Poker Fatigue
After two hours or so at the poker table, I had seen my stack fluctuate hugely in both directions. I’d taken a few risks, made some big hands, and after a lot of work, I had built up a decent profit.
I had come into the casino with a specific game plan in mind, and according to that plan, it was time to go. Instead of leaving, however, I decided to stay and give it another hand or two. I lost two small hands, and I was down a bit from what I wanted to go home with, so I started playing way more aggressively, doubling, even tripling my bets, and making bad hits and standing against by better judgment.
It didn’t take long for me to lose my hard-earned winnings and then to dip into the bankroll that I’d brought in, and I sat out a few hands, wondering what went wrong. I had done this before-I’d played smart poker all night, and right before I left, I’d start playing dumb and watch my money fly away.
As I got back into the game and slowly worked my way back into the positive, it hit me-poker fatigue! It was late, I had been sitting there for hours, and I was dog tired, and being tired affects your decision making. Before you know it, you’ll be splitting tens when the dealer’s showing nine or finding other ways to make your stack dwindle.
Next time you’re in the middle of a marathon session of poker, pay attention to how you feel. If bad ideas are starting to look like fun risks, it’s time to step away for a bit, rest up, get a bite to eat, and come back rested and ready to make some money.