Playing Poker on a morning schedule

Good Luck.

Poker is a wonderful hobby. It can be a tough profession, but definitely a wonderful hobby. I wish you well. Everything you posted seems reasonable. The only thing that jumped out at me is, "no music." Music can be distraction if you are constantly clicking different YouTube songs and not concentrating on poker, but if you have a music device and have the playlist already program I think music can be a plus. Everyone is different, but for me there are hours for me where in silence the hours are brutally slow, but with music time flies by enjoyably.

Thanks. Yea I used to listen to music or watch concerts on YouTube when I was younger and would grind for hours at a time. I'm also an amateur musician and love to listen to music whenever I'm doing work around the house. But for some reason I just found it distracting recently. I tend to get too into the music. Also an hour of poker now seems to go by so quickly. You don't really notice this when you play long sessions.

Some of your bullet points highlight a few leaks in your mental game

- The only schedule to follow is where the money is.
- If you need a break after every win/loss then the real solution is to work on yourself psychologically so these things dont bother you.
- Setting a winstop is just another excuse to avoid confronting the reality that your mental game is weak
- 1.5 BI stoploss is as frivolous as the winstop. Get it allin with AA and lose therefore quit when you did nothing wrong and the game is good?

Hi Phil, thanks for sharing your journey

I think you have the 'right idea' when you iterate the 'rules' that work for you, in creating a system that works for you - taking consistent breaks, no distractions from music or tv, not grinding unhealthy hours etc.. That being said, I think some of them are slightly misguided and there's a lot of good advice being dished out by our fellow comrades above.

"try to quit each session on a high note" - I don't know how you define this but I hope its not which relies on the deck being on your side. If you are able to end "on a high note" because you are satisfied with your decision making in your session, then its perfect.

- Quit playing if your down ~1.5x buy-ins. Harder to dig yourself out of losing session. Easier to play next session knowing you only lost about a buy-in before. I think you underestimate variance. I think anyone with enough experience can tell you, you can drop 4-5bi in quick succession even if you are a high calibre player, it happens a lot less often to experienced players but it happens. I think having a stop loss is smart but I do believe your limit of 1.5bi is very extreme. If you are playing 2 tables, I think a stop loss limit of 5 is somewhat reasonable, and once you get comfortable with that, increase it slowly to 6, 7... and so on.

All the best to you and your fam. 😃

I do follow the money. And that changes when you are single and 20 vs late 30s as a parent and stay at home dad. My most calm period of the day is in the morning. And if I try to play when my kids are in bed at night I'm usually tired, or just more anxious from the day's stresses. Plus in the mornings I'm probably playing against 20 years olds at the tail end of their all nighters like I used to do back in the day. Eventually I have to get on with my day.

Getting up to get some fresh air, stretch out your legs, gain some perspective, and remind myself how beautiful my life is, and how little winning or losing any single pot or session matters, is not a sign of weakness. It's just a preconceived notion you have that if you never take a break it means you are mentally tougher than I am. I'm glad you think this. I don't want my opponents to take a breather. Or stretch out their legs and improve circulation so they think clearer. Sitting there like a rock for hours never taking breaks is typical of poker players. It's not that impressive.

Quitting on a high note means if you won a good pot, or you are at the peak winnings of your session, you don't need to keep playing. Enjoy your win and then go do something else. If I sit down and double up my first hand with AA I might just quit and then enjoy free time or do other work. Because I know I can play another hour and not see any winning hands again. So to be able to win money in a short period of time and then get the time I was going to invest in poker to do something else or play with my kid is a very valuable opportunity for me.

But again, this is for people who have things they need to do. I don't have 6 hours anymore to play each day like when I was 20. And I have other projects I want to work on. So I am still grinding no matter what. As long as I'm moving the ball forward in life, doesn't matter if it's poker, or writing, or working in my garden, or taking my kid to the library, it's all part of the same effort. Learn how to manage life and not just poker.

I've been playing poker since I was 17 and now I'm almost going to be 40 soon. And what I've learned is there is no one way to skin a cat. And no one is infallible.

Also I certainly understand variance and potential to lose from bad luck. But each person should decide how to manage their bankroll. I can't relate to a style where in a session you could lose 5, 6, or 7 buy ins. And I've been there. Again, if I had 6+ hours to play a day I probably would increase BI loss limit. But if in one hour give or take you lose 2 buyins, it could be variance, but that can also just make any person play worse. We are our own worst enemy at the poker table.

Here's a real life example of Quiting while ahead.

Right now, Sunday morning. 2-tabled 30min. I'm up 50bb. My youngest kid woke up. It's about to be 10am. I want to take them somewhere fun today. Maybe I can squeeze out another 20 or 30min to play? Without being distracted by my kid? And still giving myself time to get us ready?

So sure, I can be playing for a few more minutes right now instead of typing this. But I'd rather quit now knowing I'm up for the day. And it's not just about today's schedule. My last 3 sessions were losses of 100bb, 25bb, 16bb. So to end that losing streak even for a 50bb win is a psychological boost. If this isn't relatable, if you are emotionally infallible, if reversing a winning session to add to a losing streak isn't going to affect you, then certainly you are a better player and on your way to getting a bracelet.

But I'm up money today which always feels good, it's easier to not think about it the rest of day when your up, I'm maximizing my time to spend with my kids, and I know tomorrow I will feel excited (but not anxious) to play more poker. Winning 50bb in half hour and then using your other 30+ minutes for family or other work I consider a big win. It's not weakness. It takes discipline.

Stay at home dad of an energetic 4 year old boy here..

I completely agree that playing less hours, on your own time is better for being a family man.

Your number one priority is to your kids, and in being simply present for them.

I have tried a version of your plan, regarding stop losses/wins.

It doesn't quite work..

..yes you feel extra good when you win, and not so bad if you only lose a little bit. But you are still attached to the results.

You need to play a stake with a bankroll where you will not be affected by short term results.

Things may go well for a few months with stop losses/wins, but in the long run, the variance will build up and your nerves will get shot..

..especially with the kids presenting new challenges all the time.

The kids will bring your nervous system to its limits if you are truly invested in them.

The poker will not help your nerves..

..unless you are over rolled, in which case it can actually be a fun time away from kids!!

Playing poker with kids is a whole new challenge, the likes of which most people on 2+2 just cant fathom.

GL! GL!

just no

the only schedule to follow is your happiness 😀

Yea thanks. There's one prevailing rule in poker. Trust your gut. It's not that I have a strict stop loss rule. It's that as I get older I become more in tune with my emotions and being honest with myself. I know what it feels like to be calm and able to make big lay downs to avoid getting stacked. And I know what it feels like to be anxious and have a hard time getting away from a hand. If you feel good play. If every hour you play you maintain peak level of Zen keep playing. If losing 5 buy ins doesn't present a mental hurdle to overcome, keep playing through it. Trust your gut.

And I agree about the bankroll. I'm still in the practice phase. I'm playing $0.50 table. If I build up my bankroll I'll get to higher stakes. And if I bust enough I will eventually give up poker for good. A big part of my new philosophy is to have other goals and projects in life besides winning at poker. If I fail at poker and succeed at another one of my goals I will be really satisfied and proud still. I'm certainly not attached to any poker related outcome other than being calm and disciplined and keeping the ball rolling forward a little more each day on all my goals.

Well that may be the healthiest approach to this game I have seen on this site yet!

You win!

"If I only .. " Really though, do what is best for YOUR poker/life spot at that moment.

I had plenty of moments when my stack was 3-5x that I really felt like cashing out for the day .. but ..

1) I felt obligated to keep the game going, not pressured by host, but it was in a charity room and want to keep the donations (rake) going

2) I felt like I needed to play my whole window of time

3) Didn't keep 'life' balanced enough to the point where I had enough other options to consider if I quit early.

4) Wanted to ride the winning streak

5) Wanted to prove to myself that I could 'this time' keep my stack

6) Failed to reflect/study why my stack had gone south .. just left mad

Now the Home Game dynamic is different, you really shouldn't CND in those games. Perfect point was last week at Hustler Casino where a Player was late to show up .. ran hot .. left the table a lot .. and didn't stay until the end.

But in your situation where you can come and go from online poker all you want it's better to only play when you are able to put most of your focus on the game. GL

Yes everyone says that you shouldn't quit for any reason other than if the game is good or not, however another equally important factor in my opinion is if you are able to play at the top of your game. Everyone is human, so it's ok to accept you can't always play at the top of your game. Good luck with everything and maybe just play smaller stakes if you're still learning. That will make it easier to play well if you care less about the stakes.