Imposing self limits...

[Spidey44]

So I'm new to online poker... Do you all give your self a limit when you play? What I mean by this, as an example, if I play some low limit tables, I'll sit down with X bucks, and I was thinking if I lose X in that session, it's time to get up. On the flip side, if I am up by half of what I sit down with, I should get up. Am I limiting myself or do you think this is a smart way to play?

Thanks!

[omahilo]

well its not about the short term... its about the long term.

but to answer your question, lets say you are playing NL and you lose $50 with the best hand and lose your buyin... I would keep playing since u had the best hand and lose, only due time before you get that $50 back.

On the flipside, if your just having a bad run or tilting... I would quit for the day and regroup then play later on or tommorrow.

[SirFWALGMan]

I like the idea of a losing stop gap (beleive me! lol!). That all comes down to being disciplined and looking at the long term. I like the idea of stopping while ahead, however, if your on a good string why stop? Why not say "If I lose 5 bucks of my winnings I am leaving".. and keep revising this as you keep winning. That way you can milk your winning streak for as much as possible, and once you start giving some back you just leave.

[Talking Poker]

Quitting while losing is important. You don't have to set an exact $ amount, but whether you realize it or not, unless you have incredible discipline, you'll start playing differently after a really bad run. It's time to get up and take break. If I could follow this advice myself, I'd be far better off than I am now.

As for quitting when you are winning, this is NOT a good idea. If you are at a good table and you are on a roll, you should play until you get tired or the table changes. You need to take advantage of these profitable situations for as long as you can.

[Vatrlrman]

I also use the idea of a stop lost. I play mostly limit and use 50 bb as my stop. Also like SirFWALGMan I adjust upward if winning. It allows me to lock in a big session and stop chasing a losing one. (That use to be a MAJOR problem).


Good Luck with the Online Experience

[Talking Poker]

First time poster, I see. Welcome to the forum Vatrlrman!

[badblood44]

The key here is determining how well or poorly you're playing, not dollars won or lost.

I've heard pros say that they'll play until they feel themselves playing at less than their optimum and that's when they call it a night.

Sure it can be disappointing to lose a buy-in, especially when you feel you're playing some good poker.

Trust me, you can lose a ton playing well and win a ton playing poorly.

Recognizing when your game is faltering is a key factor in determining when to call it quits.

[GeoffM]

No limit for me. If I double up, I leave table and join another with half what I won, but I really won't leave a table unless I find myself getting tired or just not playing my best game.

[2Tone]

I’m pretty disciplined, and don’t go on tilt very often (which is not to say I don’t have plenty of other issues/problems). Part of the way I do this is by setting strict loss limits. I sit at the Party 2/4 with the “suggested” $100. If I go down to $40 (or below, but only as a result of having started with more when the hand began), I quit. If I’ve lost more than that, either I’m playing poorly or the fish are simply having a lucky night, and that’s that. Plus, if I have too little in front of me, I tend to feel outgunned and think twice about raising even when it’s the right play.

On the flip side, I don’t see any reason not to ride a hot streak as far as it will take you.

[parskynhutch]

What I like to do is set time limits for myself. For instance, I will tell myself "ok, today you can play for 4 hours". Whether I am winning or losing after the first hour is meaningless. As long as I am not playing exceptionally bad poker, I will continue to grind it out. After that 4 hours, whether I'm down a ton or up a ton, I get up and walk away. I find that this allows me concentrate my thoughts on the important issues at hand, like the cards on the board, and the players at the table.

[PShabi]

I think TP, Badblood, and 2tone have it right here.

I play until I feel I am not playing at my optimal level, and then I quit. I've had nights at the 2/4 tables where I've taken a $100 buy-in down to $18 and ended up making money in the session after a comeback.

Unfortunately, you "realizing" the fact that your not playing at your optimal level doesn't occur the first bad hand you play. So, I still lose a little money before I quit usually, but I'm prety good at figuring out sooner rather than later.

For a number of reasons, I've always had a lot of self-discipline. When I get knocked off my game, it's because I'm tired and can't focus anymore. Losing money doesn't change my play at all. To me, it's easy and natural. I guess it never occured to me how much of an obstacle this is to some players.