Cold Cards; Ending a Session

I found the hardest aspect of the game when I started playing was discipline - learning when to throw away crap (and by crap I mean KJ, AT, low/mid SCs, etc) and not call raises with marginal hands. Anyway, I'm curious to find out at what point do you just stop your session when you hit a run of cold cards.

The thought came to me today when I "played" a little over 700 hands with the same old story - fold, fold, fold. We're talking around 6% VPIP% here... so yeah, it was a slow day.

So to every player out there with the DISCIPLINE to not play/call raises with crap, at what point do you just call it a day when you're on the cold end of the dealer? 100 hands? 500 hands? 1K hands?

I play one table, usually I put myself to an end after 2 buy-ins are done. I don't have any problems with my starting hand requirements, but post-flop I sometimes call or raise when I know I am beat. I feel like once I get over this hump, my poker would raise no problem. On a losing session, I have no problem stopping, it is usually after a winning session, I start to become loose and aggressive at the wrong times. Then I losing what I have won, having to go back and grind again.

Theoretically there are no cold days. I give up when I feel my play is being detrimentally affected, e.g. tilt (even mild tilt)

when i feel the cards are cold, i open up another table. seeing more cards = higher chance of getting a good hand for once. if it's still really cold, i just go outside and play basketball or something.

It's hard to go broke playing too tight pre-flop...

I've found adding a table or two helps when in a really cold spell. Worst thing for me is getting bored and then loosening up just 'cause, well damn-it, I wanna play something!!! A few more tables gives you a few more things to do when you're stuck at 6%

Just had a session tonight where I went through 5 orbits (50 hands) without one even limpable hand except on the blinds. I try to think of it as time to really get a good read on the table and take lots of notes. It can also be a good thing because you now have a table image as a rock - you can take some pots down pretty easily with c-bets when you do get some half decent cards because everyone will think you only call with AA/KK.

That's what's good about ring games. You can play extra tight and make it profitable. If you get cold cards, just sit it out. It may be boring, but it'll save you money. I once played one of those $3.30 KO 90 player tournies at FTP and went 2 hours without having a single hand not even worth limping in under the table conditions. That was brutal.

Originally Posted by sarbox68

It's hard to go broke playing too tight pre-flop...

I've found adding a table or two helps when in a really cold spell. Worst thing for me is getting bored and then loosening up just 'cause, well damn-it, I wanna play something!!! A few more tables gives you a few more things to do when you're stuck at 6%

Sarbox is on an FTR heater. Every time he posts, lately, I think

+1

:P

I also second what Ash said: I tend to tilt mildly when I'm cold. I'll often take a 10-15 minute break, then try again. If I stay cold, I'm trying to avoid the boredom plays Sarbox mentioned. So I generally quit for the night, and post on FTR or read a book if I'm not ready for the rack monster.

Sounds like me last night in the FTR500 I couldnt get a hand to even consider playing, especially with the guys behind me playing raise and reraise practically every hand, I didnt want to be putting it allin with 9/2 os. Been having this problem alot in recent weeks, oh well Euro2008 starts tomorrow maybe Ill just watch the footie and get drunk for a couple of weeks

oh wow i almost forgot euro 2008 tomorrow.....woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo