When is the best time to call it a night in poker? Is it after a good night’s sleep? What about when you need to use the restroom? What do you do when you first feel (or hear) the rumblings of an empty stomach?
Should you keep playing poker if you’re ahead, or should you stop? What happens when you find yourself at a disadvantage and all of the poker chips have been used up? When you’re just getting started in poker, it can be difficult to tell when it’s time to call it a day (or evening, depending on how long you’ve been there).
You’re in luck because we’ve put together this post to teach you how to stop playing poker and when to do so.
Only play a predetermined number of hands (Playing Poker Online)
When you go into something knowing that you are going to quit after a certain number of games, you have a much better chance of sticking with what you are doing. If you’re playing video games, you might tell yourself that you’ll stop after 10 games.
You’ll have a clear goal to strive for, and if you achieve it, you’ll know when to take a break from the computer and stop playing online poker because you’ll know when to stop. If you are playing at more than one table, you can adjust the number of hands you play based on the amount of time you want to spend gambling.
Set a timer for yourself and stick to it
In a similar vein, rather than accumulating a specific number of hands before calling it a night, you could play with a time limit in mind that, once met, will signal to you that it is time to stop playing.
First, decide how much time you want to spend playing poker, and then experiment with playing during those hours to see if it fits your lifestyle and how you currently organize your daily activities.
You can either set an alarm that goes off and warns you after a certain amount of time has passed, or you can simply watch the clock to keep track of how long you have been playing.
You should not let your past performance influence your future decisions
Never let how well you’ve been playing during the day influence your decision to stop playing poker for the day. This is a surefire way to ensure that you will not meet the deadline you set for yourself earlier in the day.
You will never be able to leave the casino or stop playing online poker if you constantly feel the need to play “just one more” game to make up for lost money or to reach a certain number before giving up.
There is far too much variety and far too many unexpected twists and turns in poker to throw you off and cause your “last game” to be the start of several more as you desperately try to win back what you have already lost. This can lead to you playing poker for longer than you intended. As a result, it is in your best interest to disregard your results until after.
If the games are bad, you should stop playing sooner than you planned
Nobody enjoys watching a movie only to realize that it isn’t worth their time to see it all the way through. It appears to be a waste of time as if the only way to avoid defeat is to persevere until the bitter end.
However, if you are having difficulty or have been on a losing streak for the last few games, it is perfectly acceptable to end a poker-playing session early and walk away from the table.
This is because you do not always rely on yourself to come out on top. The way the other players participate in the game and how they play can sometimes influence the outcome of your own game.
You should be fine if you have more experience than some of the newcomers who are just here (at the casino or in an online poker game). On the other hand, if a game goes poorly and you find yourself with too much to lose, it may be worthwhile to exit the game early.
Make time for yourself or take days off
If you want to stop playing poker, one effective strategy is to schedule time in your calendar for activities other than poker. This allows you to take frequent breaks from the game and get away from the table.
This can help clear your mind and better prepare you to be in the right mindset for your next game, so you can return ready to rub shoulders with and play with the best of them.
It will do you a lot of good emotionally, and it may even be able to help you rediscover that spark of enthusiasm you used to feel every time you sat down at a casino poker table.