Leave a winning $10 table for an empty $5 table or not?

[dork]

Trapped like a rat again. My waiting-for-my-wife-at-the-casino discipline is weeeak...

I bought in with $700 on the $10 table because it was empty yesterday at dinnertime. (This seems to be an almost common occurrence these days. Maybe it's seasonal around tax time.) Anyway, I got up ~$250 within 40 minutes. Both my first two hands were profitable. By the end of my 2nd hand, there were 4 additional shooters, all RR's. I also made money on all the RR with a DC grind. I made more on the RR's than I did on my own hands--about $160 on all of them.

The $5 table must have turned south; it went from 9 or 10 players to one lone player.

What would you do--get off and go to the $5 table, or stay with the "winner"?

Yeah, I know ya'll wanna know how I finished. Like a damn idiot I stayed--for almost 3 hours--and lost $150 and quit. Up $250 was as good as it got. I forgot to bring a book, so I didn't skip out to the car with my winnings.

Hindsight taught me that I should probably have changed tables--if for no other reason than the regression there can be much more aggressive (by ratio). 'Nother lesson learned at the cost of "experience". Damned idiot I am.

[Mad Professor]

Hi Dork,

MP's axioms of advantage-play dice-influencing

#71....If you are playing just to play, or to pass the time while you are waiting on somthing; then you'll likely end up losing more often than you win.

#33...If you are convinced you can win more on random-rollers than you can gain on your own de-randomized shooting; then you'll likely end up losing more often than you win.

#59...If you stay at a random-populated table (and continue betting on them) because you feel the 'trend is your friend'; then you'll likely end up losing more often than you win.

#16...If your own shooting is grooved-in, yet you pass up shooting-opportunities on another table in order to stay at the higher-populated random-citzen table you are currently at; then you'll likely end up losing more often than you win.



MP

[freak]

I don't think I would switch away from a positive table if I had not achieved my win goal. However if you hit your 20% win goal then good discipline would dictate that you put $840 in the back rail (or better yet your pocket) and play with the remaining $110. With only $110 the $5 table is much more attractive since it sounds like at this point it's more about killing time than making money. The smaller game will give you more options for longer play. Maybe next time just step back and take a deep breath. If you don't want to lose your spot at the good table just turn around or look at the TV or take a BR break. Something to get your mind out of the game (break the dice spell) for a minute so you can reexamine your goals and priorities. After the mental reset, make a new plan and do it.

[dork]

Great advice from both ya'll, thanks!!

MP hit it on the head...*I* was the only one DI'ing... I didn't make a lot, but I was ahead at least $90 on my own hands (as best I can recall). The table wasn't hot--I was the only shooter with a practiced roll, and it was doing 'okay'. I won betting Don'ts on the RR's, and while mostly I sat them out as time went on, my own play deteriorated over the long haul..

And Freak, that's a fine piece of advice... strangely, I've never done that--ever... stepped away to make a mental evaluation and reset my mind (set).

And it *was* more about killing time than making money. At 'up $250' all I wanted to do was "survive" up $200.

Thanks, Guys!

[freak]

That move has saved me a lot. Sometimes I get so frustrated if I can't get my play to work, or if I modify my play and then the dice roll the exact way I needed them to LAST hand but not this hand. If I don't take a break I tend to start chasing out of frustration and anger, feeling like I must get that money back on THIS roll. That's stupid and so easy to see AWAY from the table...but at the table it's different. I'm not always able to step back. Sometimes the "spell" is too strong. But I'm always glad when I do. My discipline is always best when I first start playing. So a reset of my goals is critical to keeping a session/trip on track.

[London Shooter]

How about:

#1 - If "waiting for your wife at the casino" takes at least 3 hours, then maybe you need a new wife? (Or she needs a new husband)

[Golfer]

Play at the less populated table to shoot.

[dork]

Ya'll have been very kind in phrasing your advice in such a civilized manner as not to say I did something really, REALLY dumb. Much appreciated.