sitting out when you're way ahead (bankroll management question)

I've read up on a lot of the fundamentals of bankroll management, but never really understood one part of it that pertains to stopping a session or leaving a table when you're way ahead.

In Chris Ferguson's challenge, he suggests leaving the table of a cash game session if the money on the table represents more than 10% of your total bankroll. I've also noticed that some of the stop-loss software out there have features that alerts you to stop when you win a certain # of bb's in one session.

The only time this makes sense to me is if there are other people at the table who are also very deeply stacked -- because then you could risk losing it all in one hand. But otherwise as long as you're actually playing well (& not just on a lucky streak), why not keep going?

I agree, if you're playing well and the table is full of players you know you're better than, then there is little point in leaving the table unless you have had enough!

I think it is more because of the people that have kind of a reverse tilt. When they go on a massive heater, they start playing recklessly and lose it all really quick. I see people do this all the time. They win a bunch of hands and start kind of getting the mindset of "I can't lose" or "I'm up so much, so now I can play more hands for free". Because of that, they chase a lot more and make bad calls and it dwindles down.

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree for every player, because it isn't everyone that this happens to, but it does happen to quite a few people when they get up. In the last week I was playing on Tilt, I saw a guy go from a $130 stack to back to $10 in less than 100 hands at 10NL. Prior to this night he was normally ~ a 19/16 and in the last 100 hands, he jumped up to a 37/32

absoluthamm said:

I think it is more because of the people that have kind of a reverse tilt. When they go on a massive heater, they start playing recklessly and lose it all really quick. I see people do this all the time. They win a bunch of hands and start kind of getting the mindset of "I can't lose" or "I'm up so much, so now I can play more hands for free". Because of that, they chase a lot more and make bad calls and it dwindles down.

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Sadly, the very next session after i posted this, I went on reverse tilt after going up several buy-ins. They were good plays I think, I didn't catch any crazy 2 outers, but it did make me feel play really loose & aggressive after that and then just made a few dumb moves giving most of it back. Live & learn.

I was wondering, however, about why the 10% rule if you're not playing against someone else who's also deep. If you can control your tilt (or reverse tilt), then it's always going to be an advantage to have your opponent covered.

i think its really just to avoid getting urself in a spot where u risk ur whole stack or close to it...it goes hand in hand with the 'reverse tilt' theory, and you start chasing draws or you start thinking people are bluffing you so u make calls with hands you normally wouldnt call with...since most people's goal is to maximize profit while minimizing risk, this strategy is just suggesting a way to take ur profits in doses and walk away before you lose any of it and try to chase it back...i do this wen im playing live, i set a certain goal and make sure to walk away for a few minutes wen i reach it

fkucdaw0rld said:

i think its really just to avoid getting urself in a spot where u risk ur whole stack or close to it...it goes hand in hand with the 'reverse tilt' theory, and you start chasing draws or you start thinking people are bluffing you so u make calls with hands you normally wouldnt call with...since most people's goal is to maximize profit while minimizing risk, this strategy is just suggesting a way to take ur profits in doses and walk away before you lose any of it and try to chase it back...i do this wen im playing live, i set a certain goal and make sure to walk away for a few minutes wen i reach it

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Sweet, I have my own theory. It shall now be called, the Hamm Theory, lol.

I think it's Phil Gordon that says "Find any reason to leave the table if you are loosing and any reason to stay there if you are winning" but I really like to get out of the table if I double up. For some reason I want to get out and look at what happened, review, etc.

If I stick around after doubling my initial BI (which is very rare both doubling and staying), I will always play tighter for a couple of rounds so I don't fall into the "I have the moneyz to playz handz" problem.

I don't really see people doing this with only doubling up. 200BB's at a table isn't a reason to really open your range extremely. It is more the people who are around 400-500BB's who really start to reverse-tilt imo.

Well... I'm new... so I do a lot of dumb things. I remember reverse tilting with the first $0.10 hand I won.

also I think it's the possibility of losing 500BBs on a cooler vs another deep stack.

The best time to leave the table is exactly then, if it works great for you! So leave the table, if your cash at the table fulfil with 10% of you're whole bankroll.
I would follow these rules strictly. It's better to leave the table or u would loose it later in a bad beat. U would be upset then. I experienced it too often.
it's better to leave and buy-in at a new table. Good luck

Ballack said:

The best time to leave the table is exactly then, if it works great for you! So leave the table, if your cash at the table fulfil with 10% of you're whole bankroll.
I would follow these rules strictly. It's better to leave the table or u would loose it later in a bad beat. U would be upset then. I experienced it too often.
it's better to leave and buy-in at a new table. Good luck

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When I first started playing, I fell into this trap. Since then I have learnt my lesson. Now I leave as soon as I feel that the table is changing, (this becomes a lot easier to read after a while).
Since changing the way I approach this, my BR has become more steady, and I now keep hold of the coins I would of normal put back on the table.

cardriverx said:

also I think it's the possibility of losing 500BBs on a cooler vs another deep stack.

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I'd guess/assume it'd be this ^ too (although at the same time we're losing value by not sitting deep when there's a HUGE fish also sitting deep.. ie. last night a huge spewfish raises in UTG... MP 3bets, I have AA in CO.. with ~300bb I know (think) this tard will 4bet if I flat.. so I flat w AA & sure enough not only does he 4bet... he ships it with ~275bb's.. I call. He shows ATo.. & he wins.. 'oops', lol Typically though, we're potentially losing value if not sitting deep 'if' there's fish who are sitting deep as well). < was that all in brackets? pfff.. man.. I need some more sleep!!!
If it's a fishy table I'm never leaving no matter how deep my stack is.

Poker Orifice said:

I'd guess/assume it'd be this ^ too (although at the same time we're losing value by not sitting deep when there's a HUGE fish also sitting deep.. ie. last night a huge spewfish raises in UTG... MP 3bets, I have AA in CO.. with ~300bb I know (think) this tard will 4bet if I flat.. so I flat w AA & sure enough not only does he 4bet... he ships it with ~275bb's.. I call. He shows ATo.. & he wins.. 'oops', lol Typically though, we're potentially losing value if not sitting deep 'if' there's fish who are sitting deep as well). < was that all in brackets? pfff.. man.. I need some more sleep!!!
If it's a fishy table I'm never leaving no matter how deep my stack is.

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Yeah, I lost 2 BIs today, trying to play vs the biggest whale I've ever seen. And he was exactly to my right. Both times I had huge hands.

Otherwise, play hours, not results. If you don't feel comfortable playing deep, find a different table.