Burnt Out

[deception5]

Moving up is never a good solution. Consider that at 2/4 you would have lost twice as much money on these hands. Twice after experiencing the same thing you described I've moved down 2 levels to regain confidence (2/4->1/2->.50/1 and 5/10->3/6->2/4).

A few suggestions:

1.) Don't play 4 hour marathon sessions especially if you are prone to going on tilt. Try to play shorter sessions, take a break and then come back and play more if you like or even take the rest of the day off.

2.) Try REALLY hard to stop playing when you feel like you are tilting no matter how juicy the table is. Playing scared/crazy-aggressive are sure ways to lose money at almost any table.

3.) Take a few days or a week off. Especially if you feel a bad beat coming on every time you sit down. Especially if you don't need the money there's no need to make it a miserable experience. Come back when you are ready to enjoy playing again.

4.) Remember when you play that bad beats are part of the game. You give bad beats and you get bad beats. They should not affect your play no matter how huge the pot is or how many players runner-runnered you. If the person did something crazy, make a note - but don't let it put you on tilt. Focus on optimal play, always.

5.) Remember that it's "poker money". This can get more difficult as you move up. Losing 50BB can be really painful when you think that you could have bought a stereo system/computer/car/etc with that money. Remind yourself that you are playing with a slight edge and that 50BB swings are normal and in fact part of the game.

D5