How much to play each session?

Do you guys have strict rules?

I generally seem to find I hit my peak after 2 hours and thereafter seem to lose. Usually I can call down too much and lose attention.

What do you better players do?

Stop after winning/ losing 4buy ins?

Stop after x hours?

Stop after the donks have gone?

Stop after you just feel you are no longer going to be +ve by playing on?


I have found when I am not at work and have a day to play. Just playing 60-80mins then doing other things for a few hours reaps the best daily profit. Unless there are a few uber donks at the table that is.

Set you some guidelines and stick to it. When you sit down make your mind up that I am going to stop playing when
A. I have lost my buyin
B. I have doubled my buyiin
C. When 2 hours have passed.

Of course, you can adjust any of the above 3 to your liking, but just stick to whatever you choose

The last one really is all that matters. Continue playing?
1)As long as it is +EV to do so
2)As long as the EV at the table is more +EV than what you could be doing in life

Sometimes it'll be late, and you're putting in crazy hours, and just barely grinding out a half BB/100 or something, and maybe some friends want to hang out. Is it really worth sticking at it to grind a few bucks an hour?

Sometimes the donks leaving will make the table -EV, or neutral, and then you might as well go. It's all about assessing the table. If the table is still profitable, continue playing. When it's no longer profitable leave. Don't assign arbitrary win/loss stops

you have to assess your own ability to make good decisions even if the table is favorable and the donks keep making bad moves when you can nolonger concentrate and take advatage of enough of those situations then its time to go.

Untill you can click mouse button. 24/7

I usually pull out after losing 2 Buyins or winning 2 buyins whenever my bankroll is up and running. but it just takes experience.

Play as long as it is fun for. Or until u pass out from too much beer.....Wait that might just be me.

Mase31683 said:

1)As long as it is +EV to do so
2)As long as the EV at the table is more +EV than what you could be doing in life

Click to expand...

+1

this, very very very very much.

play until youre tired/stop playing youre A game

Mase31683 said:

The last one really is all that matters. Continue playing?
1)As long as it is +EV to do so
2)As long as the EV at the table is more +EV than what you could be doing in life

Sometimes it'll be late, and you're putting in crazy hours, and just barely grinding out a half BB/100 or something, and maybe some friends want to hang out. Is it really worth sticking at it to grind a few bucks an hour?

Sometimes the donks leaving will make the table -EV, or neutral, and then you might as well go. It's all about assessing the table. If the table is still profitable, continue playing. When it's no longer profitable leave. Don't assign arbitrary win/loss stops

Click to expand...

I agree with this entirely, however this isn't the way I play online poker.

I play for a set amount of hands each session. It equates to around 1.5-2 hrs most days.

There is no reason to leave a table based on time / buyins won or lost etc.

However I find it easier to fit in sessions if they are scheduled by time.

If I am enjoying the session and the table is playing well and I have the time, I will play longer.

Id also say that time based play is probably the most important aspect of personal success.

As an analogy, lets use an athlete.

An athlete of any level, whether it be local or international, will train at regular times of regular duration.

This is partly because it's easier to schedule training in this was and partly because it avoids burnout.

He could decide to train twice as much twice as often, but without careful planning this could lead to burnout. His body may not be able to sustain this intensity over a period of weeks or months.

The same goes for poker.

You need to play regularly otherwise you do not advance.

You also need to play for realistic amounts of time, otherwise you play very intensely for 2 months and then burnout. The time spent playing then drops to a very minimal level for a period and eventually you throw yourself back into it.

The player who plays consistency will usually show better long term results than the player who plays spradaicaly.

This is true of poker, sport and anything else in life where the goal is to increase in ability.