TOP: poker is one big game

[Cowboy21]

Thank you. It should be noted that one important skill that alot of people never seem to learn is when its time to leave. They use artificial "markers" as to when to leave, i.e: "I've been at the table for xx hours" "I've lost/won xx amount of money" when you really should be thinking through the decision to stay or go such as "I feel tired, I'm probably playing at about 75% of my best game, but even at 75% I'm still profitting, but the guy in seat 4 appears to be gunning for me for some reason, but he's a donk, so I don't know how much of a threat he'll be. Annie Duke just sat down in seat 6 (ok, extreme example) and she appears to be gunning for me too, since I have tripled my max buy in. Perhaps I should leave." This is much more effective than "I'm over my goal for today, and I've been playing longer than the preset limit I have for myself today, so I need to go"

A little off the subject, but still, table selection and knowing when to stay and when to leave is an important part of the "winning formula".

JJ

[LastEmu]

Being a new player, one of my bigger problems is that short-term money making goal. I don't exactly have a number on it in my head, but if I lose a buyin, or if I double up, my style changes.

After I lose the buyin, I find myself playing to break even for the day, even though I tell myself that doing so is wrong. After I double up, or see my stack far above the max buyin, some reflex clicks in and I play far tighter than is profitable, as if the money I have made in those few hands is "enough."

How do I fix this, other than smacking myself across the face every time I realize I am doing it?