the cash-out curse

[BDPoolie 0]

Let me start by saying that I do not think online poker is rigged. I don't really think there is such a thing asa "Cash-Out Curse", but I have heard people speak of it.Basically, it's when you cash some money out of a poker site, that the site makes it so you can't win and you start losing really bad and taking bad beats.What I'm interested in hearing opinions on is how we could possibly be creating this "curse" ourselves, either psychologically, or by the way we play after we cash out.When I first cashed out about 5x my original buy-in, I wouldn't say that I started playing reckless, but possibly I started playing a little looser than I had before. I think that I figured that I had already cashed out a good amount and the rest is FREE MONEY. Even if I lose it all, I am still a winner.I'm not saying this is a good way to think. Just the opposite. It's terrible and I am doing my best to curb this way of thinking/playing.Also, after I cashed out, I continued to play in the same games at the current levels, which would have been within my bankroll had I not cashed out. But after cashing out some, I should have gone down to a smaller level to be inside my BR.I guess I'm just wondering from other FCPers if they have seen this pattern within themselves or others, and what they did to curb it.

[JSHamm 9]

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...3994&m_id=65535may be of some interest to you.

[Andyec 0]

I think the main reason is in something you said in your OP. This summer I cashed out every week as if I was getting a weekly paycheck from a job. I would cash out between 200-250 each Tuesday. However, at the end of the summer, my bankroll was about half of what I had at the beginning, and from my spreadsheet I found I had only been making about 100-150 a week. Whoops!What does this have to do with the cashout curse?Even though my bankroll was slowly decreasing, I continued playing the same limits I was playing when it was higher (2/4 and 20 or 30 NL SNGS). People who cash out a large amount...say...from 1700 to 700, will probably do the same thing. Now the swings they take are very large relative to their bankroll and they may not be able to handle it (financially or emotionally). Whereas losing $200 was nothing when at 1700, suddenly losing that much brings you down to 500, a number that looks incredibly small. So you get away from playing a winning game, and simply worry about the money aspect, not the strategy. And then the money is gone. I don't think I made this as clear as I could've. So feel free to ask any questions and maybe I can help.

[BDPoolie 0]

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...3994&m_id=65535may be of some interest to you.

Awesome link...This hit the nail on the head of exactly what I was talking about.Thanks.