Not putting in the hours when i am running hot.

[Sixth_Rule]

This is by far my number one leak in poker. I hate losing money so when i am down a hundred or two hundred in a session i have no problem playing 6 or 7 hour sessions. I do this because i know i am a winning player and that i will get to at least even most of the time.
My problem is that when i go up a hundred or two then i automatically want to quit so i can be ahead. A big reason for this is that i feel horrible after a loosing session and good after a winning one.
This has led to two problems
1) i am not putting in as many hours i should be putting in.
2) i have ocasionally had huge losses but, because i quit when i am ahead i can never have huge wins.

I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem??

[Sephus]

yes. the only solution is to stop feeling good after winning sessions and bad after losing ones. feeling good has value itself.

[PokerAce]

Think of your poker career as one long game. It doesn't matter when you get the hands in. The next hand is still the next hand, whether it's a minute from now or tomorrow. Play until you feel like quitting, or if you've lost your edge at the table.

Once you realize that it's all one long game, you'll stop being so emotional over your wins and losses. I realized I was at this point when I lost +200 BB over a single weekend and I wasn't upset about it because I knew I'd get it back.

[Ulysses]

FWIW, a number of the best players I know share a certain characteristic. They have fun and like to play longer sessions when they are winning and get sick of playing and play shorter sessions when they are losing. Of course, there are many factors that come into play, but it is not surprising to see that kind of playing pattern result in very profitable poker.

[emil3000]

I think this is very common. I did it myself earlier, now I'm turning to the opposite, like insta-leave my NL game whenever I make a bad call (which has been all too often these days). Neither is a good thing I guess, rational evaluation of whether the game is profitable wiuth regards to the level of your play must be optimal.

[bernie]

To a certain degree, I do.

Start by trying to play a set # of hours instead of results. Force yourself to stay until the time is up regardless of how you're running.

Then, once the checkpoint is reached, assess your game and decide whether you want to stay or not. Consider staying as bonus time.

b

[Michael Davis]

I'm not one of the best players you know, but this fits me perfectly. When I'm on a losing streak, often it's just being down after one hour that shuts me down for the day. When I'm winning, 14 hours is easy as long as I'm not sleepy.

-Michael

[aflaba]

I don't think that is bad. As long as leaving a winner makes you feel good I'd say that it is EV+ in a non-menoetary aspect to leave while ahead.

I also feel good when I leave a winner. I feel worst when I start a winner but finish a loser. That's why I've started to make a consius effort, to do exactly what you are doing... leave while ahead.

My problem though is that when I'm winning I want to keep playing, when i'm losing I get pist and get up and do something else.

As long as you put enough hours in while losing, and you feel good I think you're doing just the right thing as it is.

[TimmyMayes]

While this is true in theory the last hand of hte night or the last hour you play might not be played as your A game.
Definantly play hours not results. But find that mark where you start to deteriorate...play 4 hours a day exactly no matter where you are in the blinds or if you are up or down.

Cheers,
Timothy

[archmagi]

very true.
what do you think about applying this to multi-tabling as well?
lately, if i'm running badly on 1 table while others are normal, i try to leave that table. maybe my style doesn't suit playing with the players on that particular table, or the other players are out playing me, if i'm running good on all tables but one, there's no use pushing it.