Running good, playing bad. Keep going or quit?

[k3nt]

Tonight, I was up 3 buy-ins at the Gaming Club $20 table in about 90 minutes. I was catching cards at just the right times, busting people left and right. Nut flush busting the 2nd nut flush AND trips on the same hand. Sit down at a table, first hand I post a blind out of position, get AK, limp with it, call a $2.00 flop bet with it, catch an A on the flop, bet the pot, get re-raised all-in and take it down -- the preflop/all-in guy had AJ.

So luck was smiling on me. But at the same time, I felt my discipline slipping a bit. I started playing both with and without cards, a little more maniac-like than I prefer to play. I'm losing a lot of $1 and $2 bets for no reason, but I'm catching cards sometimes. I'm still up a lot.

So -- would you keep playing under these circs, or stop?

I decided to stop. Then a few minutes later I jumped back on a new table. My play continued to decline in quality, as I felt unbeatably lucky.

Maybe 20 minutes into my new session, I get [Ts]. Call a smallish preflop raise; flop is 3-way. Loose table. Flop is Kxx with two spades. Preflop raiser bets almost the pot. I should fold, right? Nope, I'm calling. Another guy also calls so it's now a good call. Turn is a T - now I have a lousy pair plus a flush draw. Preflop raiser bets again about half the pot, I call (another bad call; not enough odds, right?), the other guy folds. I have about 7 bucks left of the $18.50 I started the hand with and the pot is about $25. Final card is another T!! Couldn't be better. He can't put me on a T! He checks, I am all-in, he has to call, and that's it. Another double up for me.

So now I'm up 80 bucks in 2 hours playing $20 NL.
But I'm playing worse & worse. My bad play is not being punished. I feel invincible.

So ... keep playing or quit? What would you do?

[Rhound50]

Its time to quit my friend. Rush's are great, winning a bunch of pots is always great. That said we all get lucky, but if you continue to make bad calls without odds you are going to give it all back and that nice run of luck will be for nothing. The table and the players will be there later, when you have regrouped and got your head back where it should be.

A rush is really the antithesis of tilt. One you are chasing to get your money back and one you are winning so you feel invincible, but both can have the same result. I knocks you off your game. I cant tell you how many times I have seen someone get lucky and win a huge pot and piss it away by playing their rush on their next hand and chasing. It always make he laugh when they say easy come easy go. Screw that when I catch a miracle card and suck out on someone, I want to keep that money.The monye is just the same as if I outplay someone.

[TheUnknownPlayer]

Like all poker questions; "It depends."

It depends upon your answer to the following question:

What do you play poker for?

My answer is of no consequence to you but I'll give it to illustrate one point of view. I play poker to achieve mastery of it. It's my believe that if one can master anything - then one has developed the skills necessary to master many things - poker is simply my venue.

TUP

[kennyg]

k3nt your play didn't sound all that bad. I don't know your exact odds without better numbers...but calling a pot sized flop bet for a flush draw with 2 cards to come...isn't that bad. Especially in position. And you did have a ton of outs for that river. I say keep playing as long as you kmow you won't completely lose control.



Interesting tidbit Unknown. I play for money not mastery....it may be my undoing. Though, I honestly don't plan on playing poker for the rest of my life...at least..not as a pro I'm just not interested enough in poker....

[k3nt]

Wow, even when I just throw words at a screen, I get informative and good replies. Thanks guys.

Kenny, you're right. I probably did have 14 outs on the river. I put him on AA or AK for a big pair, so my J and T were live outs. 14 outs is plenty to call a half-pot bet. But I wasn't doing any math in my head; I wasn't calculating. I just felt like a good card was coming, so I was calling. Crazy stuff. Not my normal way of playing at all.

Rhound, you're right, and I did quit. That's just who I am. I'm not a gambler at heart. I love to win. I want to book winning sessions.

TUP, your response was the most unexpected. Mastery sounds good. I definitely want to be a good poker player some day. And I sure didn't feel like I was gaining much mastery last night, except in the sense that every experience you have can teach you something, if you pay attention.

[Rhound50]

Hey Kenny I think the two go hand in hand. Look at TUPs win/loss record for the last couple months.