[cartman]

I almost exclusively 4-table and that obviously helps the hand totals. Having played blackjack full time for about 4 years, I have literally seen it all when it comes to brutality, so I never tilt and thus never have to take breaks to clear my head, etc.

If your lifestyle is conducive to it, my primary recommendation would be to at least loosely have a schedule for when you play. It makes some sense to vary based on game conditions. For instance, maybe put in some overtime if you if have some real fish in the game. I try to start playing around 11PM a set 5 nights per week. One thing I do is play 4-tables when their are plenty of fish around, but when the games start to dry up I cut down to 2 or 3 (sometimes even 1) and read the archives while I play. In other words I sacrifice EV when it is cheapest to do so. Sometimes I work in additional nights or time periods, but I consider that my core playing time--just like a real job.

Lastly and probably the most important point is to remember above all else that, in the long run, you get paid by the hand. The more hands you put in, the more $ you get--it's that simple. Stop wins and losses may be necessary sometimes for some players for disciplinary, emotional, or table image purposes--but they are a sacrifice because they result in fewer total hands. But aside from those, any decision regarding when to quit based upon winning and losing is an illusion.

Cartman