When You HAVE to Leave a Tourney

We've all been in the situation where we've registered for a micro-buy or freeroll tournament, and for one reason or another we can't stick around til the bitter end. Maybe it ran longer than expected and you have to go to work. Or one of the kids called unexpectedly and needs a ride. Or the wife/gf gives you the nookie vs. next hand ultimatum. Whatever.

How do y'all think leaving the game should be handled? Do you go all-in with rags in the hopes you can dump all your chips and bust out quickly? Or do you leave the table and allow your autofold to keep the game moving along while bleeding your chips back out to the pot through the blinds?

IMHO: I believe the sporting thing to do is to chat an apology to the table, let them know you're going on autofold (or "sit out", whichever the site utilizes), and leave your chips at your seat for the blinds.

I can tell you it pisses me off to no end to watch an early departee intentionally dump their chips off to one of my opponents, then chat, "Sorry. Have to go to work now." WTF??!! Or to chat prior to the next deal, "Gotta go. All-in next hand." Then they catch KK and put two poor schmucks out of the tourney. Suddenly, they don't have to leave quite so badly and stick around a while longer. BS!!!

But I digress. What is the vaunted opinion of the group on how to gracefully exit a tournament table?

Dunno, I have never had to leave a tournament, I make sure I have the time to play before I start ;]

Told my mates once that I would meet them down the pub once I got knocked out of the tournament I was playing in, but since I got to the final table the pubs were shut by the time I was knocked out ;]

I used to be one of those all-in type, but I've learned how annoying it is, as you explained, to have an opponent rack up the chips because of someone doing that.

Now, I usually just go to sit out and let the chips drain.

I agree, it pisses me off when someone goes all in and say they have to go and end up winning cause everyone calls it and then they stay and play.

I just sit out and allow the chips to go away. I got 47th once that way.

Best thing is too just sit out and let the other players finger it out. Don't apologize, in the end you have the right to play that tourney any way you want. If they are too dumb to figure it out then that is their problem. Not rude or disrespectful in any way to leave that game at ANY point.

You really do have the right to play it how you want. But probably the smartest thing to do would be to just have your chips keep posting the blinds and folding. Truth is, you'll probably stay in longer than a few of the others at the table, and who knows, maybe you'd even make some money.

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When I can't finish a tourney I just let them auto-fold my hands. It lets me keep going just in case I can come back to play I can just pick up right there.

I agree with Jammer 100%. The curteous thing to do is put it on autofold and state that you are sorry but something came up and you have to leave. In this manner nobody is given an advantage or disadvantage because of you. It sucks when leavers go all in and bust your good hand with their rags.

Definately put it on autofold and leave chips for the blinds. Any other way is just not fair.

I guess we are all pretty much in consensus. Auto fold is the way to go.

Some people might be mad because it prevents them from placing if you have more chips than them. But, the alternative is that you give one person a big chip advantage. I'll take my chances of going out early to giving someone a big chip lead anyday.

HoldemChamp

I had to do this Yesterday,

I apologized up front about it before. Not knowing for sure if I was going to be disconnected or not. The Cable man was coming to the house to check on our internet. We have the highest speed available and we aren't getting the best signal. Hubby told me shouldn't be a problem, and what did the guy do is cut me off right at the break after a rebuy. I was off for like 20-25 minutes. I was really unhappy about it but when I got back on finally I had the same amount of chips before the rebuy. I was able to finish up okay and almost pay for my rebuy.

uh oh, I am guilty of all inning. mainly because it drives me crazy to be at a table where half the table isn't there. so you are really playing a shorthanded game. I thought it was better to get rid of the chips and give the seat to a participating player. Guess I was wrong. Since everyone seems to feel stongly, I will set it on check/fold from now on.

when i had to leave tournaments for some reason or another some of the times i went all in and some of the times i just left and became a dead chair

when I have pocket A's sometimes I will go all in and tell people I have to go to work so they will call!!!
:angel:
Autofold when u really do have to go. I have placed in the money on freerolls a couple of times from doing that!

The correct and proper play is to put it on auto fold and walk away. When someone says they are leaving and goes all-in and dumps their chips all to one player it gives one player an unfair advantage. It's about doing the right thing. Have a fabulous day!!

Sometimes I sitout, and other times I go almost all in if it is just me and the chip leader. Then I tell him I'm leaving, to reraise me then fold. U have to be a trusted person though.

Win-win?

I feel that the auto-post option is key for this. I've had to leave a freeroll before (fortunately the table was playing slow) to go get head and autoposted on Paradise and still had plenty of chips after gettin' mine. So, I guess all in all it was a win-win situation.... although I didn't win the tournament and the head was par at best... hmm, maybe it wasn't win-win.

You shouldn't say anything about going allin on the next hand. The thing to do in my opinion is simply go allin with notifying the others. If you win and get a big stack, you might be able to put it on autofold and make it back after whatever you have to do and still play. If you lose, you got what you wanted.

i have had that problem and i just sit out but i would like to remind the other final 4 or 5 players to make sure and bleed out the sit out to keep the vultures that do it all the time out of the money

Hi - I admit I have been guilty of this once. Even though it was only about 380 chips, I did go all in with garbage and dump them. I think you are talking about many more chips that that tho.

I think the best thing to do is - click the "LEAVE TABLE" button - I think you are then out of the game and so are your chips leaving everyone in the same position before you left.

Letting the chips sit and go to blinds is maddening sometimes especially if you get down to a 3 or 4 players final table. Everyone hates a SITTER!

I was playing on ESPN yesterday and something happened that is the absolute worst. A single table tourney had only been playing about fifteen minutes. Everyone started with 1000 chips, and a couple of players had been eliminated. This one guy, who had won a small pot and had about 1200 chips, starts going all in on every hand AND TELLING THE TABLE HIS HOLE CARDS ON EVERY DEAL!

I chatted at him that he had the option of simply leaving the table rather than dumping chips. And that it was NEVER kosher to tell your cards. He proceeded to go on a profane rant at me, calling me names, while continuing to dump off his chips with all-ins and revealing his holes. He even stayed at the table for a couple of minutes after busting out to swear at me.

I emailed ESPN support to report the card talk. I despise the chip dumping, and don't like being cursed at, but telling your cards is just inexcusable. ESPN didn't respond, which isn't surprising. They don't give a hoot about the quality of their site. Why should they care if a cheating jerk is at their tables?

I totally agree with you. I wish those people who have to leave would just "sitout" and let the blinds take their chips. Its also IMO the same as cheating. I had someone do that last night in a tourny on Noble. I guess I should have reported it. It might stop it from happening with that person (in case he/she) has a habit of doing this.

i have to agree to autofold, i hate it when someone beats me with 2 7 os and they claim they have to go and there they sit for another hour!

I agree with most of you ... auto fold is the way to go. It is so unfair any other way. Plus you never know who really has to go when they say they do. I see it all of the time, people say they have to go and then finish out the tourney after stocking their chips...