NOOB - When to end a session or play deep?

[manfredi]

Is it recommended to play for a certain number of hands or amount of time or do most people just play until they are up a buy-in or two (2NL)?

I'm not really good at playing deep, so when I find myself up 3+ buy-ins (spread between 4-6 tables), after only 150-200 hands, I usually stack off with 1 or 2 (donking or getting rivered) and then try to quit while I'm still up for the session. I learned the hard way that if you end every session when you are down, your bankroll ebbs away. DUH.

Also, it seems that people play differently against you when you are 200BB+ deep. So I have been ratholing/table hopping. I don't have any stats, but I feel like it's a lot easier to get a fish on with 100BB than with 200BB+. It's like they avoid you, since you're obviously 'good enough' to get deep. I think my winrate goes down when I'm deep.

Are there advantages to being deep that should outweigh the disadvantage of a reduced winrate? Or should I just keep ratholing and quitting while I'm ahead?

[Micro2Macro]

Is it recommended to play for a certain number of hands or amount of time or do most people just play until they are up a buy-in or two (2NL)?

I

typically you should have an idea of when you are going to end your session so you don't end up playing too long/tired/trying to get unstuck or whatever. setting your sessions up so you play no longer than 2 hours before taking a break is a good idea and is what a lot of good players adhere to.

number of hands will depend on how many tables you are playing so hard to give an answer for that.

I'm not really good at playing deep, so when I find myself up 3+ buy-ins (spread between 4-6 tables), after only 150-200 hands, I usually stack off with 1 or 2 (donking or getting rivered) and then try to quit while I'm still up for the session. I learned the hard way that if you end every session when you are down, your bankroll ebbs away. DUH.

If you find that you don't play as well when effective stacks get very deep then for now it's probably best to leave the table and find a new one once you get past the amount of big blinds you feel comfortable playing with. another reason would be you aren't properly bankrolled to be playing say, 250+ bb deep because losing a couple stacks of that size would jeopardize your bankroll.

Also, it seems that people play differently against you when you are 200BB+ deep. So I have been ratholing/table hopping. I don't have any stats, but I feel like it's a lot easier to get a fish on with 100BB than with 200BB+. It's like they avoid you, since you're obviously 'good enough' to get deep. I think my winrate goes down when I'm deep.

Are there advantages to being deep that should outweigh the disadvantage of a reduced winrate? Or should I just keep ratholing and quitting while I'm ahead?

if your results are better when you aren't playing deep then yeah, you should leave the table. I would suggest trying to grind your way up and learn by not playing deep and then once you reach a point where you have a nice bankroll cushion and have moved up in stakes, try dropping down and work on getting experience playing deeper stacks for a lower risk.

what is your bankroll right now for 2nl?

[manfredi]

Well usually, if I'm up a few buy-ins after 150-200 hands, it's only been 30 minutes or an hour and I'm still 'in the mood' to play. I guess that's the problem -- I have been just playing until I feel entertained and haven't set a predetermined ending point for a session. I guess 2 hours sounds about right. Thanks.

I have recently returned to poker after a few years (I never was good) and went through the newbie circle of death, starting a month or two ago. I had $75 sitting idle for a few years, started playing again and quickly took it up to $140 and then donked it all away til I had ~$5 or less. That woke me up and I've been more serious in the past week or so and I'm currently floating around $20.

It's not that I can't afford to deposit a proper roll, but I think feeling the pressure of busting is helping me to play better and giving me an incentive to learn and progress. Since I'm not eligible for bonuses or rakeback, pre-depositing money is actually a disadvantage until I can eliminate donking from my game.

I have a simple/incomplete plan. First, I am trying to develop a winning microstakes game, where I'm at, and without depositing, then I will consider making deposits at smaller sites and earn some bonuses. Then, if I can move up, I will try to earn bonuses/rakeback at the more popular sites.

I guess you are saying that learing to play deepstacked is not really necessary at 2NL?