By
seal
I have always kept my eyes and ears open to the concerns of the poker playing population. Most often the questions are of the usual mix with no one area dominating all others. Lately though, more and more, I hear both more established and newer players voicing the same curiosity, “When is it time to get out?”
A wiseguy would probably answer, “3:15 Wednesday morning,” and be done with it. But a good and correct answer requires understanding just what the asker is asking. Somebody who hit a big score and needs the money to help their family is asking a different question than the guy who is pissed at all the donkeys who constantly suck out on him.
For the record, I have asked this question too. Every year without fail I run into a dry stretch where even my 95% on the flop hands don’t hold up. Sometimes my patience is thin and the dry spell is only a few weeks old before it gets to me. Other times I go for months without a win. The end result is what I have jokingly termed my “annual giving up poker for life.” But in reality I take a break for a while and then come back ready to play again.
So my first piece of advice is to take a break and stop playing for a while. Or, if you’re one of those all or nothing guys and it makes you feel better about things, just say you quit. After all, it’s not like you are signing a contract never to play again. If you ever change your mind you can always just start up again.
Either way, you should ask yourself why do you play and what your poker goal is. Is your poker game as it is meeting your goals? If not then what can you do about it? A long time ago on PocketFives, I wrote the first article here about money management. In it I state that there are basically only two reasons why poker players play the game – to have fun or to make money.
If you are playing for fun and not having any, then why not try something else? Let’s say you started playing because you like the competition. Maybe you thought you would be the next "Lilholdem" or Daniel Negraneau. Or maybe you are just frustrated by all the bad beats. Don’t let your pride or anger stop you from doing what you should do for your mental health. A break is often the best way to rekindle your love for the game and have fun again.
If you are playing to make money and you are not making any, that’s a whole other issue. If you need the money to make ends meet and poker is a drain instead of a gain then you need to take action. One thought is to stop playing and just work on your game for a while by reading and watching training videos. Or you could still practice while you learn. Drop down a level or three and play on. Even if you only play freerolls and play money you can still be in the game.
Other questions are relevant here as well. Are you burned out? Is your head still in the game? Did something bad happen to you and cause you to dislike poker? Is it possible you have a gambling problem? If you fall on the wrong side of any of these issues then a break or even quitting for good may be the best thing for you. Also you should find somebody you trust to give you some good advice and talk to them.
All in all, listen to what your thoughts are saying. If you need a break then just take one. Or take a lesson from somebody you know who is meeting their poker goals. My son won a 5-table play money Sit & Go last night and was strutting around the house. At the same time I bubbled my second WSOP sat, so he was in my face telling me he is the best poker player in our family. No question which one of us had more fun, and since I lost my buy in, he also was ahead of me financially. I may just take a break myself.