Hi guys, this is my first post on here so please bear with any faux pas or mistakes I might make in the process.

I've begun the journey to make a profit playing poker and have been grinding the local casino on the 1/2 tables about 4-5 days a week for 6-10 hours per trip. (This is in addition to small-stakes online play).

One thing that seems to be a big problem with me, specifically at live 1/2, is my performance over time, which I assume is probably at least somewhat standard. What is a good system or practice for making the most of your time at the casino. Taking breaks? Limiting play per day? Rituals? Daily stop goals? What are some things to keep your mind focused on the monetary goal and not get lost in the "table energy" and "card-playing fun" that comes from being in the game.

Thanks
TellEmImComing

At a "real job" you would be encouraged (or forced) to take coffee breaks and lunch breaks, if your work day was long enough. You should certainly do the same at this "job". If this doesn't help, try limiting your play to, say, four hours at a time. If you are still feeling good, you can come back later in the day for a new four hour shift.

Stop goals in these forums are usually discouraged, although in some cases they can be a useful temporary measure, if you are struggling with some mental/emotional issues. If you have your mental game sorted out (wrt tilt, focus, etc, ie your game stays within a tight band around your "A" game.), you can do away with stop goals.

use the search engine on 2+2 there are several good posts on this.
stop goals ????????? see other posts as you are looking at it wrong if you think in terms of stop goals.
as with any job where you sit for long periods.
getting up to stretch and walk around every 1.5-2 hrs for 5-10 minutes helps with mental focus.
meal breaks also.
me, I try to limit my sessions to 4 hrs take a 2-3 hr break and then come back for another 4 hr session then depending on where I am and if I'm tired maybe an hour break and another 1-2 hrs.
the walks to get feeling back to all parts of your body and clear your mind do wonders .
If you drove to a casino and are not staying over then you have a feeling of needing to play for long periods, the problem is all your profit can vanish due to one mis-step late into a 12 hr marathon.

Thanks for the responses. I'll be searching more into the "hours of play live" topic, as suggested.

One thing to clarify, the stop goal I mentioned... I actually was referring to a stop (loss) goal for the day. This would still be a discouraged tactic, according to many members of this forum?

Yes, search for the other threads ...

1) Typically you don't want to stop playing if the table is 'right' for you AND you are playing well that day. Sometimes that means 12-15 hour day.
2) Some players will limit their losses to 3 BI per session. If you chase or tilt then this is probably a good way to go about your business.

3) If the table is 'bad' or you aren't playing well .. get up and take a walk. If things don't change, then go home and play again tomorrow. That's the one nice thing about poker .. You CAN leave work if you are having a bad day.
4) Yes, take breaks of 1-2 orbits every 90-120 minutes to 'reset' your mind. Obviously if you are in the zone, then these aren't really needed, but don't go too long without one. You should be able to tell when you mind/body need a break. Go outside, not just into the casino.

5) Mentally go through sessions right after they are over. Make notes and then review those notes before the next session as well. Trying to 'correct' mistakes at the table 'is' a mistake IMO. Think things through without the distraction of another ongoing hand.
6) Go get your own drinks if allowed in the room. Those quick 1-2 hand breaks are nice as well.

7) Don't go into a session saying "I'm going to crush today" as it may not happen via the cards. You can go into a session thinking about specific spots and what you might do in those spots ... see the difference?
8) Keep track of your progress ... Have at least 3-5 different types of goals within your game that you are working towards and when you reach one celebrate and then add in a new one. There's a lot of dead time at a poker table so you don't want to be working on a total overhaul of your game each session .. baby steps .. GL

Stop goals are training wheels. They keep you from harm when you're first learning to bike, but slow you down when you're an expert.

They're strongly discouraged by most people because most people vastly overestimate their skill and emotional stability. Everyone thinks they don't tilt and they give themselves access to thousands of bb and millions of excuses about how the table they just lost 10 buyins at is the best table ever in the history of poker.

Survivorship bias is real. Imagine a group of 100 people who play poker for the first time. About half win and half lose, and a disproportionate number of losers never play again. Repeat a few times - a few people win run really good and think they are awesome. Poker players are disproportionately drawn from that group. The long run is longer than most people realize, even among people who think they understand the long run is longer than most other people realize.

As a result, people drastically underestimate the probability of deep downswings, and when it inevitably happens they will not shut up about how unlucky they were. What are the odds of hitting a stop loss? Way ****ing higher than you think.

While I'm ranting I might as well stress the importance of a stop win. LOLWTF WHY WOULD YOU EVER LEAVE WHEN UR WINNING LOLOLOL??? Because when you win a lot your mental state changes. Some people get scared, afraid of losing it all. Some people get cocky, thinking they're invincible. And if you were appropriately balanced between tight and loose and passive and aggressive to begin witg, any deviation means you're not playing as well.

For the vast majority of serious players and probably for a simple majority of pros, having stop losses and stop wins and a target departure time is a net positive thing.

Apparently most of the post is tongue-in-cheek and leaves a rookie to figure it out?
1) If you are getting scared .. you are in a bad place mentally and it will lead to bad plays ... leave.
2) If you are getting cocky .. you are in a bad place mentally and it will lead to bad plays ... leave.
3) If you are staying in control of pot size and mentally 'blanking out' your 400bb stack, then you are probably playing well and can stick around.
4) Cash is not tournament, every hand stands on it's own merit. You don't see 400bb PF clashes of AK v JJ in a tournament. You WILL see it in a cash game if you get sucked into it. You DO see a big stack applying pressure to a small stack (10-30bb) with AK in a tournament and then calling it off if they are deep enough. You should also see this in cash.

I totally agree that most players have an inflated version of themselves floating around in their head ... and most wouldn't dare try to track their results for fear that it will show they need to quit. You need to decide who you want to be and then see how it goes over different periods of time. If you cann't accept honest critiques from yourself or others then you will be blinded by the light of suck-out! GL

this is every wanna-be's biggest downfall

EGO EGO EGO YOUR WORST ENEMY.

self-assessment is crucial in poker and in life.
100 hrs is nothing a 200 hours is nothing ,short term var plays a big roll.

records help; and the more you can remember the more they help.