When To Leave A Table (Fixed Limit)

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this site and may I say that i'm really glad I found it.
I have been playing Hold Em' for around 6 months now with the last month being for real money. Like most people I got off to a bad start, but am slowly crawling my way back to what I deposited. I just had a quick question that has been bugging me for ages in regards to fixed limit, which is what I have been playing, usually just general $0.25 - $0.5 games. When should you leave a table? Do you guys have a set quota that you try and reach? or do you just play more by the feel of the table. I'm finding that once I am up a little bit I tend to walk away as I get worried about losing it, but than after I do this I can't help wondering if maybe I would have won a whole lot more If I had stuck around.
I would really appreciate some advice
Thanks.

Try to think of poker as one incredibly long session rather than many small sessions. Results in one small session really do not matter in the grand scope of things, what matters is your results in the long term. Short-term results offer up a lot of quirks - I remember a few months back when I was ending up down about 75% of my sessions but up quite handsomely overall, simply because I won so much more during my winning sessions than I lost during my losing sessions. Was I worried about ending up down most sessions? Nah, because I knew that over a large sample of hands I was a winner.

Only set 'stop-losses' or 'stop gains' if you find that being a certain amount up or down negatively affects your play (for example becoming overly tight to 'protect' gains, or loosening up too much to try and chase back losses). Otherwise, just play for as long as you feel comfortable.

Also, here is another thread that has some other thoughts as well.

However, by no means should you follow the bankroll mgmt advice in Dorkus' signature.

"Today, I'm going to play 500 hands before I log off."

That's how I set limits.

Or in my case, today I'm going to lose 500 hands before I log off.

The problem with setting your limit at a certain number of hands is that you still might feel the urge to play more loose to make up losses before that number of hands is up, or to play more tight to protect winnings. The surest, most cautious way is probably to set a profit or loss amount. Like, I will quit once I've either made $20 or lost $20, something like that. I personally don't like doing this, but similar things seem to work for some people.

Is that really something that people do? I mean, it's not like my computer will automatically shut off after 500 hands, and I think most people realize that if I'm "protecting" my win after 350 hands, then I can just log off then, or if I'm struggling to win back, I would be better off playing more than 500 than trying to become a maniac.

You answered your own question here. If you feel any hesitation or doubt then leave. Thinking about the what ifs are useless. If you feel that way take your startup and move to another table for another go around. If you lose you still have your profit from the first table.

I have a question jd will you be losing all of these to dakota?

Nope. The way I'm feeling and playing today (not to mention the suckouts that are killing me), anyone that puts money down against me will win. That's how it's gone today. I have not cashed in a single thing today. In my last SNG right now. Whether I cash there or not, I'm done for the day. I'm getting tired of the ridiculous beatings.

try drinking jd right from the bottle