Knowing When to Leave the Table
It is very hard to get up and leave a poker table when the time comes to do so. It is much easier to stay at a table then to get up and leave. Sometimes a good poker player must stay at a table when they want to get up and other times they must leave when they want to stay. When playing poker there should be one thing in mind and that is to make money. If there is something going on with you or your table that is stopping you from making money then you shouldn’t be there.
Fatigue
Anyone who has played a long game, or a daylong poker event will tell you that playing poker is exhausting. There are a lot of factors that a player has to think about during a game, and by the end of the day they can be completely worn out. Think of the last time you had a tough exam, and how you felt afterwards. This is the type of metal drain that playing poker can cause, and after a few hours you may feel like you’ve just run a long race or climbed a mountain.
As you begin to tire, your will have less focus and may possibly start making errors. While the best players out there have no problem working through their exhaustion, unless you are a seasoned player this is not a wise idea.
Until you have mastered the art of playing cards through your exhaustion, the wisest thing to do when you start to feel tired is to leave the table before you start losing.
After a while you will find that the exhaustion is pushed to the back of your mind and you can continue with your entire mind on the game, but before that can happen you will need to know when it’s time to call it quits.
This is the time when you must get up and leave the table. Even if you aren’t ready to be done playing yet, just get up and take a break. You would be amazed what a meal break will do for you. At very least just go eat some food and take an hour long break. That will give your mind a chance to recharge and you will be much better when you come back.
Tilt
Another very good reason to get up and leave a table is because of tilt. When you get a bad beat and go on tilt you will start doing stupid things and you won’t think clearly. Even some of the best players go on tilt, but the ones that truly have this game mastered do not let it affect their game.
It takes a lot of practice to get over tilt. Once you get the idea that the game of poker consists of winners and losers, and it is inevitable that sometimes you will be on the losing end you will become a wiser, well-rounded player.
Before you accomplish this difficult task, when you start to get emotional at the table you need to recognize it and leave the table. Otherwise you may be tempted to try to ‘even the score’ and will likely incur another big loss for your troubles. Instead, spend some time away from the table or come back another day if you are able, or at least spend an hour or so getting control of yourself. Once you can let a bad game just roll of your back then you are officially part of the elite.
Anytime you feel like you should leave the table, take your own advice and do it. If anything it will make you a better player for when you come back.
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