Taking a Break From Poker

Poker is an incredibly profitable game, but it can also be incredibly frustrating. Sometimes we all need a break in real life, and the poker table is no different. When tilt or other emotional factors start to take control of a player’s game there is a great chance that their earnings will be greatly diminished. Professional athletes are rarely put into a game if they are unable to perform at their highest level, but why is that? There are a few reasons, and each one is applicable to poker.

When you are not at your best it will be hard to maintain the same style of play that you are accustomed to. This will only start a snowball effect that will make every decision that much harder. The next problem is that your decreased focus or abilities are going to be the equivalent of blood in front of a shark. Weaknesses are always exploited at the poker table, and you can bet that a player who is on tilt will be taken advantage of whenever possible.

A final reason why there is no point in playing when off your game is because it is a general waste of time. The best you can typically hope for is to break even, so why not just take a break and come back when you are ready to play? Poker takes a toll on anyone who plays it long enough, but it doesn’t have to frustrate you to the point where quitting seems to be the only option.

Taking a Break from Poker – Time

How long of a break you need will be entirely dependent on your specific situation. If you experienced a 50% loss in your bankroll you will probably want to take more time off than if you had just lost a few Sit and Go’s in a row. The recovery time should be equivalent to the amount of anger or frustration that you are experiencing. Extreme situations will require more time to recover from.

Poker players always want to “chase their losses,” but chasing losses is one of the worst things you can do. If you are in a spot where you have to chase losses there is a good chance that you weren’t playing your best in the first place. If you weren’t playing your best before and lost money, why does it make sense to start again after your play has inevitably declined? You won’t be able to make any money when you take a break from poker, but you won’t be losing any either. It is much more beneficial to save your bankroll from complete devastation than it is to take a shot at a rapid rebuild. Most of the time you will only need to take a break for a few hours or a couple days.

Unless you took some ridiculous shot at limits way out of your bankroll, it is doubtful that you have been crushed so badly that you need a week off. You will be surprised what a night of sleep will do for any poker player’s mindset.

SUMMARY: Taking a Break from Online Poker

No one likes to lose money and some players will do anything they can to instantly recover any losses they experience. The best plan, however, will often be to simply take a short break so that you can recollect your thoughts and start over at a later date.