How to quit when ahead

Any recommendations on when to quit when your ahead

Yes, exactly that - when you're ahead

Hit the "Leave Table" button.

When you're ahead, take a sledgehammer to your computer.

i usually set a certain amount that im going to leave the table at. unless i feel there is real money to be made there. (ex. a bunch of donks)

I wouldn't do this. Almost all the books I have read have frowned upon this because it will affect your play. I am too lazy right now to open one of the books up and quote it but it is because if u set yourself a mark you might try to reach it too early or gamble to try to get to it. A low stop point is good but not a bad one.

I usually stop during a good session when i feel myself getting cocky. If I am running well but i feel myself become looser than i should I leave the session because I am on a high but a bad one cause I am playing lucky not skilled.
Last Night I actually stopped because my BR reached 333. and 3 is my favorite number and who can beat 3 3's. But I was close to stopping anyway because i was starting to justify playing hands like 9//K which is not part of my game. So I left YAY!!!

yea i agree.
its not a dead set mark.
just when i seem to have reached somewhere near there. i tell myself, ok lets not lose all this and i take off.

You need to change your thinking a little bit. Try quitting when you are not playing your best poker, not necesarrily when you are ahead. One major reason is when you are winning you have a strong table image and are more confident in your abilities. If you feel you have positive expectation at the table then stay seated.

Thanks I'll try to hit the leave button

First why are you playing? Is it strictly to build a bankroll or to pick up some spencing money? Or is it as entertainment? That's how i view the game online or a brick and mortar. I look at the money I put on the table the same as I would spend on a movie and diner ect. But I do set goals when I play.
The best advice I've heard was from a live interview Danial Negraneau did a few years ago. And keep in mind he started doing this at small stake ring games when he first turned pro. HE believed in setting a time limit. Thus he felt it didnot matter about where you were at in an individual session. He looked at it as a job of course. Thus this approach may not be right for you. But setting guidelines about loses is important. I like several others don't personally like the idea of "win this much" and leave the table. Many do this live. Matter of choice I guess. I do like setting time limits on play though.

If you feel that you are no longer playing at a high level, leave ASAP, shut down your computer and grad a few drinks. If you stick around long enough, you'll begin to play too loose and risk losing a nice chunk of your winings.

leave when ur down
why would u want to leave when ur ahead?
if ur ahead it means 1 of 2 things, maybe both
1)ur getting extremely lucky
2)ur playing really good and ur concentration is total there

do like ivey, play less when ur down and play more when ur up
say ur avg seccion is 2 hours, if ur losing cut it down to 1 and if ur winning, extent it to 3

most casinos don't have clocks ..the longer you play the odds eventualy go against you. playing when you are tired is not a good idea

I think this guy might have just hit the nut straight, I can see it in his eyes...

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I usually set upper and lower limits when I sit down to play (.25/.50 Limit-6max). If I get to either, I quit. If I get well ahead quickly, I usually hit and run, and maybe hit another table later.

For me it's easier to quit when I have planned when to quit before joining the game, using quantitative measures that affects my earning potential. The "feel" method should be the way to go, but I'm not yet confident about my discipline to determine quitting using the "feel" method

- If a table gets too rough / tight compared to other tables of the same limit, i.e. when its VP$IP ratio becomes one of the lowest, then I'd switch to another table. This you can avoid playing in unprofitable settings

- If I might be on tilt, i.e. showdown percent exceeds 15% or see more than 35% of the flops

- In real casino, it'd more difficult as I don't see the stats. There I'd leave if I earn / lose 50% of buy-in

Just doesn't appeal to me to quit when I am ahead, although, it is probably better to do so. But, how do you determine when you are ahead enough to quit? A time limit is very good, I have found. Usually, 2 - 3 hrs will be enough. Do not play when you are tired? Your concentration is low and you will not be at your best. Also, I have found not to try to play more than one game at a time is better.

Totally agree with not playing when tired. I know there are a lot of multi-table players out there, but I prefer to stick with one, two at the most and only if the same game (nlhe/nlhe or stud/stud, etc). More than 1, concentration is divided, at least it is for me.

Long time friend and live table player once made a comment that stuck with me, and seems to be true. Don't know the logic, but I no longer play 1. hungry or 2. with Mother Nature calling. Take that break to take care of 'other' business.

One of the things that always make me wonder about length of play is the number of people who play drunk or stoned. I can't find a book anywhere that addresses alcohol or smoke improving skills and decision making.

GL on the flat screen felt.

What I do is cash out and go to a different table. That way you won't lose all that you have gained. Instead of letting the whole roll ride.
In no limit you can lose in a few minutes what it took you all day to make.

Well, if you are playing a money table, and you are ahead, leave the table and bank, and come back and buy in with the original amount that you bought in with. Keep doing that and try not to lose... hehe... Anyway, I see people go to a table, triple their money, and instead of banking and coming back they end up losing everything..

The hit and run is certainly an easy strategy online. I think setting time limits is a more reasonable and effective way of doing it for a couple of reasons.

1. If you are at a really soft table why leave especially if they keep rebuying.

2. If you ever do play live poker this is a more reasonable way of managing yourself.

3. You will learn to play through the swings that happen naturally. if you lose a big hand early then after your two hours have broken even or turned a profit will help you as much as getting a huge win early and then playing as the big stack at the table.

Just my thoughts FWIW

One method: leave when you find yourself making poor decisions that you would not have made when you first sat down. Obviously this requires some degree of self awareness.

Certainly is good to get many other players' take on this subject. All makes sense to me. I have really enjoyed this subject. I hope everyone else has also.

Not playing tired is huge, most of my really epic fall apart moments have happened well past my bedtime.

Can you do that online? At my casino if you get up and want to rejoin the table that night you have to take back with you what you took off.

ex: I played the .10/.20 tonight for an hour and made $13, then quit. I hit the "leave table" button to do so. It may not seem like much, but it's better than being down. So give it a try, when you're ahead, that "leave table" button should be clickable unless your mouse is broken in which case you'll be timed out and you can let the site kick you out, lol.

you can sit out until the site kicks you out, then you can reenter with whatever you want. I found that to be true with the site i use.

Never, ever leave the table based on the amount you've won or lost unless you have lost a set portion of your bankroll (about 10%). You should base your decision on the table. Is it a profitable table or not? If it is profitable, play more. If it is not, leave.

If you feel you can beat the table (and you have made an honest assessment of the players, your skill, your current state of mind, etc.), then stay, even if you have lost (unless you've lost more than you can afford).

If you feel the table is getting too tough, you can't beat the table, etc., you should leave, regardless of how much you have won.

Gobbs

When im winning I usually leave the table and hit up a lower stake to protect my winnings. At least I can lose that much there.

When Im down, I'd recomend moving up a level or two in order to win back faster. The players on the higher are easier to beat than the low level donks, and I love chasing my losses.

This system has never failed for me yet. Oh anyone know when the Bodog freeroll pzzword is being posted ?

after you win big bucks

I always leave once I start making bad decisions, mostly which are after I got a bad beat. Also like previously stated, it sucks playing when you're tired. You are more eagle to gamble on a draw and dig yourself in a whole than when you're fresh and eager to play.

I usually like to bank after making 4x my buy in whatever the game. If you have to sit out for a half hour (I know that's the case on full tilt). no biggie. Leave the window open and watch for a bit then rejoin with the original buy in and you can keep your winnings plus stay in a great money game. Way better than getting up 5 or 6 times your original buy in and then being busted by a crazy loose player or a bad run of cards.

Establish a floating stop-loss just like you would for trading stocks. Once you have exceeded an amount that you believe you are capable of winning at a given table, establish a floating stop-loss; such that if your chip stack falls below that amount, then its time to leave. Figuring out what you should make your stop-loss is a personal thing. For a conservative player, the stop-loss will be a very small fraction of the over-all chip stack, while a looser player will establish a stop-loss that will be a larger portion of the over-all chip stack. The good thing about this is that if you continue to win, your stop-loss will move right along with you,but if you start to loose, it will remain fixed and once you've crossed it you should leave.

If you are faced with risking a large portion of your chip stack in a single hand, evaluate the strength of your hand and contrast that against the possibility that you might be outdrawn. Then decide whether you want to walk away with a profit or risk that profit based on the possibility that you might win the hand.

NuRelic

Hey, this is a really good idea. I like it very much. Thanks for it. I will start right away with this technique.

Thanks again.

Birddog