Playing Sessions 3 hours, 7 hours, or 28 hours?

[realbeaux]

As a recreational player who has been supplementing his him income over the last three months at the $2/$5 NL tables every weekend. I drive three hours each way to a casino just about every weekend. I have come accross many different situations. I am still learning and experiencing new things. One of the things I have notices is how long your playing sesssions are can have great impacts on your bankroll.

When I go the casino by myself, I can play for as long or as short as I like. If I lose what I had planned to lose in two hours, I can leave and not feel bad. Opposite of that let's say that I am slightly stuck 5 hours in and I really, think I can beat this table. I can stay for and additional 3 hours and not worry about anyone else.

There was a session where, I lost $300 by hour four, and was afraid to buy back in because I was fearful by travelling companions would want to leave in an hour. So, I was stuck with a $300 losing session.

Well last weekend, I over did it. I played $1,000 bankroll for 26 hours straight. At the time, my reason why is that I never got above a $200 profit. Finally, in hours 25 and 26, I ended up making some bad calls and giving up $500. So, after 26 hours of NL holdem, I was stuck for $500.

I did learn that, I could control my emotions and not get whacky and blow my whole bankroll on silly plays, never during that session did I feel like I lost focus of the table. There were no surprises. Of the $500 I lost, I blew $300 on a single hand where I had top two pair and couldn't lay it down, however, I was pretty sure I was beat. That was the fatigue part and I was making crying calls. I was aware I was making cry calls so I don't feel like I lost it here either. Overall, I had a bad run of cards and I try to play through it with no avail.

Just curious, have you had sessions like this and played to long? Did you end up giving up your entire bankroll at the end? Just looking for some different thoughts about how long playing sessions should go on, especially if you aren't winning or losing a lot, staying pretty close to break even the entire time.

I'm going to take a break from the casino trips for a couple of weekends. Recoup, regain controll and composure.

[TobDog]

1. your sample size is too small.

2. People are different and have different situations. If you have to drive 3 hours to a casino, you are probably going to play more than 3 hours, or get a place to rest in between sessions. I personally think anything over 12 hours is too long(my personal belief only, please). I have heard of people playing for 24, 36+ hours straight with only bathroom breaks to rest, Im sorry, you cant be focused in that time all the time. After the invention of internet poker, I am kind of shot after about 4-5 hours live now, I can and have played longer, but I get bored and have a little ADD as well that does not help. But if I play in a game that is bad, I leave, if I play in a game and cannot stay focused, I leave, if I play in a game where the players are constantly on the verge of getting into a fistfight at the table, I will look to change games or leave. Now, I live about 40 minutes from many casinos and work less than 10 from one of them, so getting to a game is not a problem for me(your situation is different). So, just because you lost a chunk of money in a game at the 4, 8, 24 hour session, doesnt mean that you shold get up at that time, did you ask yourself the question, "What did I do in that pot correctly, and incorrectly?" Would I have done something different that would have made me act differently?
If you are talking about a situation where you get a large chunk of money in on the button with kings and get called by aces or AK, or a smaller pair and either get out flopped, or no help if you are behind, your answer is probably "NO" Yo want to asses your ability to play compared to those you are playing against, and play better than them, you are not guaranteed to win tonight, or tomorrow night, it takes time and will add up, over a long period of time.

tobdog

[Gordon Scott]

I play weekends as often as possible and also have to drive a couple of hours each way. The key is rest and play when the fishing is best, sleep and hit it again. I've pulled plenty of 28 hour sessions and for me it’s not wise.

I find sleeping a couple of hours here and there is very workable if you have a room and it pays for itself in missed value bets and lay downs that you make when your fresh. If your roll can’t take two nights leave later Friday and get a room for Saturday, also ask for an early check in.

<u>This is my normal game plan.</u>

Take a one hour nap after work Friday or on the ride over. I like to start by 10pm and play until I get tired enough to sleep which is normally around 6am at the latest.

I try to eat a big meal and sleep 6 maybe 8 hours if I can. Get up shower eat and then dive back in by noon. I play a TAGish 8 or 10 hour session with a LAG finish around 8 or 10pm. I avoid caffeine the last few hours and maybe add a beer or 2 on the last few rounds before grabbing a 1 or 2 hour nap and a shower.

By now I have a pretty good read on the players I left at 10, I’m fresh and there beat down from the weekend. At this point and any edge I may have on the field is slightly larger and my LAG finish earlier shifts to super TAG going into what I think is the prime time of the weekend (1am – 8am Sunday morning).

This has been working for me the last few months.

Best of Luck

[thedustbustr]

my typical "business" weekend in AC (i.e. not get too wasted, not go to clubs, not play craps, etc) consists of a 20 hour session (usually coming off of already being awake for 10 hours), a 7 hour nap, and another 20 hour session.

[fishyak]

Sessions lasting too long, 16 hrs.+ have rarely ended well for me. Most players seem to agree that they want to be at the tables between 9pm and 4am Fri. &amp; Sat. as "prime time." For us workin' stiffs, I find I have to be careful Friday night. No booze. Leave all but really good tables by 1am unless I am ready to stay to 3am. Driving at 2am+ is stupid. Closing time.

The issues are different in LV and staying in a hotel. With a 2 hr. nap I am always good for another 6-8 hrs. I have no use for the hours of 5am-2pm in LV so that is sleep time. Before I "move up" and want to be awake and playing to check to make sure I am not fuzzy headed from changing my schedule.

The pro's play lots of attention to the "physical" aspects of poker. We should, too.

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]

Just curious, have you had sessions like this and played to long? Did you end up giving up your entire bankroll at the end? Just looking for some different thoughts about how long playing sessions should go on, especially if you aren't winning or losing a lot, staying pretty close to break even the entire time.

I'm going to take a break from the casino trips for a couple of weekends. Recoup, regain controll and composure.

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldn't lose my entire bankroll in a session unless I found a massive game and got stupid for several days... i.e. I am over rolled for the limits/stakes I play regularly at. Dropping a few buy-ins to variance, tilt, stupid plays, doesn't really hurt me. If you are at risk of losing all of your bankroll in a single session, then you need to step down in stakes and build that roll. Scared money is dead money in NL.

Bottom line is that there are varying degrees of mental/physical state that you will be profitable at a given table/game. When you are no longer in the bounds of playing profitability then it is time to rack up and walk, rather that is 5 mins into a session or 50 hours.

Not trying to be a dick here, but if you are playing 28 hours and only barely maintaining a small profit, it is not because of variance, or at least not mostly variance. You are likely sitting there jones'ing for a winner, calling when you should be folding, folding when you should raising/calling, etc. Or you are going thru some form of tilt.

I see people ask questions like "What makes a good NL player" and you see responses like "hand reading, etc" which are all well and good, but if you do not have the awareness and discipline to see your metal/physical state and act accordingly you will be a long term loser no matter how good your other skills are...

[Cactus Jack]

[ QUOTE ]
I see people ask questions like "What makes a good NL player" and you see responses like "hand reading, etc" which are all well and good, but if you do not have the awareness and discipline to see your metal/physical state and act accordingly you will be a long term loser no matter how good your other skills are...

[/ QUOTE ]

Shhhhhhh! You're not supposed to give away everything, man. This is how we keep the fishing good.

Great post.

CJ

[Texibus]

You can look online for a lot of articles regarding session length and mental fatigue.

I've personally only played a 14 hour session and even with that I'd pull out for 30 mins and have a break go around to other tables or call a friend. Poker is not only a missing information game, it's also about concentration. Humans aren't built to pay attention for to long and forcing yourself to play for over a DAY is bad.

I think of it this way only play for as long as you think you could pay attention to a college lecture of your favorite subject. Also, you'll get extremely bored watching the routine stuff that happens at a 2/5 game very rarely will you see someone playing well enough to hold your attention.

Play 6-8 hour shifts.

Also it seems you need to learn some bankroll management.

[Pscam10]

There's been a few post lately regarding session lenght. I think it is very subjective to the individual. I think some players can sit for a 16 hour session with no problem, and others get mentally fatigued after 4-5 hours. Everybody has different levels of mental acquity that effect how they handle long sessions....

just my 2 cents

[Wetdog]

Last summer I had back-to-back 26-27 hour sessions. Both were highly profitable. What ended the 2nd session was the cardroom manager shaking me awake and telling me to leave and go to bed. I was up 550 BB for the day. Next day I dropped 100 BB in an hour due to fatigue. I went back to my room for a 4 hour nap and came back to be up 150BB for the day. Quite a run. I wouldn't reccommend it too often tho.