Hi. Come on in. I picked up some barbecued chicken wings and seasoned fries. Try not to drop any on the new carpet.
When last we met here in the dark corner of your poker mind, we were considering the handling of your money - mostly, coping with a loss. Let's look a bit more at "loss coping" before we talk about the problems of winning. Are there problems with winning? We'll see.
It's not psychologically sound to keep playing at the highest limit that you normally play if you start consistently losing at that limit, and can't figure out why. You'll keep butting heads with players who are playing well, with confidence, while your bankroll steadily dribbles away. I advise that you put your ego aside and seriously consider dropping back to the next-lower limit for a few sessions. You're looking to regain your confidence and winning attitude.
It's possible that the strength and dynamics of the game have changed, as they often do, so that you now are one of the weaker players at this limit. (It's a tough thing to admit.) Give the dynamics time to change back while you work on improving your skills.
Let me toss out a few more thoughts for you to consider. Many players, even experienced players at the low and medium limits, work with the thought in mind that they will limit possible losses for any given session to a percentage of their total bankroll. Such a player might have a total playing bankroll of $2,000. He might decide never to lose more than $100 in any one session. If so, he'd have to have 20 playing sessions with the same loss before he was broke. This would make sense to that player, at that lower skill level.
You should see immediately that this plan has a large downside; it could cause you to quit a game with good potential. But when you're beyond the novice stage, you can make judgments of individual situations when deciding whether to keep playing or take the loss and hit the exit. For most professional players, winning or losing is not the deciding factor in staying or leaving. Instead, the decision is made on the basis of whether the game is a potentially good moneymaker or a dull, grind-it-out affair.
Consider that you are playing well but losing money in a game that has four players who are weaker than you are, and two of them are blowing off money like it was yesterday's tea bags. This game might be worth investing another $100 for a shot at that flowing money. Ask yourself if you'd rather risk another hundred in this weak game or come back tomorrow and face the possibility of a tougher lineup.
I've had enough of thinking about the nasty subject of losing. Let's look at the "problems" of winning. Most players handle the winning side of their game backward. They quit when they're
winning, but stay when they are
losing. Strange.
When you are winning, you're probably playing well, in addition to being lucky. So, you should keep playing. Keep in mind this poker axiom: "Stay to win, but don't stay to lose." When you stay to win, you're going to win all that is available to you. That's when you take off your big scores. The only reason for leaving a good game, other than discovering that you are not playing your best, is for personal considerations. You may be tired, or hungry, or have an appointment elsewhere.
Let's now put you into a good game with several weak players from whom you are winning more than a few dollars. Two or three weaker players leave and are replaced by stronger players. The game is not as good as it was, but if you're still playing well, continue playing until something shows you that you're not. That something could be a couple of losses to the stronger players, as you notice that your concentration is not up to its optimum.
You should be aware of the potential of the game you are playing. Let's say that in a $6-$12 game, you have won $500. You look around the table and see that the other players have only $250 among all of them. If you continue in this game, you risk significantly more than you stand to win. At this point, you might want to consider quitting, or changing tables.
Maybe you're in a game with several such short stacks, but the difference is that these players are madly giving away their money as fast as they can - and there is a list of players waiting. Now, you'll want to consider playing on, busting out a couple of those short stacks, and getting some full stacks of chips into the game. But, beware. If you can, evaluate the players who are waiting to enter your game. Are they tough, tight players, or are they loose recreational players who are out to have a good time? Use your judgment.
Any more problems with winning or losing? OK, my brain grows fuzzy and I require repose. Take a pocketful of wings and fries for your breakfast, and kill the light on your way out.
Roy West, poker author, continues giving his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas for tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome.
