Length of a session

[Growface]

What is the best length of a session to play without getting your game get dropped because of concentration loss?

[ccottis]

This will be massively dependent on the player. It also depends on how many tables you are playing. I think I could play a single MTT well for a lot longer than I could 4 table cash. I can't multi-table for more than a few hours without feeling like my play is worse (This may not mean it is worse or that it doesn't get worse well before this point!)

[Growface]

And what is your max? When you have that feeling when 4-tabling cashgames?

[bridgey321]

I feel that you should leave when you start losing. This may be due to:
a) Bad play - better to take a break and come back, maybe concentration is going
b) Bad beats - May send you on tilt so worth taking a break and coming back.

So either way it isn't good.

Although it's tough to leave after making a loss on a table it is probably for the best.

[Growface]

Originally Posted by bridgey321

Although it's tough to leave after making a loss on a table it is probably for the best.

Trough, especially when some nice fishes make a suckout against you.

Do you guys also know the 3 chip way? When you make a stupid fault or bad call you take away one chip. When all 3 are gone you have to take a break.

[ccottis]

Originally Posted by bridgey321

I feel that you should leave when you start losing. This may be due to:
a) Bad play - better to take a break and come back, maybe concentration is going
b) Bad beats - May send you on tilt so worth taking a break and coming back.

So either way it isn't good.

Although it's tough to leave after making a loss on a table it is probably for the best.

Not sure about this if you lose through bad beats but aren't tilting then surely you should keep playing as you probably have an edge over the table. I try (this is really hard to do) not to worry about being up or down but to stop playing if I start playing poorly or making moves without thinking it through (e.g. betting into someone without realising they have a really short stack)

[Pates]

Originally Posted by Growface

Do you guys also know the 3 chip way? When you make a stupid fault or bad call you take away one chip. When all 3 are gone you have to take a break.

That sounds like a surprisingly good idea. I've never heard of it. It's a good way to visably see a cutoff point for stopping playing. Perhaps even just using 2 chips. Gives you incentive to play better knowing that you will have to make yourself stop if you mess up again.

Over a few month period I was playing about 7 hours a day on average. It was working out really well until I was about to move up limits and then I completely lost my train of thought and blew a lot of money. Very strange but I was comfortable playing that many hours each day.

[Gerrard48LFC]

Originally Posted by ccottis

Not sure about this if you lose through bad beats but aren't tilting then surely you should keep playing as you probably have an edge over the table. I try (this is really hard to do) not to worry about being up or down but to stop playing if I start playing poorly or making moves without thinking it through (e.g. betting into someone without realising they have a really short stack)

+1. dont tilt just get your money back off the donkey. what if you quit and then come back an hour later and are on a tougher table? you just lost potentital income.

[bridgey321]

Originally Posted by Gerrard48LFC

dont tilt

If only it was this simple mate!

[Growface]

Originally Posted by Gerrard48LFC

+1. dont tilt just get your money back off the donkey. what if you quit and then come back an hour later and are on a tougher table? you just lost potentital income.

True but if you are too much focussed on winning back the losses its not good either.