Knowing When To Quit At Poker

Quitters never win, or so they say. Our society has had this notion of never quitting in any endeavor one gets involved in. The never say die attitude has a strong solid place in most any culture. Yet does it have a place in poker? Perhaps it does have its own merits in specific situations. However, in the world of gambling, there is really a point wherein you have to call it a day. Poker is no exception.

Ask the experts and they will tell you that even the best poker player in the whole world knows that there are times when you should simply cut your losses and call it a day.

So how do you know that it’s time to give it a rest? Again, different people will tell you different things. Each person has his own measure of telling when he has to stop playing. Here are some “styles” which different players use.

When you are tilting. Tilting simply means that your emotions are way too high – on the negative side. In another post, we established that becoming emotional in a game is a big no no. When you see yourself tilting, quit. Of course being in a very subjective position, you will not always see that you are actually tilting. A sign that MAY indicate that you are on that course would be if you ALWAYS think that the other players at the table are bluffing. Another possible sign would be that you just desperately want to break even for the day. Yet another possible red flag would be that you just cannot wait for your turn – impatience!

When you have played too much. Yes, there is such a thing as playing too much poker. As the old adage goes, everything should be done in moderation. Playing for far too long is not all about your bankroll, really. It’s not even about the fact that you may be wasting your time just playing. Think about it, if you play for, say 10 hours straight, then you are probably getting tired and you are prone to making more mistakes. So check how long you’ve been at the table. Ten hours? Maybe it’s time for you to get some rest and leave the tables for another day. Do you find yourself falling asleep at the table? Maybe you should be in bed rather than playing poker. Is your attention wandering and do you find yourself having difficulty focusing on the other players? Then stop and give yourself a break.

When you have other things to attend to. We have to admit it, poker can get so addictive that we tend to forget that there are other things we need to do. If you have committed to some other task – either for yourself or for another person – then do not let poker get in the way. Sure, it is your passion and your time is your own. Yet it is, but it’s common sense to be able to manage your time, not only in poker but in the other aspects of your life as well.