Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

Hey guys, first post in psych. forum. I am a SSNL player with about 2 years experience playing. In the past, I have ran relatively well for my SSNL home game (I have always played live, never really online), and in my mind, I know the game (and the players I play with 2 times a week) are beatable.

Over the last 3 sessions however, I have been running bad. Session 1 due to being simply run over in a 3 handed Super LAG game and session 3, where the deck was smacking me down. At what point during the session (in which you are stuck money) do you just pick up your stuff and leave?

In the past, I have always played long enough to get my money back (for the most part). This is an arduous task, but in the end, I am always stubborn enough to stick with the game until it breaks.

I have found that ego is not really the problem. I see no point to prove that I am a better or worse player than another.

My problem is being stubborn. When I am stuck 2 or 3 buy-ins, I tend to re-buy- in a way, you may call it tilt. My game is usually not affected by however much I've lost or won (at least I think), and tilting is not that big of a factor for me.

For those players who can give up 2-3 buy-ins, then stand up and leave, what concepts or modes of thinking do you engage in when leaving? Is it just pure discipline to say "enough is enough"?

Perhaps it is a gambling problem I have. Or the hunger to redeem myself after losing. Whatever it is, I feel I need to fix it before I move up in limits.

Thanks,
orange

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

After playing a few hundred thousand hands, losing doesnt matter. By that time you know your abilities and you know that you'll eventually end up ahead (or behind). The question is merely how long do you play.

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

I don't multitable as heaviiy as many here, so I can maintain a constant surveillance of other tables, asking myself: is this table better than all the others available to me (after allowing for empty seats than may be filled unfavorably)? If it is, then I stay. If there's something appreciably better, then --winning or losing what am I doing here? If it's a close call, I go to my gut: how do I feel playing this table (I actually try to keep in touch with my gut, regardless)

It's all just one long session. The tables don't care where I make my money. Even if they do, *I* don't.

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

I stop when
- I notice I make mistakes although I know better
- I played long enough (and therefore probably lost some of my focus)
- my tables break up and there are no very nice ones around

I never try to get back to even, I use tiltblocker and often dont even look after a session if I won or lost money. Completely getting away from your results really helps to just care about how good your decisions are.

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

Does your solution change when the game is played live? Live play differs for me vastly, as you cannot multi-table, nor use tiltblocker.

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

"For those players who can give up 2-3 buy-ins, then stand up and leave, what concepts or modes of thinking do you engage in when leaving? Is it just pure discipline to say "enough is enough"?"

I bring a certain amount with me (I only play live), which amounts to 4 buy-ins - and I don't really like to hit the bottom of that. So if I'm getting to the bottom of the third buy-in, I begin to feel annoyed that the day isn't going the best, to the point where it's easier to get up and leave. Often I'll end up getting some good pots before that happens and make back most of my original buy-ins (or even start making a profit), but I'll still usually leave when the downward spiral starts again (if it does) because I figure I've gone through the ups and downs for that session and I just feel "done".

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

[ QUOTE ]
After playing a few hundred thousand hands, losing doesnt matter. By that time you know your abilities and you know that you'll eventually end up ahead (or behind). The question is merely how long do you play.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm still waiting for this to happen. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I stop when
- I notice I make mistakes although I know better
- I played long enough (and therefore probably lost some of my focus)
- my tables break up and there are no very nice ones around

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good chart to go by. If you begin to feel uncomfortable with how much you've put in and think that you cannot go on playing an A game, quit. Re-assess yourself and your play every so often when at a table. It really helps.

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

[ QUOTE ]
"For those players who can give up 2-3 buy-ins, then stand up and leave, what concepts or modes of thinking do you engage in when leaving? Is it just pure discipline to say "enough is enough"?"

I bring a certain amount with me (I only play live), which amounts to 4 buy-ins - and I don't really like to hit the bottom of that. So if I'm getting to the bottom of the third buy-in, I begin to feel annoyed that the day isn't going the best, to the point where it's easier to get up and leave. Often I'll end up getting some good pots before that happens and make back most of my original buy-ins (or even start making a profit), but I'll still usually leave when the downward spiral starts again (if it does) because I figure I've gone through the ups and downs for that session and I just feel "done".

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for this post....this helps me because I have the same problem that the original poster has when I get stuck. I will try this when I hit a hideous losing streak...

Re: Knowing when to stop playing...(somewhat long)
 

[ QUOTE ]
My game is usually not affected by however much I've lost or won (at least I think), and tilting is not that big of a factor for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

We both know that this is not true.