Sit Out Strategy & Ethics

Hello! (first post! yay!)

My wife and I have gotten into poker over the past few months. We are having tons of fun playing $1 games on pokerstars and building our experience.

I have read a few places online that discussed joining a Double or Nothing game, checking "sit out", and walking away. The strategy says to let the top half of players drop out on their own and you will usually come out ahead.

Is this a sound strategy? Is this ethical? Will PokerStars yell at me for this?

I'm really loving the Double or Nothing games (matches my quiet personality) and am falling in love with poker.

I look forward to what you guys have to think about this and am also looking forward to getting into the community here.

Thanks

Well it is considered by most DON regs that playing anything other than AA or sometimes KK in the early levels is unprofitable, so there is certainly some merit to sitting out the first few levels. However I do believe that with 6 players left most would notice that you are sitting out and would not allow themselves to bust. So I can understand skipping the first few levels, but not the entire game.

I don't play DoN's, but I know of a few people who do this regularly. They say that they have decent results.

Personally I would recommend against this, as it really teaches you nothing about the game. It is a viable way to help with a small bankroll, but you will never get any better bu sitting out.

Another thing that got me curious was that I just saw this happen about half an hour ago. I was in a 10 player DON game with a single player that was sitting out the whole game. He ended up winning with the rest of us and never played a hand.

Pokerstars doesn't care, you've payed your entry

The field is usually cut in half after the first hour. Don't you think you'd be better off watching your cards and only playing AA and KK for the first hour?(just as an example).

EDIT: Never mind...thought you were talking MTTs

I don't think I would ever use this strategy myself (as I enjoy playing the game) but I'm curious when I see other people doing it from time to time.

im with you vector and i enjoy actually PLAYING the game...nah i'd also advise against sitting out....most do it after a quick double up or something..i dunno...if its me though id rather play

I have played the $1.20 Dons on pokerstars. I also play some of the playchips step tournaments on Full tilt and there I use the sit out method for the 1st couple of steps.

There are several reasons that this will work some of the time, but to make a profit you need to win about 57% of the time, and it wont work that often. Maybe those sitting out are using it to boost thier volume.

If it worked, it might not teach you poker, but it would give your bankroll a boost so you could afford to learn the other games.

Ive played maybe 5 or 6 double or nothings on pokerstars and if sit out as a strategy there is no way you will make money from this, maybe in the odd game you will but in the later stages you need to be there to steal some blinds to survive. Although i agree with not playing anything but AA and KK in early levels, then id add AK and QQ in at later positions when blinds are slightly more and then when blinds are really high of course you have to be much looser in later positions to keep ure stack from dwindling

Do you all prefer the regular speed ones or the turbos? I have always played the turbos.

TheKAAHK said:

I don't play DoN's, but I know of a few people who do this regularly. They say that they have decent results.

Personally I would recommend against this, as it really teaches you nothing about the game. It is a viable way to help with a small bankroll, but you will never get any better bu sitting out.

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I think this sums it up best...your'e making money.(fantastic) but...you're not "playing" poker...some times the journey is better than the destination! Have some fun along the way!

I'm not a big fan of walking away and hoping people don't catch on, however, sitting out first 15 minutes might be worth investigating. Why not try it and let us know how it goes.

I play DON's when I want to build my bankroll up if I
have been on a losing streak, it is so easy to cash in
them cos there are always 2 or 3 maniacs who go out
quick so you usually only have to outlast 2 more
players to cash

I would say that if you want a game that is nearer
a proper sit n go play normal speak but if you want
a quick lottery type of game with no relation to
proper poker

as for sitting out/sit outs, I have been on tables down to
6 players with one sitting out and I will say "we have a
sit out" and 99% of regular DON players will know what to
do and they will blind the sit out out, some people may think
this is unethical but if they cant be bothered playing why
should they cash?

I find making money in DON easy, apart from the odd
bad run of course, but the reason I dont play more is
because I find them SOOOOOO BORING and most of the
time there is no poker played.

Some people love them but give me a good old fashioned
sit and go where I can lose my money playing proper
poker

seems like a bad strategy. what if u miss out on on some big pots. of course AA or KK can get you in trouble if somebody hits a set or something better...but u can fold them on flop or turn if you sense you are beat. stalling in early rounds and playing tight would be better (IMO).

ya u cant skip the entire game youll lose 8 out of 10 times. so it isnt profitable lol ive done it

I play these double or nothing games and find then very profitable but I do not sit out as I like to take advantage of the sitters in the early rounds.

I don't know of anyone that would make it to the bubble spot and then risk their game lives when there is a sitter at the table, like was mentioned earlier everyone would sit back and blind the sitter out, unless their was a brain dead clown at the same table who didn't realize the basis of the strategy

Ive played these on pokerstars. you can sit and win in many games. However, it is only for $$$ and you learn nothing. pokerstars will never give you grief though because it happens all the time.