Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Hey mobsters! I am starting this thread to know how you decide to end a poker session. Is it once you have reached a certain $$$ amount? Do you have a set amount of time and play until you are done? Do you choose one MTT a night and play it until you are done? I am usually playing cash and looking for a $$$ target, but if I am tired and not as sharp as I should be I will end early, like after an hour or so. If I am feeling good but hit a downswing I will go for on for up to six hours trying to regain it (I know some of you can go on for much longer). Share your poker grinding habits!
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Canada
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 3207
depends on the mood and bankroll at the time for me...if i have been on a good run and up some ill grind 3-4 decent buyin tournys and if i bust out ill join another...if ive been on a downswing i may just join 1 low buyin tourny and a cash game to keep me occupied and end my session after tournys over...i play on my 2 days off, if the wifes working for 7-8 hours at a time..and when shes not workin and not puttin out ill jump on for a quick hour or so to blow off some steam
Joined: Feb '08
Location: Netherlands
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 818
Yep depends on your home-situation(wife, gf, job, etc). For me, if i play its most of the time about 8-10 hours, multitabling a lot of tourneys and cash games( 5-8 tables) Till the end when i'm running deep into 1 or a couple of mtt's, i just play untill i'm busted. Sometimes when i'm running bad after 2/3 hours, i call it a day and do something fun or usefull(or both)
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 852
For me it all depends on the game. If the game is soft enough, I will play even though I'm hungry,tired,ect. I will continue to play because I know it is still profitable to play even though I may not be playing 100%. Now if some weak players bust out, only to be replaced by much tougher players, and the game changes I will definately consider leaving the game. That's my two cents!
Joined: Oct '09
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 57 (M)
Posts: 667
Hi Mahdrof. I try to stick to th following.
For cash games - If I am winning or losing 15% of my total bankroll. Which is normally the latter.
For tournaments - I normally enter 10 - 15 a day and tend to play the last 5 differently than the first 10, but at the end of the day it depends what type of mood I am in for tourneys.
I think that cash session should be at least 90 mins. I don't think it's a good idea to make cash targets. I always play for certain amount of time and almost never shorter/longer. Of course I'll end my session earlier when I think I'm tilted, also it's a good idea to finish your session when you'r down like 3-5 BI or whatever you comfort zone is. It's never good to play to lower your loses, because it's a pretty good way to get tilted. When I'm starting to think "well, I lost XX$ so now I have to win something" I'll probably end my session, because that's one of a signs of tilt for me.
When you think that way your game changes and you don't even notice it at all, thinking that you are playing your normal game. I think it's very good to don't even look at cashier or session results during a cash session, of course as long as you don't think that you are losing too much. I prefer to stop bad sessions and take a break, also it's quite bad to play too long, like 5 hours without any break at all. Usually I'm playing 90-150mins, sometimes 200-250 when I have more time and I'm in good mood
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
Thats actually a great thread ans also a very good action. Well, i can talk only from my stand point of view since i'm a cash games player, so i guess it's a lot easier the monitor a session compared to tournament and sit and go players. First of all if it's a loosing session i stop the session after i'm on minus two or maximum three buy ins down. There is no need to continue playing considering most certain you'll lose more. Usually i stop playing for that day and hit the table next day. Now if it's a winning session, i continue to play as long as posible usually untill i feel a bit tiread, so no, i do not have a maximum winning limit i stop at, for example four or five buy ins. Or i also stop playing when i had a winning session but i start to lose, most probably i'm really tired and bored at that point so i'm pulling the plug
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Some interesting posts so far guys, keep them coming! I have considered putting a BI "filter" if you will to prevent big one day loss and preserve nice gain, but 90% of the time when I am down several BI and decide to grind longer I am able to recoup. The other 10% I will usually (not always) level off as I tighten up.
Right after I started this thread last night I opened up a session, had five tables, a cup of extra black in me and ready to rock. After no more than five minutes hit two donks who did not understand what my massive reraise with AA was all about and increased my BR by 14%! After a very busy day I called it quits right away and fooled around on Rummy Royal which these days is a nice changeup from poker.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
It depends - obviously if its a big MTT - then it ends when its over. But talking about cash / SNG sessions - generally I'll play until I have another commitment - otherwise - if I start tilting off buyins then I generally try to take a break also.
I try not to set target $$ etc - I don't really see the point- as variance and long-term EV plays out over a large course of time what happens in an individual session shouldn't seem to important.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 4827
When i sit in front of the PC to play poker, i like to end my session with profit. Playing one or two $1 SnG's at the same time, i usually go for about two or three hours sessions in the afternoon (from 5pm to 8om) during week days (when i can). Things usually dont run very well for me, i notice my disposition for the game isnt always the same, but also because i am interrupted several times, and theres no way to avoid that (family calling). So, after winning two games and have to get up to do something, i come again and loose three in a row, playing the last one to see if, at least, i can continue with the same bankroll i started Sometimes its fun, others suck, and perhaps thats the main reason why i still didnt made my real first bankroll with this great NDB's from BRM. Perhaps its my fault, choosing the wrong time to play, but weekends at night i tend to fall asleep fast, because i get up really soon during the week to go to work and at weekends i am tired...
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Germany
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 1242
Sometimes I don´t find the right time to end a session. Yesterday evening I played a freeroll at FullTilt, went deep (guess I was at 50th place from 90 remaining) 45 places were paid. I was tired, laid down on couch and played, then I felt a asleep. When I woke up I read that I finished 54th place, lol
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
For RUSH, I will leave when i x2 then start again, no time limit play as and when I feel. Normall ring games I can sit forever sayin 1 more round and I will go. So for me outher than RUSH I have no set goal, it is as and when I feel.
Joined: May '09
Location: India
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 4873
I don’t have any fixed requirement for ending my session, most of the times I have limited time and I try to make the maximum use of it . But if I end up hitting a downswing I tend to quit early to avoid tilting
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
Depends. its one of the 4. 1. winning a certain amount. 2. losing a certain amount 3. getting tired. 4. getting so angry that i call a hand in a situation that i wouldnt normally do.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 696
when i get unconcentrated or tilt. And when i play with friends and when the sun is shining the next day after a lot of hours poker and we all so drunk and tired, thats we must wake up the next player to act this is one of the best and funnyiest parts of poker
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Posted by Mober: Depends. its one of the 4. 1. winning a certain amount. 2. losing a certain amount 3. getting tired. 4. getting so angry that i call a hand in a situation that i wouldnt normally do.
ill grind 3-4 decent buyin tournys and if i bust out ill join another...if ive been on a downswing i may just join 1 low buyin tourny and a cash game to keep me occupied and end my session after tournys over...i play on my 2 days off, if the wifes working for 7-8 hours at a time..and when shes not workin and not puttin out 
ill jump on for a quick hour or so to blow off some steam
I have considered putting a BI "filter" if you will to prevent big one day loss and preserve nice gain, but 90% of the time when I am down several BI and decide to grind longer I am able to recoup. The other 10% I will usually (not always) level off as I tighten up.
this is one of the best and funnyiest parts of 
