Comment on Blade article

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

While I agree with the premise that if you have lost a lot if may cause you to play bad (Psychological Walloping) and perhaps you should take a break, I have always disagreed with the idea of setting a specific stop loss. The problem with this is that you put yourself in a tournament mode when you get close to this number and will be forced to play less than optimally, particularly in a blind game.

An example is: Suppose you are playing $20-$40 hold 'em, have $50 left (before your stop loss) and are dealt Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] under the gun. Because of your stop loss you may now feel that you have to play this hand (due to the blinds coming up) where if you did not have that stop loss you could simply throw it away.

best wishes,
Mason

[SumZero]

[ QUOTE ]
An example is: Suppose you are playing $20-$40 hold 'em, have $50 left (before your stop loss) and are dealt Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] under the gun. Because of your stop loss you may now feel that you have to play this hand (due to the blinds coming up) where if you did not have that stop loss you could simply throw it away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't a reasonable response be to say when you first go past your "stop loss" amount then play until the end of the current orbit/next time charge. And then not worry about the fact that you may play a couple of hands past your stop loss amount. In your example you would fold the Q9o and then play the blinds like normal. Assuming you didn't win either of the blind hands then you'd play out the orbit/next time charge and leave.

[James Boston]

I don't see anthing wrong with the example you made. If you're not "on tilt," and a stop-loss can keep you from loosing enough to cause that, what's the problem?

In your example, how -EV (long-term) is it to make the occasional -EV play that will either end your game and keep you off tilt, or give you a slight chance at re-loading and making more +EV plays? I don't think it's that significant. This is all under the assumption that using the stop-loss keeps you psychologically sound, and you never risk more than a few BB's on a -EV play that is determining whether you stay in the game.

[Xhad]

A similar system: I'm not the type of person who is capable of evaluating my state of mind objectively on an ongoing basis while playing, but I have kind of programmed myself to do so after every hour I've been playing. When my hour is up, I take a quick break, and I feel something isn't right, I finish that orbit and go home immediately, whereas if I think I'm doing ok or if my current mood is something that will pass within the next couple minutes (i.e. "My aces just got cracked by K5o and now I'm stuck"), I'm going to play for another hour. I've never used a stop-loss, but if hypothetically I did I would bring enough to cover my stop-loss plus enough extra to continue playing afterward, and then add "Am I past my stop-loss?" to the questions I ask myself at the end of every hour (I don't play anywhere with time charges as of right now, but if I did I would leave if I was about to have to pay the time-charge and my stop-loss was passed).

I´m completely against stop loss playing. You just need a chip and a chair. What take a break and lose time and confidance.

If you play online and you suspect you are on tilt, you should you not always get up from the tables your playing and take a break?. Do the dishes or something, and then look for new good tables when you have calmed down.
Knoss

[astro]

easy, if u have a stop loss just take your 50 bucks and run away [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]