Help me with this psychological flaw

C

CashTaker

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Whenever I get up a lot of money, I start acting as if I'm playing with house money. I bluff too frequently and play too wide with my opening range. For some reason, I feel at these times like I couldn't possibly lose everything I've won and then I do... along with my buy-in.

What is a good mindset to have to overcome this bad psychological flaw? Is it possible to reset the reference point somehow?
 
Alucard

Alucard

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I used to be the same. It all comes under being disciplined. You have to play your game no matter how high you are up.
One thing you could do is set up a bb target for a session. Once you cover up that amount you are done. You end the session.
The other is setting up a stop loss or a trailing stop. Once you go down that limit (25/50 BB for ex) you get off.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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Maybe you need to change the table?
 
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Dani_California

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Definitely quit when you start to feel that urge to bluff and go crazy. Online you can easily change your table so the money you've won is now safe and you start all over again with a new buy-in with others who have approximately the same stack size too. I don't set a winning target for myself cause I have seen that I start to play different when I'm close to that target and that's not good. However, I would much rather recommend some kind of loss limit that Alucard recommended above as well. You can set that limit when you are winning and then if you start to lose and hit that limit, you leave. Simple as that.
 
BlackJesus

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One thing that helps me is to sit with straight back :)
It takes little effort, but as I am with straight back, I play more conscioulsy, more properly.
If I cant sit straight any more, I quit playing. Thats it!
 
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gofish

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I too have suffered from this in the past. If you sat down at a cash table with $100 and you've won over $200, then sit out for 5 minutes and take a breather. IMO.
 
MattRyder

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Pure discipline. Play every hand the same way, i.e., to win, or MORE IMPORTANTLY, not to lose.
 
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Luke_Pearce

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I have the same problem when I play live sit and go's. I just relax way too much if/when I become chip leader and seem to end up back down where I started quite quickly. My thinking usually is "but I'll have all this left if I lose this hand" and I make calls I wouldn't with a smaller stack. Looking at other comments I can see this is a discipline thing I need to work on. Open to suggestions.
 
quick

quick

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I've noticed this tendency too. Being aware of it is a huge plus and you're already well ahead of many players by being mindful of this tendency. Notice it and tell yourself/remind yourself to stick to your game. And this applies whether you tend to get a little looser or too tight when you're up with a big stack.

Also have to consider stack sizes so can't be afraid to make calls that make sense just because our stack is bigger. But definitely be mindful of changes to your play when your stack is big.

As others said you could also decide when you're up a few buy ins at a table to leave if you lose X amount of the profit. I was playing online other night and was doing well and made a call on a river that knocked at least a buy in worth of profit off my stack. While it wasn't the worst call and I had reason to suspect the villain was over valuing a weaker hand/bluffing on a missed draw; it impacted my game and so I left a few minutes later to protect remaining profits.

You might also consider the Ferguson method concept of leaving whenever your stack on table represents more than 10% of your bankroll. But sometimes as long as you're comfortable playing super deep, you're leaving value on the table by leaving when up. I prefer to play until i get tired or notice myself loosing focus or making mistakes and if i do lose a chunk of profit I consider taking a break or leaving with the remaining profit.

Bottom line: Once you start questioning whether you should make a call because you're afraid of losing the profit (and the call is sound and makes sense), it's time to consider getting up from that table. And if you feel you get too loose when up, then again focus on whether or not the call/play makes sense. Don't open your range to gamble with the profits.
 
paulinhlt

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Always put a bigger goal, for example, if you have 20 USD BR, try to play to reach 50USD and so on.
Then you will always play right and concentrate.

Because from the moment that you do not have objective you start to play bleffando and with too wide range and begins to lose money.
 
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braveslice

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I've noticed this tendency too. Being aware of it is a huge plus ...

I would guess most of us have gone through this.

First step: lallalaa I'm super player, I have macho money, you tiny fish will suck my round chip...

How it continued with me: 2. Next step is to start scaring a bit to play with deep stack, 3. then it goes a way - almost but not completely 4. HOPEFULLY (I’m not there yet) third phase is to enjoy deep stack play more again without worries
 
Trillian

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One thing that helps me is to sit with straight back :)
It takes little effort, but as I am with straight back, I play more conscioulsy, more properly.
If I cant sit straight any more, I quit playing. Thats it!
Plus it helps your spinal disks.
 
0

0_5v

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I like to move winnings to one side and leave the original, buy-in chips on the other so two stacks but on buy-in one winnings. Sometimes I also put some "I'm glad I didn't call" chips in the winning pile too. Or if there is no room on the table for that make stacks of each chip type next to each other in the same way like left for Buy-in, as in whats left of them.
 
P

pietpikel

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Whenever I get up a lot of money, I start acting as if I'm playing with house money. I bluff too frequently and play too wide with my opening range. For some reason, I feel at these times like I couldn't possibly lose everything I've won and then I do... along with my buy-in.

What is a good mindset to have to overcome this bad psychological flaw? Is it possible to reset the reference point somehow?
You need to get off the table with a profit, and control yourself.
Walk away winning , again and again until it becomes a habit.

If you have the option of moving tables and banking profits , do it.
Start bringing some discipline into your game.
Leave the table and go and have a great dinner with some of your winnings
 
J

Jmckay

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I feel the same. Ive gotta remember to play smart consecutively and take breaks for a day or two to clear my head.
 
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ritehere

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Well the only mindset to have is simple (at least in my mind). When you win a pot of money it is in no way house money any longer it is your money. I hear this "I'm playing with house money garbage way to often". Ask any (and I mean any) player that plays for a living and they will say the same thing. "If you win it, it is now YOURS, if you lose it. Then it once was YOURS.) Being ahead in the game just simply means that you are doing something right, playing with the money that you have won (simply because you are ahead) and thinking that you are losing someone elses money is simply STUPID."
 
Vilgeoforc

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Will help you stop losses to profit. Put yourself a task - to go when I win$ 1 or$ 2. It is best to go out when doubled. Was 1$ won 2$ - leave the table. And you're right - the more chips in the stack, the less they are valued.
 
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Rational Madman

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Your problem isn't psychological, it's rational. You are playing poker to get a thrill, not to profit and this rational error in thinking is the cause of your issues.
 
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Rollex

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From all people I know who play poker, only one is highly disciplined, he is supernova on PS. 99% - won today, loose tomorrow.
 
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BetterNot

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if you knwo you have this problem you should stop once you've reached a certain stack. If you feel like you're at a profitable table you can rejoin it with a normal stack again. Or you can just take a small break and start again a little while later
 
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JamaicanKid

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I know this feeling all too well unfortunately...
 
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sryImPro

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I'll try to bring up an objective theory on this
You see, the most of the players faces the same problem like you, we all act like it's nothing from time to time, usually we do not see chips as a real money, we don't feel that way, sometimes we dont even know how much money we hold in our hands and that leads us to lose focus and eventually our money. That's the ultimative goal of a casino. Do not do against yourself, have more respect for the money you have already won and work on your boundaries.
I've heard from a lot of players who were on a winning streak at the time when they start to lose, you know, it's just a casino money, probably as an excuse to eventually lose it all. I would advise not to go for the same flaw like these fellas because that would lead you to never walk out of a casino with some extra profit in your pocket.
 
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terryk

terryk

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Whenever I get up a lot of money, I start acting as if I'm playing with house money. I bluff too frequently and play too wide with my opening range. For some reason, I feel at these times like I couldn't possibly lose everything I've won and then I do... along with my buy-in.

What is a good mindset to have to overcome this bad psychological flaw? Is it possible to reset the reference point somehow?
It`s acually a good thing you have,,,it`s a total disregard for money.Which i`m certain you`ve heard as recently as last week(i think it was Phil Ivey said if you can`t take out a $100 bill and burn it,you should`t play poker)I agree:D
 
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Rational Madman

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It`s acually a good thing you have,,,it`s a total disregard for money.Which i`m certain you`ve heard as recently as last week(i think it was Phil Ivey said if you can`t take out a $100 bill and burn it,you should`t play poker)I agree:D
At his stakes sure yes but not at the stakes most of us play at.
 
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