Am I being completely irrational here?

My buddy comes up with 'systems' all the time. He doesn't play roulette anymore (thank god), but he still tries to come up with some system to always win at poker. I tell him the same thing every time: Systems are for gamblers.

Well, I'm in a bit of a slump right now, and maybe I need a break, but I really can't take one right now. My stamina is all but shot, so I figure I'll maybe play 4 hours max. A conversation with a very good player I know came to the conclusion that in a game with a max buy in, when you get to 5 or 6 buy ins, you should leave because you're just protecting your stack at that point. So I figure I'll end a session at 4 hours or 5 buyins.

That sounds like a system to me... Am I nuts?

You sure are. Yea thats a system. If everyone else is sat at 1 buyin then why change tables? If there is one guy at the table who has this nasty habbit. He folds every hand but 23o, and every time he gets 23o he pushes preflop, but hes been pretty lucky and cracked AA the 3 times hes been called and is now sat at 8 buyins then why would you leave? You are getting a great shot at doubling up again.

If on the other hand all of the big stacks are equal/better players than you then you should consider leaving.

Its another one of those "it depends" moments

It depends, it depends, it depends...

It's killing me, I'm barely making enough money to support myself now of all times, when I'm trying to rebuild my roll after a really cold week.

It's like half way through a session I stop thinking clearly. Last night I drank some with the folks at dinner, then headed to the casino and had a very strong irish coffee as my first drink at the table. I still played well for a while, but ended up donking off my stack with quite possibly the worst play I've ever made.

I think I'm gonna have to set a time limit on myself, because I have been losing my cool a few hours into it a lot lately.

if you go to play while you feel you need to win you will lose every time

I'm still within my bankroll, I just moved down limits. It's just a shitty time to be having these kind of problems

Originally Posted by dev

My buddy comes up with 'systems' all the time. He doesn't play roulette anymore (thank god), but he still tries to come up with some system to always win at poker. I tell him the same thing every time: Systems are for gamblers.

Well, I'm in a bit of a slump right now, and maybe I need a break, but I really can't take one right now. My stamina is all but shot, so I figure I'll maybe play 4 hours max. A conversation with a very good player I know came to the conclusion that in a game with a max buy in, when you get to 5 or 6 buy ins, you should leave because you're just protecting your stack at that point. So I figure I'll end a session at 4 hours or 5 buyins.

That sounds like a system to me... Am I nuts?

I love a game where I am up 5 buy-ins. It's usually a great game that I am killing, no way I am leaving. If you start playing differently (too conservative) then that is a different story.

Originally Posted by piratepeaty

I love a game where I am up 5 buy-ins. It's usually a great game that I am killing, no way I am leaving. If you start playing differently (too conservative) then that is a different story.

Unless all the bad players have left because youve taken their money, and decent TAGs who see the high VPIP and pot size have taken their seats.

This situation is pretty common and usually means time to find a new table.

Originally Posted by Pelion

Originally Posted by piratepeaty

I love a game where I am up 5 buy-ins. It's usually a great game that I am killing, no way I am leaving. If you start playing differently (too conservative) then that is a different story.

Unless all the bad players have left because youve taken their money, and decent TAGs who see the high VPIP and pot size have taken their seats.

This situation is pretty common and usually means time to find a new table.

Agreed.

Leaving when your ahead is always a good thing, its not a system.
Setting an actual value to the amount you need before you can leave can cause problems.

If you start losing concentration after a few hours, at the same table, try changing tables.

Sometimes I find that once I've been at the same table a long time I'm not paying as much attention simply because it feels like I dont have too since I've observed them long enough to know how their playing.

When you first sit down you are very attentive trying to pick up anything you can about habits.

If its got nothing to do with a particular table and you cannot concentrate in general, then you are just burnt out and need a break.

--neo

I love playing with a big stack!!

I find I make most profit when I am perceived as being the table bully.
I tend to loosen up my game a little, push the scared weak players off the pot occasionally and when I hit my hand drop the hammer! Suprising how many people pay me off with moderate hands to my nuts.

I will only leave a table if i think it has gotten too good for me, or if i feel I am off my game due to tiredness/drunkeness

Originally Posted by boyobach

with moderate hands to my nuts.

teehee

Originally Posted by neophyte

Leaving when your ahead is always a good thing

Not if you're leaving because you're ahead. If you're leaving for another reason, fine.

About the VP$IP comment, I'm playing rl games, no stats there! I don't play too much online. I'm extremely lagg most of the time because I am very good at controling the table. You can't really do that sort of head game stuff online.

I'm kind of more the intuitive player rather than the logical player. It doesn't make much sence given my personality and past, but that's just kinda how my game developed. Anyway, intuitive + casino = +EV, logical + online = +EV.

I'm just gonna take a break. I kinda discarded Greedo's comment, because it's not entirely accurate about my current situation, but in retrospect I think it's close enough to my attitude right now that I really need to take a break. I can take a week off and not really have any problems financially, so I think that's what I'm going to do.

I think I've been introduced to burnout. He's the smelly asshole that sits to your left and hits EVERYTHING.