This question may or may not be appropriate in the Bankroll section, since it has at least as much to do with discipline and focus as with financial management.

I play most of the time on UB, and consequently, most of my BR is in my account there. Since the beginning of this year I built my BR from scratch to the point where I can comfortably play $100 buyin games; half of the time I play $50 games, either because the $100 game is tight and full of regulars, or because I feel that I'm not into making decisions for big amounts. If the game looks good and I feel up to it, I'll play the $100.

Unfortunately, the fact that my BR is large enough for that game somehow makes me less eager to play as well as I can. And the fact that I convinved myself that I can beat the $50 game (I also have a good winrate in the $100, although I need more hands to provide full support for this) makes me lose interest a bit; it is sometimes hard for me to focus on the game and play as well as I can. Also, I tend to develop Fancy Play Syndrome, which fortunately doesn't cost me enormous amounts, but still hurts my winrate.

I thought about withdrawing part of the money in my account and only keep, say 1K. But I know, and this is the other side of the issue, that when I feel I don't have a big cushion, I'll be quite upset about losing 2 buyins within one hour.

So, to summarize my dilemma: if I play on a tight bankroll, I'm very focused and play pretty well, but cannot really handle the big swings. If I play with a big bankroll, then I can handle big swings, but don't really get the thrill and play suboptimally.

I took a week off from my main game, PLO, to refresh a bit and think about the game instead of playing it, but I'm sure the problem will return at some point.

Anyone with the same problem?

Pieter

I could have written the exact same post. Especially the fancy play syndrome at a lower level. I'm real curious how some of the online "pros" overcome this problem.

Long story short: This sounds like something that I went through last year when I stepped down the upper PL O and O8 games to the PL 25 for reasons other than financial. I was a winning player at those levels and could afford to play there.

However, I decided to step down and had trouble making decisions for "small" amount of money. Caro's comment that you don't sit down at the table to make money, but sit down to make correct decisions really struck home to me because I wasn't making the right decisions at the lower levels. I also have to give an assist to ATE on helping me with this issue.

I stopped thinking about calling off $2 when I knew I was beat or behind and starting making the right decisions. Oddly, I started making more money at the lower levels than I did at the upper levels.

You have to the financial management to play at the games that you can afford but yet the decipline to treat all the decisions made as if it was life changing money. It took me about 1 month to really get through that mental barrier.

Hope this helped,
Tom

Wouldn't it be great if they made a skin that showed everything in terms of bets?

I think this is the reason I stuggle in the Rings and do well in the Trns. In Trns I am making plays with chips. Tthe money is already gone. In the Rings I am using my money then. I know this is something I need to over come. The funny thing is I don't have the mental bloke playing live ring games for more money. I think it is re-deposit syndrome.