My Horrible Discipline needs help

[JDMcNugent7]

I am currently being an idiot... and having major discipline problems.

I usually play $1/2 NL 6 handed, have been killing that game for awhile now, moved up to $2/4 - killed it over just 2k hands - which i know means nothing, moved to $3/6 - only 1k hands - beat it pretty good - actually felt okay playing there and i actually have the bankroll for it now, so i guess it's not that bad that I'm playing there, but I still think I should have moved up Alot slower.

ANyway - i decide to be an even Bigger moron and play some $5/10 today for the first time, played only 100ish hands and won about 1k - which also means absolutely nothing.
then i did an even More idiotic thing and moved to $10/20 - played all of 20 hands - won $500 and left because i knew i was Way over my head and I'm positive all those guys are Way better than me.

This all kinda came out of nowhere -before this week i was happy killing the $1/2 games and all the sudden i feel like i have to move up.
There is No Way i should be playing $5/$10, $10/$20, and probably shouldnt even be playing $3/6 yet. I am very lucky I didn't lose a major portion of my roll while playing 5/10 and 10/20 and I'm glad i got out of it when i did - but what do u guys do to stay disciplined and stay at the proper levels ?
I seriously can't let myself play $5/10 or higher again for a Long time - and i feel like i'm going to have issues staying away from that game.

[Spuddy]

I did pretty much the same thing.....

I have been playing the 0.05/0.10 games mostly usually an hours work will triple me up from $4 to $12....

Well I haven't been doing well with them recently so I decided to move up to 0.10/0.25 because my bankroll could support it.....

Went their.... played good poker took two bad beats....

Decided to move up to 0.25/0.50 and won their.....

Then went to 0.50/1.00 and won their.....

I was over my head in the 0.50/1.00 but it felt nice!

[PShabi]

I just get my ass handed to me at the low limit tables. It keeps me from wanting to move up.

[Talking Poker]

JD - I sense great potential in you and your poker future and would HATE to see you blow it all by getting over your head and going broke.

STICK TO THE TOURNEYS. You are Mr. 180, after all. If that's not enough of a thrill for you, start playing in some $100+ ones. Hit the weekly $215s...

As for your cash games, if I were you, I'd be playing $2/$4. Hell, that's what *I* play when I play cash NL. If you must play 3/6, so be it, but 5.10 is definitely over your head, and I definitely don't want to hear about you playing $10/$20 again in 2006. I'm not even kidding. Just don't do it.

If you are afraid of being "addicted," do yourself a favor. Pick a time frame and go COLD TURKEY. That's right - no cash games, no tourneys, no TLB points - don't even log on. And don't make it be like 2 or 3 days. Make it at least 2 weeks. Honestly, if you are really worried about it, I'd make it February 1st if I were you.

And here's why..... if you can't make it, then you might have a problem. IF you can, then GREAT - you'll feel a lot better when you come back and won't ever have to worry about this again. Because you'll know you can quit, and I'm willing to bet you'll know you can live perfectly happily without poker. Spend some more time with your friends, your girlfriend, do some projects you've been putting off, whatever.... but no poker for the whole month. You can READ about it all you want (here, books, etc), but no playing. And if a week (or whatever) goes by and you feel fine, don't talk yourself into playing again. Don't rationalize it. Pick a date and stick with it - don't come back a day sooner.

BTW, I'm not just making this advice up. This is something I HAD to do for myself a couple of years ago.... just so I'd know for sure. And for what it's worth, when I came back, I went on the best tear of my life... that's what REALLY kick started my online poker career.

Take it or leave it, but that's my 2 cents. And based on the last sentence you wrote in your post above, I think it might do you a lot of good to follow it yourself.

[Spuddy]

Thats sound like a great idea..... in fact I might do that!

[JDMcNugent7]

That's pretty much the exact advice i was thinking i would get from u TP - and it's exactly what i needed to hear.
Quitting poker for a month would be tough, but i am Positive i could do it, and i am Positive i am not addicted - knowing i could do it makes it seem kind of pointless - but i think it would be a good idea to prove it to myself - I have to decide whether i want to do that or not- but i really will consider it.

I wouldndn't stick to tournies tho, cuz I make alot more at the cash games than I do the tournaments - if, however, I can't stop being a moron and playing over my head - then I will limit myself to tournaments only.

Just writing about how dumb I was honestly helped.
I got that out of my system, and I am writing right now that if i ever sit above 3/6 again without at least a 45k roll - I will quit for a month- and u guys better make me.
Also, I cash out some $ everyday - but today i cashed out alot more than usual - as a punishment for being so dumb. - I got things back under control.

Thx for the advice - i thought i was beyond this stupid stuff but i guess not. I think I am now tho.

[Talking Poker]

The potential to be stupid will always be there. We all have it, deep inside us - I know I do. It's controling it and limiting it as best we can that matters.

Glad to hear you think you are back on track. Let's hope you're right.