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TIPS FROM THE PROS
Jennifer Harman
May 9, 2005
Being a winning player isn't only about playing
good cards - it's also about making good
decisions. And there is one important decision you
face every time you sit down in a cash game:
Should I quit, or should I keep playing?
When should you keep playing?
I see so many players playing short hours when
they're winning, and long hours when they're
losing. It should be the other way around.
When you are winning in the game, at least a
few of the other players must be losing. And when
your opponents are losing, they often aren't
playing their best. But you are.
When you're winning, other players fear you;
you have a good table image. And when you have a
good table image, you can get away with things
that you can't seem to when you're losing. For one
thing, you can bluff more. Usually a losing player
is scared to get involved with a winning player,
so it's easier for you to pick up pots. You can
represent more hands than you actually have
because your opponents believe you're hitting
every flop.
The only time to quit when you're winning is
when you are tired, or when you start playing
badly.
When should you call it a day?
Many players can't seem to quit when they are
losing. You have to remember that there will
always be another poker game -- if not tomorrow,
then the day after, or the week after. I like to
think of poker as one continuous game going on for
my whole career. So, if I'm losing more than 30
big bets in the game, I usually quit.
There are a couple of reasons I do this: For
one, if I lose a ton of money in one day, I don't
feel so hot the next day. That means if I go in to
play the next day, I might not be able to play my
best game. I might actually have to take a few
days off to get my head straight. Another reason
is that when I'm losing more than 30 bets, I might
not be playing that well. I might think I'm
playing my "A" game, but in reality, I'm
probably not. You can't be as objective about your
play when you're losing. After all, we are not
robots; we're just human beings.
Jennifer Harman
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