When to leave the table in cash game?

I'm asking this on behalf of my roommate. But when should you leave the table in cash games? He thinks that you should keep playing when you're rolling hot until the table breaks.

Or when you lose your buy-in that you have bought in for to take a break and move to another table.

He asked this because when we were in vegas, he bought in for $100 in $1/$2 and stayed at the table until his table broke, walked out with over $900. But he feels that there's a guideline to when you should leave because you risk yourself of losing everything you worked hard for.

I told him about Ferguson's rule of leaving the table when your chipstack represent 10% of your bankroll. But what other guidelines are there of leaving the table? Because lot of times, I don't follow Ferguson's guideline and just roll my chipstack higher when I'm running over the table. I have no discipline in leaving the table. I just leave whenever I want and play whenever I want. I also need some advice on disciplined guideline of when I should leave.

Interesting stuff I really think your first two sentences are a decent enough guideline of how long to stay and when to leave the cash game table you are playing at.

yeah, i too struggle a bit here and i will go on playing if i played good and get nice stacks though, but suddenly i will lose everything including my buyin into it. So, i will follow a method it is when your stack is doubled of your buyin i will leave the table.!( playsuji's exit)

Honestly, there are a load of different views on this one.

Chris Ferguson says what you quoted above. Guys like Barry Greenstein, on the other hand, will tell you to stay as long as the game is good and you can keep your eyes open.

I'm more in the Greenstein camp - not every table will be a great table so when you find one you may as well mine it for all you're worth. Leave when the table goes bad or when you're not playing well enough to profit any more and let the final amount you win or lose sort itself out.

playsuji6 said:

yeah, i too struggle a bit here and i will go on playing if i played good and get nice stacks though, but suddenly i will lose everything including my buyin into it. So, i will follow a method it is when your stack is doubled of your buyin i will leave the table.!( playsuji's exit)

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I wouldn't go that far. If you double your buy in and the table rules allow it RATHOLE your buy in. Repeat every time your buy in doubles.

If there's fish at the table, stay at the table.

I wish I could tell you when you should leave a cash table, but I can't because I leave cash table when i'm broke or tripled my money.

stay until u feel like all tha donks are gone or do like me and i leve when i get 10% of my bankroll in tha room example: if i have $100 BR and play 1/2c room with $2 and i get it to $10 im out cuz $10 is 10% of $100

Using BRM, you leave the table when your 2X higher... So you go in to a 2.00NL table, leave when you hit hit 4.00$.
It's the same when SS...

If it's a good game I'll stay as long as I can, or until the game dies down again.

When to leave is dependent on the type of player you are.

YEP, All correct

PLAY ON until you lose 20% of your highest level (in one hand), then depart. No exceptions. Play TIGHT in CASH.

redwulf25_ci said:

I wouldn't go that far. If you double your buy in and the table rules allow it RATHOLE your buy in. Repeat every time your buy in doubles.

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Until one is leaving the table, removing funds from play is disallowed in all the poker rooms I've played in...I believe that's general protocol?

If I recall correctly, Johnny Chan recommends leaving @ 2x buy in @ a profit or 50% @ a loss (ie: $200 buy in...leave @ $400 or $100). If I also recall correctly this is not what he was doing when he was 1st learning poker...his method @ the time = ATM . Personally I would deviate from the guideline if the game was really, really good though (keeping a mental note of the adj max amt I'm willing to lose) & leave when the seat goes cold or the table breaks.

Time that I spend at tables depends on the opponents and their stack sizes. If everyone at my table has gotten deep (200bb or so) and I think I have an edge I have no problem sticking around even if I have doubled up. If there are a bunch of shortstackers or nits at the table Ill leave usually. If your planning on playing sessions you have to be able to deal with 3 and 4 buyin swings, so I will stick it out at a table for a significant amount of time as long as I feel there is an edge. Table selection is really important, if you think your better than the competition and they have enough money to pay you off I def wouldnt leave. If oppo have money but hte edge is marginal theres always a better table. If they have no money just leave its not worth the time playing a bunch of ss nits.

OK - so a lot of people have cited a lot of rules and formulae for when to leave a table.

Here's a question: if you follow one of these "leave at 2x" type formulas, WHY?

Seriously, what's the reason? I'm seeing a lot of formulas, but not a lot of reasoning or justification. And if you don't have a reason or a justification, how do you know you're doing the right thing?

"I do it because Chris Ferguson / Johnny Chan / whoever told me to" isn't a valid reason, BTW

i set a limit for my self before entering the game. like if i lose 4 dollars where it either a gain or loss I would stop playing due to the fact that i know that I'll keep on going and will lose it all

OzExorcist said:

OK - so a lot of people have cited a lot of rules and formulae for when to leave a table.

Here's a question: if you follow one of these "leave at 2x" type formulas, WHY?

Seriously, what's the reason? I'm seeing a lot of formulas, but not a lot of reasoning or justification. And if you don't have a reason or a justification, how do you know you're doing the right thing?

"I do it because Chris Ferguson / Johnny Chan / whoever told me to"; isn't a valid reason, BTW

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bazerk said:

...Personally I would deviate from the guideline if the game was really, really good though (keeping a mental note of the adj max amt I'm willing to lose) & leave when the seat goes cold or the table breaks.

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Good point OzExorcist. I'm only able to keyboard about my reasoning (^^I tend to follow the latter guidelines rather than what Johnny Chan recommended -- because I'm primarily a recreational player in b&ms, playing $3/$6 & $4/$8 Limit)... JC's suggestion is a more disciplined approach for someone who is trying to grind @ the levels I play @; one of the ol' timers @ the San Diego casino I played @ follows this approach & consistently nets a $4K income (supplemental) monthly -- plays 5 days a week & leaves the table with a net $200 daily from a $100 buy in...it helps that there's a rack of white consolation for Aces Cracked.

If Johnny Chan recommended that I jump off a bridge...I'd do it -- not...but for a simple bankroll mgmt guideline 'maybe I'll try that & see if it works for me' might be in order (since the suggestion is coming from someone who's already been there, done that).

assuming you are following proper br management rules, leave when your opponents are playing better than you.

bazerk said:

Good point OzExorcist. I'm only able to keyboard about my reasoning (^^I tend to follow the latter guidelines rather than what Johnny Chan recommended -- because I'm primarily a recreational player in b&ms, playing $3/$6 & $4/$8 Limit)... JC's suggestion is a more disciplined approach for someone who is trying to grind @ the levels I play @; one of the ol' timers @ the San Diego casino I played @ follows this approach & consistently nets a $4K income (supplemental) monthly -- plays 5 days a week & leaves the table with a net $200 daily from a $100 buy in...it helps that there's a rack of white consolation for Aces Cracked.

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Erm... maybe I've missed it, but did you tell us why you follow that rule? What does it achieve, what benefits does leaving when you do give you?

Also, the rules Johnny Chan and Chris Ferguson provide (I'm pretty sure) are meant for no limit or pot limit games. If you're playing limit you're not risking your whole stack on any given hand so surely there's less risk in staying longer if the game is good?

I agree with Ferguson's ruleset ... just being conservative; but I'd still have my bankroll. Far too easy to let this sport become an addiction and all the woes that accompany that.

OzExorcist said:

Erm... maybe I've missed it, but did you tell us why you follow that rule? What does it achieve, what benefits does leaving when you do give you?

Also, the rules Johnny Chan and Chris Ferguson provide (I'm pretty sure) are meant for no limit or pot limit games. If you're playing limit you're not risking your whole stack on any given hand so surely there's less risk in staying longer if the game is good?

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Originally Posted by bazerk
...Personally I would deviate from the guideline if the game was really, really good though (keeping a mental note of the adj max amt I'm willing to lose) & leave when the seat goes cold or the table breaks.

bazerk said:

Good point OzExorcist. I'm only able to keyboard about my reasoning (^^I tend to follow the latter guidelines rather than what Johnny Chan recommended -- because I'm primarily a recreational player in b&ms, playing $3/$6 & $4/$8 Limit)... JC's suggestion is a more disciplined approach for someone who is trying to grind @ the levels I play @; one of the ol' timers @ the San Diego casino I played @ follows this approach & consistently nets a $4K income (supplemental) monthly -- plays 5 days a week & leaves the table with a net $200 daily from a $100 buy in...it helps that there's a rack of white consolation for Aces Cracked.

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I've only read one book by Johnny Chan, Million Dollar Hold'em Limit Cash Games & it was a couple of summers ago (but I'm thinking I read it there, would have to locate the book to confirm). I don't adhere to JC's rule since I am a Limit recreational player...I have been known to stay @ a poker table 24 hrs if the game is really good (& it can be since it's a Full Kill game)...plus the Bad Beat Jackpot & other promotions are enticing.

I think another important aspect are the villains' stacksizes. If I'm the only one who is really deep and all the others only have around 100 BB, I don't care if the table gets a little bit tighter. So in my opinion, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable in the situation and that you are not too scared about loosing all your money. There is no use in keeping on playing, just because you haven't reached your set goal but you really feel uncomfortable.
So I don't stick to strict rule or amount, but I tend to leave the table whenever I start to feel uneasy about the situation, be it because I think there is too much money at risk or because the table gets tighter or something else.

This supercedes posts #12, #16 & #20 ...

Aw gee, I respectfully request a do-over post…I have a tendency to recall nearly everything I’ve read, seen or heard…it is a blessing & a curse -- it’s a blessing because in school & @ work peeps thought I was smart (when in actuality I’m not truly that smart, I just happen to remember stuff)…it is a curse when I want to locate the reference for what I’ve read, seen, or heard & it will bug me until I do locate the source (sigh)…

Anyway I found my copy of Million Dollar Hold‘em: Limit Cash Games…I stand corrected, I attributed a currently unidentified bankroll management recommendation of leave @ ‘2x buy-in profit or 50% buy-in loss’ to Johnny Chan. What JC was suggesting pertains to overall bankroll mgmt.

According to JC, for those who’s sole income = poker, he suggests having 2 bankrolls -- poker & nest egg for paying living expenses (ie: groceries, mortgage, vacation, movies, etc…); when one’s bankroll doubles, take 50% to contribute towards ‘nest egg’ & the remaining 50% to be applied to establish a new poker bankroll level:

• If current poker bankroll = $10K: when poker bankroll = $20K, apply $5K to ‘nest egg,’ & remaining $5K apply to poker bankroll for an increased balance = $15k (to move up in stakes accordingly).

JC emphasizes having 2 separate bankrolls to avoid peeps going broke, he has seen so many folks deplete the poker bankroll to pay living expenses.

Now that is corrected & the hijack is completed, let me get back to addressing the OP. I am unable to locate the article that suggested leave @ ‘2x buy-in profit or 50% buy-in loss’ & the reasoning(s) for the suggestion; it was a mag article that I had ripped out to specifically save & now it’s MIA. I’m thinking it may be from Poker Pro & I’m not able to access their online archive copies right now but it would have been from 2007...if & when I’m able to locate the darn article I will post it here.

Because I am a recreational player in b&ms ($3/$6 & $4/$8 sometimes with Full Kill) I do not adhere to strict guidelines….I tend to stay as long as the game is good & will leave when the seat goes cold or the table breaks; leaving = physically walking out of the building with Elvis or going to another table (or going to play video keno which has been a major source of funding for my poker bankroll ). In addition to being aware of the amt I have on the table, I’ll mentally cap the amt I’m willing to lose (the amt I’m willing to win has no cap ).

Granted a bankroll being used for $3/$6 & $4/$8 Limit is not @ as much risk as a bankroll being used for $2/$5 & $5/$10 NLH…from my perspective, if the intent is to move up in stakes, a disciplined approach should be used when deciding to leave a cash table -- what that approach is I have yet to establish for myself but here’s a link to some peeps who do have an idea:

YouTube- Poker Roundtable: Knowing when to quit

+1 on that ftp vid post bazerk, basically summed up everything i was gonna blabber on about in this post

Hey Bazerk. That sums up about everything. I liked OZExorcist's comment the best but that video wraps up everything about when you should leave the cash game with the professional poker players explaining why you should not leave when you're rolling hot and why you should leave early when losing and quit for a day. This put it the best. Stopping when losing is the main discipline.

I am partial to the Furgerson rule.