As most amateur gamblers know, there should be a barrier between your play money, and your real money. In my case, it's the Jelly Jar. At the start of each month, I put a certain amount into the jar, with the idea that it will carry me through the month. Once the jar is depleted, I'm done for the month. If I win, that money goes into the Jelly Jar, and I've got either some extra play time at the table, or the option of a bigger stakes game.
My ears are still burning, because I must confess that last night I committed a sin. After my first tilt, I looked in the jelly jar, and recognized that the remainder of my JJ money would leave me perilously short-stacked. After an hour of watching the fun, I rationalized pulling my stake out of my wallet. IMPU, pulling stakes out of my own wallet is lower than a snake's belly. Even for a small sum to put me to a decent starting stake, with a promise to put it back at the end of play, it's just plain wrong.
