Quit Because You're Losing? Maybe Not

Hi. Come on in. It's too bad you couldn't get to the meeting last night. We had seven kinds of finger food. I saved you about a pound in the back of the fridge. Dig in.



Here is another poker query that is queried too often, especially by many of the new hold'em players coming into the game. "How much should I lose before quitting – and how much should I win?" While I do have advice to offer on that subject, I do not have advice on specific amounts – for hold'em or stud.


On the losing side, I have read about percentages and formulas to set limits on your losses. I make it much simpler than that for my students. I say, "Quit when it begins to hurt!" When it begins to "hurt" will differ with each individual. Whether it's $20 or $20,000, the number isn't important. What is important is the effect it has on you and the way you play the game. If you're hurting, either financially or emotionally, you don't play your best poker.


Don't overlook the possibility that when you are losing, it might be that your game is off somewhere. Maybe you took a bad beat and it has affected your play without your even realizing it. (It happens, even to the pros.) You might have become a bit less aggressive after getting a couple of hands cracked, so you don't make the raise when normally you would. Maybe you're just being outplayed. Or, maybe your game is right-on, in top form, but your cards just aren't holding up.


Know that if you are losing, something is wrong somewhere. Unless you can figure out what that something is, I think you'll be better off getting up and absorbing the loss. Tomorrow is another day – hopefully, a better day.


On a happier subject, let's talk about how much to win before stuffi ng it in your jeans and strolling on home. There are no formulas here, either – and no limits. If you're winning and are favored to keep winning, keep playing. I schedule my playing sessions to last between four and six hours, and I make my decision about staying or leaving during the last two hours. However, if the people with whom I'm playing are having a party and giving away money, I'll stay as long as the party lasts and I'm getting the most favors.


Winning or losing is generally not the deciding factor in whether most professional poker players, hold'em or stud, continue to play or leave. Rather, the judgment is made on the basis of whether the game is potentially a good moneymaker or a dull, grind-it-out affair. You'll do well to realize that the only reason for leaving a good game, other than discovering that you are not up to playing your best, is for personal considerations. You may have a commitment elsewhere, or maybe you're just tired or hungry.


CHANGE OF SUBJECT TO MAKE A CORRECTION.

My error came while I was explaining that in seven-card stud, it is best to protect a low rolledup hand, such as three deuces, with a raise on third street, whether you are the forced low card or not. When that advice appeared, someone commented that not all professional players agree with this line of play. Many think it is proper to slow-play the hand. I agree. That is correct. But stand by for a logical explanation. In the week that followed, several local Las Vegasworking players also challenged me on this point. So, I had to explain to all concerned parties that I was talking about, but failed to mention, low and medium limits.


What's the difference? Shouldn't you use the same strategy at all limits? No! Definitely not! The reason for your raise with a low rolled-up hand on third street in the low and medium limits is that you often have five or six players staying in on each hand. That's too many for your low trips to buck. There's not only too much chance of being outrun by a straight or flush draw if you don't raise some of them out, but also of being clobbered when someone stays with a pair of fours and catches another. So, you want to cut down on the competition to stand a better chance of winning.


The story is different at the higher limits, where there are usually only two or three players in each pot to begin with, so you don't have to narrow the field, as it's already narrow. You don't have to tip the strength of your hand like you do in the low and medium limits, where it's either that or watch too many of your rolled-up starting hands go down the tubes.


You sure went through those finger foods fast. Take the rest to snack on while you're driving home. And be careful that you don't eat your fingers. Kill the light on your way out so that I can take a nap.


Roy West, best-selling poker author, continues giving his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas for both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Get Roy's toll-free 800 number from his ad on Page 150.