There is much to be said about having heart, but I think there are five instances in which it’s better to take a break than it is to keep on trucking. The optimal length of that break depends on the situation. If all it takes is a five minute walk to clear your head, then so be it. If you need to take the rest of the day off, that’s fine too.
1. You feel angry
This one is pretty obvious. Getting angry at poker is dangerous because it leads to stupid, expensive mistakes. You tend to get stubborn, irrational and prone to taking big risks. Some players even move up in stakes when they are angry and lose even more money. On top of that, bad beats become even more infuriating than normal when you are already angry to begin with.
2. You win a big pot and are scared to give it back
People don’t normally think about this, but big wins can also have detrimental effects on play. I am normally an advocate of staying in any good game, but you do not want to stay in if you are playing sub-optimally. If you catch yourself counting how many dollars you are up and making overly cautious folds, it’s time to take a break.
3. You start browsing YouTube
Browsing YouTube, checking your e-mail or watching TV while playing poker are indications that you are becoming distracted and/or bored. Playing poker while distracted can easily lead to mistakes, and playing while bored can lead to reckless plays just for the sake of making things interesting. It’s time to take a break from poker if you find yourself paying more attention to other things.
4. You are completely card dead and can’t win a pot
Being card dead isn’t necessarily an indication that you need to take a break, but being unable to win pots usually is. If you are totally card dead and can’t win pots, you may have lost confidence or have a bad table image. Being unable to win cards means you are either not stealing or the other players have your number. Take a break and come back to the tables fresh and ready to play.
5. You are losing money
Sometimes you can lose money in a good game, but losing money is usually a sign that you’re in a bad game. If you find yourself slowly (or quickly) bleeding your chips away, it’s time for a new table. A break becomes even more important if you feel yourself getting irritated about the money you are losing.