I play poker more for recreation than making money and this, I believe, is the cause of a mental leak and I am looking for help.

My leak is if I get up significantly early, I feel like I owe it to people to stay and play.

How do I develope the mental toughness to hit and run?

Why do you hit and run? I would only do that if it is apparent that I am outclassed and get lucky on a big hand early on. If that's the case, win your hand and tell the table they are better than you and you need to leave before you lose your bankroll to them.

If, however, you double up early and your opponents are weak, why not stick around and make more money?

Hi Alternate Identity:

When you're up significantly it implies that some of your opponents are doing poorly, and when some players do poorly they'll begin to play worse/too loose in an attempt to get even. Thus your expectation should now be higher meaning that you should be inclined to stay not quit.

Best wishes,
Mason

Why do you feel like I owe it to people to stay and play..

Sorry, I guess I gave you half the story. When I get up early, I loosen up and I know I shouldn't. The giveback of some of my winnings doesn't bother me as much as playing badly does. If I could overcome not liking to leave early, then I would not have that problem.

I know it sounds screwy, but the bad feelings of leaving early are greater than the feelings of playing badly.

Probably due to my being taught to be polite and feeling that to hit and run is impolite. Also had people make comments when I would leave pretty much just after getting up significantly (fifty to one hundred percent of my starting stack).

The combination of the two has given me something of a complex.

Very common among sensible ppl, but completely incorrect for a variety of logical reasons. In the past some players believed and complained if they got check raised by a "dishonest player".

Have a response ready if you feel like you have to respond or justify.

In the end, it is your choice when to start and when to quit, not theirs. Do whatever the f*** you want. Stay in your control.

Most of us learned the idea that hitting and running isn't cool in private home games with friends. Being sensitive to that isn't necessary at all in public rooms. Especially in PLO games where your stack is in ~ 10 times the jeopardy it is in hold'em. If you make 2K early, you aren't obliged to be there 8 or 10 hours, or 8 or 10 minutes later. Do what you want to do. Also thinking about quitting while continuing to play doesn't work very well.

Hi AI:

I talk about this in my book. What frequently happens to some players is that they're aware that expert players can profitably play a few more hands. So when they start winning, they'll begin to think they're also experts and begin to play a lot more hands.

If this is happening to you my suggestion is to understand that the short term luck factor can make it seem that sometimes you're a lot better player than you are and that you need a very good reason to deviate from what you know is good strategy. And being nicely ahead after a short period of time is not one of these reasons.

I can only speculate here but the social aspect of playing may become more important to you than maximizing your expectation. Thus you feel you owe it to your opponents to keep playing.

When playing poker, you want to do those things that should maximize your expectation, and sometimes this is leaving a game early.

Best wishes,
Mason

Op, you sound like a super sensitive person and in my opinion it is nothing wrong with that. You are not alone in this aspect.

But, in the poker room where you play, have you ever noticed what the other people do? Do they come and and go as they wish? My speculation is pretty much they do.

So, don't worry then. You said you play for entertainment but it's more fun when you win. Enjoy the game and do whatever you think it is best for you. It's your prerogative.

Don't feel sorry for the people who don't care about you when you lose.

I actually thoroughly understand this.

I really haven't noticed people hitting and running.

Leaving aside all of the 'but, but's' that other ppl have posted (they are right, btw) my answer would be this:

Firmly resolve that the next time you play you will get up and leave in a hit and run situation. Then do it again. If you keep that up you'll get used to it eventually.

I feel that I ought to add, along w/ the others, that this is not optimal play and your action may dry up, but that's my suggestion to solve the question asked.

"Hit and run" is a relative term and sometimes might be disguised. Also, it doesn't happen very often to worry about.

i fuggin' love to hit and run
one day a long long long time ago in a galaxy far far far away. I wanted to hit and run but '' I felt like I owed it to people to stay and play.'' > result i ended up loosing money that came out of my pocket. NEVER AGAIN.
i have played a lot of live poker and i have got to know the dealers and be semi-friends with them. They'll even make an exception of the one hour rule for me like i have 40 minutes playing and i hit n run. I have heard players complaining and the dealer tells them that i am good to go. They prolly know that if they make me stay i ll just sit out and go outside to smoke a big fat joint to kill time so i ll be AWOL anyway. I am the biggest nit in my country, so i have heard. That's a factor too for they letting me go, i think.

Do what u enjoy the most if u r a rec sometimes u will enjoy playing a little more time and sometimes u will enjoy winning (hitting and running). EFF the people they will wipe ur bank acc if they could.

glgl

Op you probably have some kind of social anxiety disorder. Go to your doctor and get on an antidepressant.

If you play too loose when you're up, then tighten up.

You wouldn't be the first person to suggest drugs, but they don't suggest it due to depression.

I think I have the different components figured out.

When I play, I go with the idea to play X number of hours. If I get up before that happens, my desire to continue playing and combined with desire to not appear rude makes me stay. As I am playing for recreation, I don't see the new money as truly mine and am willing to gamble it up.

As I told someone in Home Poker on here, you should go in resolved to make good decisions and not that you are going to play a set number of hours. If you cease to make good decisions, leave.

I just need to change my mental mindsight on certain things.

I think most of the depression med also treat anxiety issues.

HEHE when I was younger I used to hit and run all the time at HU tables hehehe best days of my life....opponents were so tilted and It made me feel soo happy haaha...then I came back and stacked them for all their money

Sounds like a "poker sociopath" talking. LOL. I used to call athletes with "no conscience" "sports sociopaths" ... just as a way of describing their apparent lack of anxiety and remorse. Just a joke but a fun description.

OP, do you play the game to win money or to make new friends? If you say both, then you're in a tough spot, if not then I'm you sure you can figure out what to do.

feel exactly the same.
I've lost count how many times I won 3x my buy-in just to lose it all a few hrs later.

what I've been doing now is when im up 3x, I pick up and leave, and get a massage ($1/min).
then goto the food court/starbucks.

an hr later, come back at a lower buy-in.