Those who play casino games a great deal are probably used to the concept of setting win and loss limits. With these, players set a predetermined amount of money that they’re willing to win or lose before quitting. For example, assuming your win limit was $50, you’d stop playing upon hitting this amount; if your loss limit was $50, you would quit playing after losing this much money.

Now some players wonder if win/loss limits also apply to poker games. After all, poker is a form of gambling – though it has lots of skill elements – so it only seems logical that win/loss limits would work here too. But the truth of the matter is that you’re much better off with sticking to plain ole’ bankroll management, and we’ll explain why.

It’s all about who you play with

The flaw in quitting a poker session after winning or losing a specific amount of money is that you fail to exploit weak opponents in favorable situations. For example, let’s say that you’re heads-up with a calling station who limps into lots of hands. Going further, let’s say that you manage to hit a win limit of $50 while playing against this terrible opponent. By leaving the table when the calling station still has money, you surrender an excellent opportunity to earn more profits. Obviously, the amount of money you earn shouldn’t be the issue here, but rather who you’re playing against instead.

Focus on Time Played

A better way to decide when you should stop playing online poker is when you’ve reached the point where you’re no longer making profitable decisions. For some people this may be after 2 hours, while others can play poker for 8 hours before they have trouble focusing. The more you play, the better you’ll be able to determine when this point is.

As we alluded to before, your opponents will play a huge part in how profitable your sessions will be. So if you’re stuck on a table full of highly-skilled players, a smart idea would be to jump off the table well before hitting any kind of loss limit. Case in point, focus on your opponents and playing when you’re at peak mental condition.