Securing Poker Winnings

Poker winnings earned hard in several sessions can easily be wiped out in a blow. It is important to know the right timing to secure poker winnings.

The first thing here is to know the right time to call it a day. Maturity in poker is to have the wisdom to know when there's still too few money in the bankroll or when there's enough. Sometimes, to save oneself of the pitfall of going bankrupt in poker, it pays to know when to leave even when there's still not enough poker winnings in the bankroll. This is better than nothing. Secure what is left available. It's going to be a lot better in the long term.

The temptation to go on is present both when there's a ton of poker winnings in the bankroll, or there's been a ton of money already lost. This is when poker winnings become a dangerous obsession. When there's more than enough in the bankroll, it's best to quit and secure the poker winnings---than lose them all. Or, when the bankroll and poker winnings are about to be wiped clean, quit while there's just enough for a cab fare.

Too much or too few poker winnings, continuing may trigger a down trend in poker. We may apply the principle of diminishing returns in poker economics here: sometimes there's a point in which a poker trend reaches its peak or nadir (up or down) and it cannot get any better but slide down. A mature poker player will not wait for poker winnings to diminish considerably just to find this out. Two or three losses in a row will send a clear message---find a better table or quit altogether. It's really bad losing one's profit or budget, or digging oneself deeper into a hole.

Losing just because of a silly misjudgment or due merely to a spoiled lack of self control is sickening in the end. Losing poker winnings like that can either make one come back with a vengeance (and more idiocy because of the concomitant emotions) or put one out of commission for good.

Keep what's left of the poker winnings (or bankroll) and run. Compulsive poker players often force a "luck" that is obviously not there, while disciplined poker players are sensitive to what's really happening and think about what poker winning is still available. After all, poker is about winning.

Often, the best way to secure poker winnings is to know when to stop.