Doest feel like playing, scared money after winning session

[kimos123]

Hi,
I have the following problem in poker:
1- When i win and made some good money, im scared to play more and i quit since i will play with scared money (i dont wanna lose what i won).
2- Somedays i dont feel lucky and dont feel like playing and i dont play, bc i feel i will loss.

what can i do to change this behavior?

[raze]

Sounds like a confidence problem. You feel your winnings come from lucky days rather than good play? You'd have to do something to improve your game if only just to assure yourself you're a good player, and it's always +EV to be at the tables.

[CaptainSubtext]

I have had the same problem Kimos. In the beginning when I won some money I kep on playing but mostly losing most of it when eg. somebody stack me with a set over my aces.
I kept the same pattern: when I won some money on a table, it slowly bled away with too much calling, too much completing the SB or shoving with TPTK or an overpair and losing the hand.

After this I applied the Hit 'n Run method, If at an table I won a significant amount of money, say minimum of half a buy-in, I would leave when the blinds came to me. Then I would open up a replacing table to buy myself in for the normal amount.
Although this actually improved my winrate, at least to my feeling, I knew this wasn't the right way to play. Also because it's not proper to Hit 'n Run.

As raze said, the key here is confidence. Improve your play with reading posts in the beginner forums and the strategy posts in the forum you play in. Post hands where you had difficulty. Oh and especially the stickies in the forum you play in, they are full of basic guidelines that help you immensly in your play.
While learning, play a lot, don't worry if you sometimes lose a bit of money, you're still learning. With playing comes experience and with experience comes confidence and with confidence comes playing +EV.

And if you also aply good table selection and good bankroll management, you will be allright.

[kimos123]

Thats what i do, i hit and run. but after that i dont feel like playing because i doubled up or sometimes double up in 2 tables at once. which makes me happy and not wanting to play more to win more, coz i know i will play with scared money problem (which is not playing my normal game).

i am posting hands and reading the forum and books, but still when i dont feel lucky i dont play, specialy when i dont see good games with high avg pot size.

i had 1 month off, and i didnt yet play 1 day more then 2 hrs poker.

[Donkenstein]

If you don't feel like playing on a given day then don't, unless you are trying to make a living playing poker there is no need to play anymore than you want to.

As far as hit and run goes that will only work for so long. I know when I see people hit and run I put a note on them and are less apt to play against them. I will even get up if a player that does it all the time sits down. Nothing worse than someone hitting a draw on you to come from behind and then disapearing with your money 3 hands later.

[CaptainSubtext]

Are you applying good bankroll management? So if you lose a buy-in it will not be a problem.

But if you do all things wright, maybe it's just something psychological. I don't know which stakes you play, but maybe you are seeing the blinds at real $value and not as units.
If so, move a level down and get used to seeing it as units.
Maybe try using a time limit per session, say 1 hour max and whether you are up or down in the session, you quit playing poker and take a break.

Maybe, you have to do something completely else, try a new hobby/ workout, anything that can help you with some of the negative feelings you have with playing poker.
Or maybe, if you are scared playing poker because the feeling aint right, ask yourself do you love poker?
If no, stop playing poker.
If yes, you have to face the fear within you and start playing adn build up your confidence.

[kimos123]

im playing 25NL and my BR is about $700 (started with $25).
yes i love poker [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

thank you all for the replay. i will try to find something to build up my confidence and to play even if i dont feel lucky.