Round figure syndrome

[Kimmo]

I have a problem with round figures.

Scenario 1: I've been winning all night and have $4995. I decide to play a couple of hands before I go to sleep to get to $5000. This never works. Suddenly I notice I'm down to $3100 or worse.

Scenario 2: I have $5200 and hit a losing streak so i drop down to $4900 and panic or get depressed because I dropped below the magic 5k, i desperately try to get back to 5k and there goes my bankroll again.

Scenario 3: I have $580 on table, the action seems to have died and I decide to leave at $600 or if I drop down to $550. Of course I drop down to $545 and soon all my profit has been lost.

I'm sure you get the point. How can I get rid of this?

[z80x86]

I used to think about this, but it never bothered me that much. Just think of poker as a never ending game, not a bunch of individual sessions. It's better to leave at 3996 than making poor plays to try to get to 4000.

[PairTheBoard]

I try to tell myself that I need to be just as satisfied with a losing session, or one where I slid back from the top, as with a winning session where I quit on a winner. I practice telling myself this because I know if I can't at least progress toward this ideal, the emotional strain is likely to severly hurt my longevity in the game.

PairTheBoard

[USGrant]

Play when your game is sharp and the table is profitable. Stop playing when you're game is weaker than normal and/or the table is too tough. Everything else should be secondary. It is one long session. Booking wins is good for your poker psych, but round numbers are meaningless.

[tylerdurden]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a problem with round figures.

[/ QUOTE ]

Go buy some Kenny Rogers. "You never count your money when your sittin at the table..."

[Erik Blazynski]

First of all always count your money when you're sitting at the table. Second, you should always be focused on making the right decisions at every moment. Stack size should not really play except in tournaments. If you are playing no limit you should not be playing with your entire bankroll, so unless you have too few chips to play properly your stack should not be a consideration. Concentrate on making the right play at every opportunity and let the chips stack or unstack themselves.. Then play until you are tired of playing or have another obligation.

OR.... Maybe you have Obsesive compulsive disorder.

[shermn27]

I must first admit that I thought this post was going to be about some sort of health thing (Such as I have 'Round Figure' meaning I am overweight and need help), so for that I laugh at myself.

Next I have to agree with the previous advice that considers all of poker one big game that never ends so it doesn't matter if I won or lost on my previous hand.

I also agree that you should stay at the table so long as it is +EV for you and -EV for you opponents. This means, if you get tired, tough players arrive, or the bad player(s) leave, quit!

On the issue of counting money - one should follow Kenny's advice if counting his or her chips makes one change his or her play. (Ex: Some people get tight-weak when they realize they are ahead)

My final recommendation is to set a time limit for play. Either in terms of hours or in number of hands played. That way you have a predetermined stopping point and don't have to think about when you want to quit.

Good luck.

[LuvDemNutz]

I have the same syndrome.

[JobyWan]

Try setting a round figure as a total bankroll goal - make it far enough above your current bankroll that's it's reachable, but not in one session - then feed your bankroll towards that round number. The time thing might work. It's a shame to leave a good game because of a pre-ordained time framework, but if you are close to making it to a rounded time increment, at least you can play tight until that time comes, as opposed to pushing for an extra buck or two. The time can be the round number. I'll play 3 hours on the dot, and divide my total win by 3 to get my hourly. Then round down your hourly if you tell anyone about your session - that way you actually made a little higher hourly than you reported. And that little overage can be used to mentally compensate for a slight underage. I'm at 4938, but I quit last time at 5102, so that evens out to 5K. Just wierd tricks or gimmicks that may or may not work. I use them all at various times to combat round number syndrome if it's affecting my play.

Discipline,
JobyWan

[R_Ellender]

I used to do the same thing, but then I read one of Negreanu's articles about playing hours instead of results. I think that's the best way to play, because I'm rarely worried about where my money's at. I'm more worried about the correct decision at any given moment.

However, if a game is really good, I might decide to stay longer... but I always decide on an amount of time, like one or two more hours. I don't decide to stay until I'm up some certain amount. Also, if I'm getting beaten down, I might take a 30min break to clear my mind, and complete my total hours later when my mind isn't scarred by a few bad beats.