When done?

I guess one question I've been pondering is: When does one know one is done? When do you stop the session....I'm talking cash NL.

I do pretty well at a Hold 'em, $400 minimum buy-in, 5-10 blinds, at a large LA cardroom. I usually end up staying much longer than I had planned. This may be do to a host of issues. For example, there is a maniac donk at the table, and I just can't leave with all that money up for grabs. Another is that feeling of, if I can just wait to win X amount more, then I will be done. There is also the old: I have to make back what I lost. The other is, it's just so much damn fun.

I know that I lose my edge after too many hours. I am waiting for that monster hand, and less concerned about strategy and studying other's play. It can also screw up my sleep cycle.

Any thoughts?

Don't leave in this situation, if there's a horrible player giving his money away, don't leave (unless you need to)

Not sure about the last thought, but as soon as you have one of the first 2 thoughts, run away. Fast. They will absolutely destroy you. NEVER play to win back what you lost. That's a recipe for losing even more than you have already.



Well I think it's a given if you sense yourself losing focus it's time to get up and leave, but also going in you should set a time that no matter what you will get up and leave. Also if you feel yourself going on tilt you should leave, but that's easier said than done.

Just my opinion.

Anyone care to elaborate on the above point that is in bold?
It would be helpful to me.
Thanks

Personal 'TILT' is a hard one to describe, and thats why we probably all suffer its affects more than we should.

I tend to think I'm immune, yet logically I know I am not immune. Some things do send me over the edge. Recognizing when that happens will be a huge bounce in my game. Sometimes it is just a lean rather than a TILT. Those are the devious times.

As for the 'easier said than done' part. It is ego more than most anything for me. I get the feeling that I have a better game than that person, or some other person, and all I need is a slight shift in the flow of the deals and I'll catch up to whatever notion I have of something needing to be caught up to.

So lately, I have trying to exit a game as soon as I say to myself, 'Boy, dj, you should get up and go now'.

Soon I will be listening to myself every time I speak.

I leave a session when one of the following occurs:

• I am tired
• The table is no longer profitable. Reasons for that are many such as:
  • Remaining players are good
  • I am playing very tight and players no longer pay me off(and I am not willing to play looser)
  • etc.
• I made a lot of money and it now represents more than 10% of my BR
• I lost money AND my image is not good(whether for reason or no reason)
• I suspect I am tilting
• I have bad position and cannot change it(say a very aggressive player to my left)

The absolutely worse reason to stay is to "break-even". Your table image is probably bad after big losses and you are probably tilting(and not admitting it). Clearly, you cannot play your best game in such a situation. So staying to break even is a recepie for even more losses.

Another thing about avoiding tilt that I do is to play VERY tight after losses, say one round. When players tilt, they usually do the opposite which easily results in even more losses. By tightening up a lot, you have more time to shake-off a big loss and you don't allow other players to take advantage of you.

Obvously, if there is one or more bad player, you want to stay as long as you can, even if tired. If a better position (with respect to the bad player) becomes available, I will try to take it.

This is my 2c worth of session management.

One interesting cue to leave that I recently read about: when you make two decisions that you would not have made when you first sat down, it's time to leave. Of course that requires a lot of self honesty.