Knowing when to Quit
If you’re going to play Texas Hold ‘Em (or any online poker game) in a cash game, I’ve found that it helps to have goals. In an online poker tournament, you have the benefit of an end goal-make it as high into the money positions as you can. Cash games don’t provide you with that luxury, however, and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself bereft of chips before you know it. I know a lot of players who will play cash games with no end goal in sight, and generally they end up playing until they’re completely broke, regardless of how far ahead in chips they get.
I make it a point to come to a game with a plan for stopping, whether it’s how long I’m going to play or how much I’m willing to lose, just to have and end goal in mind. If I know that I’m playing a certain amount of time, I can bide it and pace my play, getting more and less aggressive as time ticks away. More importantly, I know when to stop. If I’ve hit my predetermined time and I’m not on a significant winning streak, I can walk away from the table. Remember this when you play poker online.
