This is something I have very little experience with as I am usually very anal about how much I'm in the game and where I stand. Tonight was one of those nights of constant moving, buying, moving again, different games, tons of different seats, stuffing chips in different pockets after moves and breaks ... and there came a point I wasn't sure where I stood. Was pretty sure I was stuck a few hundred, and in this situation, which is rare, I"m usually stuck a few hundred more than I realize. But in fact when I cashed I was a nickle ahead.

It points up to me that I was playing better when I didn't know. Chips are ammo, not a savings account. It helped with this attitude. I'm thinking chips in every pocket not knowing how many are there, just knowing what you are in for so you know at the end is a good thing. Nursing chips bad, firing away with them good. That's part of the education of a poker player, I suspect, one I wasn't in the right frame of mind regarding. Gonna change it. Already changing it.

Wut.

I'm sure most of us are glad you've found a way to be more comfortable with your game, but not keeping track of how much you bought in for is a recipe for being one of those, "I don't keep track but I'm sure I'm a winner," posters.

At a minimum, you should know how much you walked in with, and how much you left with. That doesn't seem all that difficult.

+1

With that said, I also don’t keep much track of how much I’m up or down during the session unless I’ve rebought once or twice. It can be valuable for you to track your wins, hourly rate, best nights to play, etc. using apps like Poker Bankroll Tracker for game selection, and dare I say tax purposes. Not doing that makes it more likely you will be a losing player and telling yourself you’ve won.

Poker is a game of information, and situational awareness is key. if you got so befuddled that you lost track of something so basic as whether or not you were stuck, you are playing with a lack of awareness that is probably evident in other areas. Slow down, make sure you are always mentally present in aany game you play

And yes, playing with scared money is very bad. A player who goes in with the mind set of playing not to lose versus playing to win is almost guaranteed to lose.

missing part of my point ... if you know ONLY what you brought and then what you left with and unaware of where you stand at any given moment, it helps certain personality types just wing it and play the game instead of overcontrolling. Took me decades to experience this. So of course you know the final result but not constantly "the score." I think I sense this principle in excellent players just coming out of their backpack and carry bags and pockets with bukoos of chips ... who cares where you stand right now? My main problem has been trying to overcontrol the win (too conservative when ahead), and this helps with that. It fits me and others with a similar mindset or personality. It helps with presence, JUST PLAY THIS HAND don't worry about the score because you don't even know it. It's even similar to getting conservative in football instead of playing all out because you are ahead, which is weak as hell.

I dont always know what I arrive with. Use my phone to keep track of buy ins because otherwise I would probably forget an add on or buy in somewhere along ththe way

The important thing is you knew how much you bought in for since you knew you were up 5 bucks after cashing out. With respect to knowing exactly where you're at in the game isn't as important and it can actually be used as a crutch (for example, you know you're up exactly 1K and are thinking of quitting when you're dealt AK in the BB after an UTG raiser and 6 callers - a great squeeze opportunity but you know it might cost you a few hundred if things go bad so you elect to flat and play fit or fold instead). You even realized you played better not knowing exactly where you stood on every hand.

yeah, this one might be a little over your head. Start here. GL

Not keeping track of how much you buy in for can be a reasonable approach. It's not really a relevant factor to any decision you have to make at the table, and a preoccupation with stuckedness can be a serious problem. Especially if you just buy in with chips then it can be easy to not know how much you are in for.

nickel 500 ahead, not $5

I keep track of my buy ins on my phone. Every time I turn cash into chips, I make a note. At the end of the night, I turn chips into cash, and see what the difference is (regardless of the direction). Otherwise I don't worry about it.

If you're only up or down less than a buy in, who cares? If you can't remember if you're stuck 3 buy ins or not, that's on you, even if you never keep track of a single thing.

I hate knowing how much I am up or down for a day while I'm playing, but there's not a good way of preventing it. The best way I can think of is to buy a few buy-ins worth of chips and top off small amounts through the course of play as you need it. If you are down you won't know how much.

It bothers me to know I am up $607 and any pot I play could drop me below $600, and if a multiple of $100 is some special amount. I know it is stupid but it is still distracting.

KENNY ROGERS SAID IT BEST

"there'll be plenty of time for counting when the dealings done"

If I'm playing my A game the rest will take care of itself

I know what I left the house with
and will count what I have now when I get home.

FYP. Love the song.
But remember, the gambler who said this wound up dying broke on a train, bumming whiskey and cigarettes from a stranger....
Maybe he should have counted?

This is great advice for cyborgs, Vulcans, and robots, and anybody/anything else unaffected by emotion.

Realistically, it's hard to ignore the scenarios like browni3141 mentioned - you're on a 10-session losing streak, you're up $7 with a few minutes left, and if you play ultra carefully you can lock a win and snap your streak.

If you can ignore it, by all means do. Robotically play your A game and use the extra money to go buy The Turing Test for Dummies.

For most people, it will be unavoidable to let it affect you. In which case, leaning in and accepting it is going to yield better results than pretending it doesn't. If you're mentally committed to another round of folding and not playing anything but premiums, you're already off your A game. Rack up mid-orbit, book the win, and then spend some time reflecting on why you need that crutch. It's okay to make rules for yourself - that you'll only use it on losing streaks of 10 or more, etc - and then gradually raise the bar as you gain more experience.

There are few people more vulnerable at the poker table than those who aren't willing to admit their deficiencies. People who go on tilt early in a session but want to play through it are super vulnerable - they've got too much pride to run off with their tail between their legs; they've got too much mental baggage to hit and run. They're going to sit there and convince themselves that their C game is their B game and their B game is their A- game, running down some internal clock set by arbitrary rules like "Man, I only get out here once a week and it took me an hour and a half to get a seat, I can't leave after 15 minutes." Just admit the rules are arbitrary and skew them in your favor - just be sure to skew them less and less in your favor until you have achieved Poker Nirvana.

Not keeping track of where I stand is bad on may levels.

I always want to know how much money I have on the table in order to figure out implied odds. Also, it lets me know how my bet will affect my opponent's stack if I go all-in. And it gives me a good idea of how many blinds I would be risking with a hand like top pair.

I also like to know how many buy-ins I am in for because at some point if I am losing badly I want to cut myself off. That point is usually between two and three buy ins for me. Either I am playing bad or the table is too good. Or both...

When I change tables, I also am interested in the dynamic at the new table in terms of how much I am losing. This is also true if weak players leave and strong players sit down...

I have trained myself to play aggressively regardless of where I stand for the day. When I start playing tentatively because i don't want to lose more, then it is time to go home.

Exactly this is what I was referring to that it can help. Came across it by accident. I moved a ton of times in a night, took several breaks, changed games changing amounts on table, refused a must move, etc. ... and also funnily, I bought a jacket at the casino that night leaving me wearing two jackets with pockets full of chips. And I noticed the effect of loosening up the grip in a good sense.

Luv that loosening the grip description that somebody used ... for life, golf, poker ... a lot of things.

All of this thread comes down to knowing yourself as a Player and working/training yourself to deal with these emotions in the various scenarios.

1) Players play different when protecting a winning session. It's up to you to decide if it's more important to book a win, change your range/play or keep doing what got you ahead this session in the first place.

2) Players play different when chasing multiple bullets in an effort to 'get even'.

3) Players play 'way' differently when on their last bullet .. knowing if they bust they must leave the game.

It's up to you as a Player to notice these changes among your opponents ... and to make sure that your opponents don't pick up on these changes in your game.

Yes, it's optimal to play each hand for what it is with the chips you have on the table. But it's human nature to have all the other 'white noise' stuff floating around in your head. This stuff can cause a loss of focus during the hand at play.

JTendler's books help address how to deal with the mental side of life/poker ... both from a long term and 'right now' aspect of the game. GL

^^^ winning reply, might check out Tendler, most of the poker psych guys I have been very disappointed in. He different, I hope???

Tendler's first book is pretty darm good. I wouldn't call it essential, but it's hard to find better out there for anyone who wants to work on the mental game, even if they don't think they need it. (And since anyone taking the game seriously SHOULD work on the mental game, maybe it is essential after all.) His 2nd book was pretty meh imo.

you mean the hoodie wearing earphone wearing tablet browsing anti-social pros got it figured out