the Age old question; when do I leave the table?

I've been struggling as of late; my hourly is at an all time low. This could be due to playing on the road, variance, poor play, lack of hours -- I'm not sure... but I do know that after over a decade long of playing Poker at a serious level I'm still struggling with when to leave the table.

I run the thought of Daniel Negreanu's, "Hours over results" into my head all the time. I, for the most part -- consistently obtain 40 hours/week of poker on a year to year basis. Problem is -- I take a lot of extended time off; and my results actually show a higher hourly when I'm playing LESS hours (30-35 hrs) I also do not obtain these hours steadily. Once Thanksgiving -->> New Year roll around; it's family/friend time and there's a lot of drinking and socializing going on. What's the point of having the fringe benefit of freedom if I don't take advantage of it?

mmm, ok -- so.... lets shoot back a couple weeks.

Was running over a $100 hourly in a week and a half span playing $2/$5 while in Oklahoma. Unfortunately -- on my last few days there I dumped $3,000-$4,000 in ONE session. Long story short there was a guy who was brain dead putting it in blind and I couldn't get the monies. Why did I continue playing? It wasn't greed -- it was that I had put myself into a profitable situation and felt that I should continue on. Problem is -- it really hurt my will to play during the end of the trips duration. I fell into a mini poker depression and went into room service/cable TV mode for days on end. This isn't healthy and should be avoided at all costs.

Currently on my 3rd day in Maryland playing out of Maryland LIVE! Booked a first good day while playing PLO; and decided to break up my day into two 4 hour sessions of hold em/plo. Well.... after hour 6 I went to dinner w/ a buddy and (I'm stacking chips in a way that I cannot tell how much I'm up or down) but had an idea that I was cruising up about 250bbish ($1,250ish bucks)

He was like, "Just keep your chips on the table the game could be real good when you get back" grinder Kram just wanted to book the win; eat some food -- and then come back fresh. The definition of, "Good" games is a pretty broad statement and I've realized that I actually thrive in situations against semi good players where I understand exactly where they are in hands and how they're speaking to me. When I find myself in these overly gambling games against fish that are spewing and calling off 20bb bets pre flop -- the pots get bloated and I'm not sure where I am.... hrmmm.... what is my fucking point?

I have a problem, the problem is that I arrived onto a new poker trip. 5 days of hotel. Plan was 40 hours/week -- play my best. On day one I was tired after drive; lost $500 -- moved tables. Was up $1,700ish... lost a few hundred back and booked an overall day of +$1,000. Great. You are what you feel... and when I'm winning... the chips truly control my emotions. I know, I attempt to be Zen like but it's fucking impossible. I've moved down in stakes in attempts to get better control over this -- but it's inevitable. It's almost that it's not even about the $$$ at times but just winning or losing. No body likes to fucking lose. No body. Show me someone whose doesn't mind to lose, and I'll show you a loser.

So last night -- take friends advice leave chips. Come back to table and get into a profitable situation AKo vs A/10s ALL IN PRE FLOP against this asian chick who straddles and I trap from BB. She hits and I lose 100bb. No biggy. Run 4/4 into A/5 on an A/A/4/2/3 four-tone club board where my opponent doesn't realize he has straight flush and just flats my river value bet. (lol) Lose KK. Mis-play QQ from button(2x) where I win tilt against asian grinder kid who I know is opening to light. Actually pick up a hand he squeezes $35 I make it $105 from btn HU A high board he checks check back turn 7 river 8 chk turn through he fires $140 river I just pitch it and would never play my hand in that manner if I wasn't being a bitch. Pay off indian guy two streets for another 100bb and end up tilt racking after a 10 hour session (playing an extra two hours 'making up' for day 1's 6 hours) and I was sleepy, getting cranky, and most def. on what I've termed Win Tilt.

Ok -- so my current solution to when to leave:

Overall goal: Make $$$.

Specific Goal: +$5,000

Plan: Play lights out poker. Apply HALT. If I find myself +$1,000 at any given time; perhaps rack up -- hit and run; and re buy into a smaller game to give myself a chance to win more -- and not lose my overall momentum and will to want to play. You can still punch out a $5,000 week buying into smaller games with 100bb. They're awful.

Putting in more hours IS PROFITABLE. IF -- I AM NOT HUNGRY. I AM NOT SLEEPY and most importantly IF I'M NOT ON WIN TILT.

When I begin to protect the win -- I'm not playing my normal aggressive game so there's not nearly as much dead money. Also giving my opponents free cards, and being taken advantage of. If I book the win, know in back of my head I cannot lose no matter what... that's the smart play. Also keeps me productive so I'm not sitting at a bar or gambling in the pit being a degenerate.

Try this. Stick to it.

Goal: +$5,000 (already $1,300 there) so +$3,700 more in 3 days.
How? Start out in hold-em. Find yourself up $1,000. Hit and run. Re-buy into small PLO game for $500. If lose buy in re-set and check hours played / HALT. If 6-10 hours played it's ok to get the fuck out of there and re-set.

GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS RUT
MUST INCREASE HOURLY
NOT WORTH PLAYING IF I'M NOT PLAYING MY BEST
THIS IS A DREAM NOT A FUCKING GRIND AND I CAN DO AND GO ANYWHERE I WANT TO BE IN THIS WORLD
I'VE MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO TRAVEL HERE AND CHECK OUT A NEW GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND I CAN LEAVE WHENEVER I PLEASE!

FOCUS ON THE NEXT 3 DAYS OF GRIND -- THEN 2 DAYS OF TOURIST IN DC. ENJOY IT.
REMEMBER TO ENJOY IT. AS SOON AS I'M NOT, 'ENJOYING SOME POKER' IT'S TIME TO LEAVE, WIN LOSE OR DRAW. BEING MISERABLE IS NO WAY TO FUCKING LIVE. I WILL NOT BE A MISERABLE GRINDER. I HAVE AND WILL NOT TURN INTO A MISERABLE GRINDER....

also will make BAD BLUFFS rather than BAD CALLS.

Bad calls as recently:

9/10o against texas kid that dallas straddles. During my 3-4k downswing in OKLAHOMA was pretty steamy and on a Q high board he checked back button. Turn Q for a Q/Q/4/10 board i bet he raised (felt he'd bet Q on flop) and I called. (was two flush draws) river bricked I checked he fired $350 I snapped and fucker had Q/2s. Lame.

Bad call with QQ against indian guy in Maryland when I open button $140 pot checked to me on 7/7/8 board two tone. Bet $70 (win tilt to small of sizing doesn't price in draws enough nor give me enough info if they have a real hand) folded to Indian dood HU on turn of 6. He fires into me $150. I flat. River: 8 he fires $250 I tank called thinking he was taking advantage of my tight image / talking about leaving.

Can beat 5/6. Busted A/X flush draws. Under pairs etc. he showed 5/9s and peeled a gutter on a paired board. Don't mind turn call as I have some equity ... but he's never double barreling there and I wasn't playing top notch. All good.