When you're losing in a cash session, how do you decide whether to keep playing or quit?
I haven't played cash games for a long time, but usually I only went there to increase my balance a little. It was a matter of a couple of dollars-nothing serious. 🤣☺️And I usually handled my small task, so I can say that as soon as my goal was completed, I left the table.
Would rather play S&G than online cash games but if there's an itch for a cash game, just plays an hour then stop, win or loose.
Just plays live cash games while waiting for the tournament start or when busted too early in a tournament just plays a couple of hours then stop, win or loose.
So right now, what makes me decide whether to keep playing or quit in a loosing (or winning) cash game session is available time.
Just plays live cash games while waiting for the tournament start or when busted too early in a tournament just plays a couple of hours then stop, win or loose.
So right now, what makes me decide whether to keep playing or quit in a loosing (or winning) cash game session is available time.
I am the last person who should be talking about emotional control, since I struggle deeply with it—and at over 40, it’s simply part of who I am. Personally, I’ll stick it out until the very last coin is gone, but the most important thing is to go through that madness alone and never take my frustrations out on the people I love.
I've learned that the decision to keep playing shouldn't depend on how much I'm winning or losing—it should depend on whether I'm still playing my A-game.nabmom said:
If I can honestly say I'm making good decisions, staying focused, and not letting emotions influence my play, I'm comfortable continuing even if I'm stuck a few buy-ins. Variance is part of cash games.
However, if I notice signs of tilt—trying to win my money back quickly, calling too light, bluffing in bad spots, or feeling frustrated—I end the session. I've found that playing while emotional usually turns a small losing session into a much bigger one.
I also like to have a stop-loss limit before I even sit down. Having that rule in place removes a lot of emotion from the decision. There's always another game tomorrow, but protecting both my bankroll and my mindset is more important than trying to recover losses in one session.
I don't decide based on how much I've lost, but on how I'm playing. If I'm still making good decisions, staying focused, and the table is profitable, I keep playing regardless of being down. On the other hand, if I notice signs of tilt,fatigue, or that I'm starting to play out of frustration, I end the session. I've learned that preserving your A-game is far more important in the long run than trying to “bounce back” on the same day.
I usually don't play cash, but I think that is important to plan the session. That way you can only focus on the game instead of taking additional decisions.nabmom said:
-How many tables I will play.
-How many times and in what type of tables I'll be rebuying.
-When to leave a table if I'm winning.
-When to leave a table if I'm losing.
-Is there a winning or losing situation that would make me end the session?
So, to me, I'll decide when to stop before starting.
Edit: clearly, I don't play cash this seriously, I just play if I have some bonus or something, but I do plan my mtts sessions.
When I lose during a real‑money session, I try to look at the context, not just the result. If I notice that the game starts affecting my decisions, rhythm, or emotions, I prefer to stop. For me, the difference between ‘continue’ and ‘quit’ isn’t about the amount lost, but about how I’m playing. If I slip into a loss‑recovery mindset or feel that I’m no longer playing with discipline, I close the session without hesitation. I only continue when I’m calm, within my budget limits, and the game remains a form of relaxation rather than pressure.
its time to go when you are clearly playing frustrated or playing on emotion... meaning you are playing your usual focused game.
when that pops up, my first piece of advice would be simply get up from the table and maybe take a quick 15-20 minute walk around to hopefully calm yourself down and get re focused back at the table. if you then get back to the table and see that you still arent focused and are still affected to much by what happened earlier, then get up immediately and call it a day/night. minimize your losses best you can.
when that pops up, my first piece of advice would be simply get up from the table and maybe take a quick 15-20 minute walk around to hopefully calm yourself down and get re focused back at the table. if you then get back to the table and see that you still arent focused and are still affected to much by what happened earlier, then get up immediately and call it a day/night. minimize your losses best you can.
I usually have 2 situations to stop playing cash games:
1) I feel that I'm being overly exploites by other playerz
2) I spent X buy-ins that I pré-stipulated (basically a stop-loss quantity)
I must confess that for both cases I still have some difficulties to keep the ego-chals aside in more occasions that I would like to have
1) I feel that I'm being overly exploites by other playerz
2) I spent X buy-ins that I pré-stipulated (basically a stop-loss quantity)
I must confess that for both cases I still have some difficulties to keep the ego-chals aside in more occasions that I would like to have
When I'm losing in a cash session, I ask myself one question: Am I still making good decisions?
If I'm focused and playing my A-game, I may continue despite the losses. But if frustration or fatigue starts affecting my judgment, it's time to quit.
Protecting your mindset is just as important as protecting your bankroll.
If I'm focused and playing my A-game, I may continue despite the losses. But if frustration or fatigue starts affecting my judgment, it's time to quit.
Protecting your mindset is just as important as protecting your bankroll.
When I realize I’m getting a string of bad hands, I switch tables. Losing with a good hand because I played it poorly is understandable, but constantly getting nothing but marginal hands is neither acceptable nor understandable, in my opinion.