Why do we make bankroll limits and break them?

[duggs]

It comes down to a matter of self-discipline. A few people find tips and tricks that help them, but if there were simple things we could do that work for lots of people, the problem would be far less common than it is.

Psychologically, it's often easier to make excuses for something we did than not to do it in the first place. But we can all do the latter at times, so one possible way to address this issue is to figure out how / why we can be more self-disciplined in certain RL situations, and then to adapt from those to poker.

iv never had a problem not moving up till rolled, i find it much harder to instantly move down right after getting up. i still do it but its not fun

 

[topper39]

This is exactly it. I think it's caused by emotions and ego as well. I usually set myself some limits too, but to be honest, I don't remember a time when I was losing and actually moved down in stakes when I should. My ego just didn't allow me to do that, and moreover it's very hard to stop tilting by playing for less money than you losed (which is the reason of that tilt).
But I think it's not only me, my guess would be that this exactly same problem has like 80% of people playing poker. So I wouldn't call it a psychological problem, it's natural problem of majority imo. There is definitely a lack of strong will and self-control through the population.

 

[trolaAa]

If you dont have the discipline to play the game properly then this is not your business and u suck.As earlier you understand that less money u will waste.

 

[Carl Trooper]

because we are human and we constantly make mistakes in life!

 

[jsh169]

because we are human and we constantly make mistakes in life!

This and you may see a very good game and get tempted, that is typically what makes me go out of my bankroll, although lately it has not been a very wise decision at at all.

 

[BigJamo]

Nice Thread. Good read.

Im not a very good gambler & play poker cause I love it. So money or the size of the win is not important to me. Taking down a tourney or leaving a ring game with more than you started with, feels better than the size of the win.

So yeah, Ive always stuck to basic BRM rules & if anything am a bit over protective of my roll.

 

[rw11687]

I tend to be very bad at bankroll management nowadays. Before Black Friday, I played several hours a day and was at the peak of my game, regularly winning several thousand a month in 1/2 NLHE. At that point I had strong BY management and could handle any swings without issue.

Since that point, I have played off and on. But I have never been able to get the discipline back. One strategy I am employing is to try to build from free rolls rather than deposit. This is how I got my start originally as a poor college kid and I truly believe it taught me a lot. Not only does it improve your game just solely from seeing so many hands, but you tend to be much more stingy with your winnings as it is so hard to get anything meaningful from freerolls. I hope this helps bring back my BY discipline.

 

[duggs]

200nl reg goes to free rolls to rebuild discipline? i call bullshit

 

[rw11687]

200nl reg goes to free rolls to rebuild discipline? i call bullshit

Perhaps treating people with a little more respect will not alienate new members trying to contribute...just a thought.

Anyways, allow me to explain.

As mentioned, I am a FORMER regular 200nl player, I was successful at that level several years ago. I pulled my money and stopped playing regularly in late 2007 to focus on school and an internship. Since that time, I have played on and off, no longer than a few months at a time, making deposits between $50-$200 on 5-6 occasions. In each of those stints, I had short term success but long term failure.

Looking back at those times, I realize I had lost a lot of BR discipline and regularly played well outside of what I should have been. I would get the itch to play 100 and 200 NLHE again but never had the BR to support swings at those levels.

Also, I realize I was very naive to think my skills were at the same level or even that the game was still the same. While my knowledge of the game and overall strategy/concepts were still there, the nuances were gone. The skills of recognizing subtlties in betting patterns and understanding the right time to switch gears...all the important skills that require continuous honing and development to stay sharp. When I look back at my time when I was successful, I give a lot of credit to the grind of building from freeroll winnings. I was developing those skills and when I had a small amount of money, I was very disciplined to stretch it out and make the most of it. It was during this time that I developed good BR mgmt. And building to 200nl was not a short process, which allowed me to develop the skills at each level building up to it.

So, for me, I think there is a lot of value in taking that approach this time around. I can begin rebuilding my skill set and develop more "respect" for my BR, which will hopefully bring back the discipline needed.

 

[Staneff]

90% of poker players have gambling problems. Other 10% are suxesful poker players. If someone earns money playing poker someone other loses money.

 

[rickypr18]

I just rack disciprine.

 

[thatgreekdude]

i'd say it's a lack of patience/discipline, some people just have a knack for it whilst others don't.

 

[Tgen]

it depends on many factors , if you actually play with the mindset to make a lot of money , you will lose your patience fast and fall into many traps.

Your irl situation plays a big factor here , if its bad then this will make you prone to ignore your bankroll management but if its healthy and well , you will actually have better psychology and mindset when you play.

 

[rifflemao]

If you dont have the discipline to play the game properly then this is not your business and u suck.As earlier you understand that less money u will waste.

The above response may seem kind of blunt, but there is some truth to it. Realizing that I sucked at the levels I was taking shots at insta-cured me from brm problems. All it took was a few hand history reviews to see how I was playing scared and getting outplayed.

We have some great players here that can still play well while under-rolled, but I'm generally not one of them and have the graphs to prove it, lol.