knowing when to say when

I find it pretty easy to quit while I'm ahead; however, I find it nearly impossible to quit playing when I'm losing. I feel like I get into a downward spiral and can't pull out of it. It's horrible. Any ideas as to what to do?

I have just read the "Strategy Articles" and I think what you are looking for is there. Go to "5 thoughts that could cripple your stack" and check out thought #1....its all very true!

While I'm not a huge fan of it, it sounds like you need to set a stop loss limit. Basically, you come up with a set amount you are willing to lose, and once you hit that amount you stop playing. When I began playing, over a decade ago, I would quit if I lost 1 full buy-in (limit game).

Also, if you are quitting while you're ahead, that's a bad idea. You could be up from luck, but you could also be winning because you're focused, or just in "the zone".

When you're winning you want to keep playing.

I think you can't quite when you're losing because you keep playing in hopes of winning back the money you lost.You're saying to your self one round I could get lucky and win back all my money plus more, trust me I do the same thing that voice in my head saids keep playing you'll win.

like what ferguson says about the tutorial in FTP, if you are on a losing streak... just try to do something elso like watch some movies or sports or anything that will occupy your mind aside from poker. then go and play again once you relieved the tension inside... it is always a good way to restart your game again... cheers!

I guess i would agree with steve on this one. what you could do is
check out any bankroll managment book, or set a limit amount that you would like to walk away with that is obtainable. I usually end up doing the same thing saying to myself ill get it all back if i just keep playing, what ive learned is you can always sit back down when your ready and dont be afraid to get up

I don't know if you are talking live or on-line, but if on-line, go to play money and let your donkey side out. lol. it may sound stupid but if i go on losing swing ill go there and try some stuff out and/or do good to build my confidence back up. If i do horrible there i know something is wrong with me, tilting or something bothering my mind or just being uptight, so if i do bad there I take a couple days off. When I come back and I am more determined and my head is very clear. GL!

I do the same thing, throwing money at a losing streak hoping it will turn around...as I've aged and gotten a bit better at the game I've realized that after a particularly bad or costly beat, the best thing I can do is take the rest of the day off...Had one today actually, either from overplaying a hand or more likely cause it's friday the 13th(so it's not really MY fault)

Definately need to start looking at your own gameplay and take each situation seperate from the past wins/losses. It has been said before that you want to keep playing when you feel as though you are on a weaker table and feel extremely focused.

Most times I can handle my losses, but every now and then the NL gods just seem to be taunting me and I get mad lol.

Play money doesn't cut it but I don't want to lose anymore serious money, either! So, I drop to the ultra micros on Stars and play like a madman in the 10-cent or 25-cent tourneys until I've burned through my anger (usually 2 or 3 of them lol).

I seem to play better shortstack maybe because I am a lot of the time but when I get a lot of chips I tend to play hands I shouldnt just because I can afford it I think but you waste a lot that way but when I am shortstack I am more into it wait for a good hand dont go all crazy all in just play your blinds when they come to you unless someone raises nuts but I find usually you will get one decent winning hand there. Good luck with it, maybe I should change my name to shortstack I am short after all lol.

I'm going to take a break from playing online and go play live cash games for a few days. I'm definitely going to set a stop limit and read a book or chapter on bankroll management. Thanks for the good comments.

I recently looked at the length of all my sessions and ordered them to see how i was doing when i was playing longer sessions, turns out that whenever i had put in a 3hr+ session if i looked at the graph it always showed that i was WAY down at some point but always scraped myself back up to evens or up a bit.

I don't like setting a stop loss limit b/c if i'm down it's either through beats, which can't be helped, or my own bad play, in which case i can recognise that i'm playing like a turd and sort my head out there n then and start scraping the money back. I know people say you shouldnt chase your losses but i seem to crank out my A game when i am chasing my losses. Especially at the micros that i'm playing at the minute, I know i can beat them if i play well so i get dissapointed with myself and up my game if i'm down.

i like that... when i'm down the money i lost i always want to grind it out and win again.. and if i win i wanna win alittle bit more before i go sleep. then i end up going downhill from there.. and my nights end up in misery.. next time.. give you wife your password and all u gotta do is logg off... =)

It's hard to do, but I always quit after losing a big pot allin, rather than reloading and going right back at it. It gives me time to cool off and reassess my bankroll. I usually wait a day before I go back at it, and drop down in stakes.

exactly my situation..i always try to chase my losses and most of the time..i am successful in doing so..however sometimes it doesn't go well and takes me on a big tilt and i've lost whole of my bankroll in trying to get a couple $$ back..and thats when it sucks..hope i dont see more of those in the future! lol