don't play until I have emotionally recovered and feel that I can again play with confidence.

Don't count an Clancy's latest helping you out, I hear it really sucks.