Lederer's Advice--What do you think?

[TheManInBlack]

I just saw an interview with Annie Duke and during the interview she mentioned a piece of advice her brother, Howard, gave her that she uses to this day. I can't remember it word for word but it goes something like--If you are down 30 BB in any one session, you should quit (leave the table) immediately.

What do you all think about this?

If there is a bottom(losing) figure, is there a number of BB's you should leave the table with if you are winning?

I use this general rule myself. I tend to leave a table if I am down 25-30BB or up >50BB.

[tipperdog]

Since you asked...

I think it's absurd advice. That said, dropping 30BB is grounds for a good conversation with yourself before you rebuy. Are you really the favorite you thought? Are you playing your best (and not tilting)?

Chances are strong that if you're down 30BBs it's not a good game and/or you're not playing well. However, it's possible the game is still good, and you've been the unfortunate victim several nasty beats.

If you take a sober look at the situation and honestly determine that you're still the favorite and are still playing well, it would be a huge error not to rebuy.

[Emmitt2222]

I see no point in stopping most of the time just based on what your bankroll stands at. If you are running well you have no reason to leave whatsoever and should stay in that optimal game because you have found something good. Being down, often people play too long because they want to win it back so it may be helpful if you have that problem to set a stop loss. I don't believe in either of these however and I play as long as I can unless I feel tilt coming on. If you are playing your A game there is no point in stopping no matter how much money you have.

[tipperdog]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are playing your A game there is no point in stopping no matter how much money you have.

[/ QUOTE ]

What if your A-game is worse than the game played by everyone else at the table?

[GrunchCan]

In that case, you shouldn't even be at that table. Breathing at that table is -EV, so why are you there?

[TheManInBlack]

MY POINT EXACTLY! I consider a 30BB downswing an indication of more than a couple bad beats.

[sfer]

30 BBs is nothing.

[sfer]

She also put it up on UB's website. The point, as I recall, is that (1) you might not be able to see that you can't beat the game you're playing or (2) you might not be able to see that you're not playing your best.

If you can see that conditions 1 and 2 aren't met, then 30 BBs or any loss/win amount is arbitrary and therefore useless.

[AceHigh]

Mike Caro talked about reaching a "level of misery" where your losses start to affect your play. I think it's different for each person.

I definately think a big losing session can make it hard for me to play well. Since I play mostly online, I just log off and come back and play when I feel I've recovered mentally.

[Pawtucket Pat]

I don't think this is horrible, but I don't like it either. I can see how for a beginning player who has trouble seeing the long run, it would help. I used to get really freaked out when I dropped that much at a table when I moved to 2/4. It can make you question your game and all that. But if you're sitting at a great table, it makes no sense to leave because of a downswing like that. I've been at tables where the average VPIP is over 60% and I've lost the 25BB buy in and half of another, all due to horrible beats, aces and kings losing, never hitting a nut flush draw, etc.

-30BB is obviously a good point to re-evaluate things, but I just don't think its incredibly wise to leave a juicy table where you're the clear favorite because of a swing like that. Thats why you have a bankroll, and thats why you try to look at things analytically and avoid tilting.