Mental Factors and Tilt
May 8 2008
One optimal skill that all winning poker players must possess is knowing when it’s time to pack it in and leave the table. Hanging around for just a few extra hands instead of leaving when you should have can turn a profitable session into a loss, or a losing session into bankruptcy.
What are some of the telltale signs that it might be time to cash in your chips and take a breather from the game? Obviously on the top of the list is when you’re bleeding chips, but really that may simply be caused by something that should have forced you off the table long before your chip stack started shrinking. Here are five reasons why you would want to keep playing, as well as five reasons why you should walk away.
Reasons to keep playing:1. The game is good – If the table is packed with fish and you’re eating them up even when your cards are total trash, you’d be a fool to leave. If the table is weak and you’re playing strong, take full advantage of the situation while it lasts.
2. You’re winning – If you’re on a hot streak, the cards are good and your reads are dead-on, then ride it out. The phrase "quit while you’re ahead" is used way too much in gambling circles. Instead, ride your hot streak and quit once you start losing.
3. You feel good – Playing with a positive attitude is a much bigger part of playing winning poker than most people think. If you’re feeling good you have a much better chance of playing well, too.
4. You’re awake and alert – If you’re focused on the game and nothing else, try to stay locked in and play as long as you can remain distraction-free.
5. You’re having fun – Poker is a game after all, and it should be fun.
Reasons to walk away:1. The game is bad – If most of your decisions turn out to be wrong repeatedly, it may not be your day and a break may be in order before you go on tilt.
2. You’re losing – We’re not talking about losing a hand here and there, we’re talking about watching your stack steadily decline and never recover. If the losing continues, you may develop a target on your back for the other players to shoot at.
3. You’re bored – Never play poker unless you’re motivated to win. If you’re bored and just not into the game, you’re bound to make some costly mistakes.
4. You constantly put your opponents on bluffs – This is a common sign of a player on tilt. If you start reading every big bet as a bluff, it may be time to hang it up for the night.
5. You’re all about breaking even – Never play to break even. If you set a goal to break even, you’re not playing smart and you’re more likely to fall deeper into a hole than climb back up to where you started.
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