Bonus clearing: Should I stay or should I go?

[Weektite]

The search wasn't helping too much with this question:

Say you're pretty much done with playing for the session and about to post BB, but you only have 1 or 2 more raked hands to clear your bonus. Would you stay and play your blinds and then turbofold until a hand is raked, or would you get up and find a table to post in the CO?

I know paying the SB is -EV, but is it really that bad, considering the time spent finding another table and the fact that you probably have a decent feel for the players at the current table?

Obviously this question doesn't come up that often, but it was just something that was on my mind.

Thanks!
WT

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

Since paying both the BB and SB then playing around until the BB comes back is +EV if you are indeed a +EV player and posting a BB without playing "free" hands after it even though you are avoiding the SB is -EV, you should play around until the BB comes back.

After all, don't you ever play when not clearing a bonus?

-Craig

[CLC]

At Party, with only a few hands remaining, I play until the bonus is verified as cleared on the Bonus website and then quit when BB comes around AGAIN. Those "free" hands make money periodically.

[DocMartin]

I asked myself this same question yesterday playing off a 500 hand bonus. After shutting down my other tables once I was really close, I was at 499 on the button of my last table and of course the pot didn't get raked, it was a bit annoying but such is the life of a greedy bonus whore on a site where I dont have rakeback. I was already at a decent table and figured all those extra mouseclicks weren't worth the .50 I may save by posting in the cutoff at an unknown table. I won a raked pot from the offending small blind and enjoyed the rest of my free orbit.

[Weektite]

[ QUOTE ]

After all, don't you ever play when not clearing a bonus?

-Craig


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, if Party Poker keeps up with the rate of these bonuses, I hope not! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

But I see your point. I was tired and ready for bed, and I had just won a few big pots, so I didn't really feel like sticking around, especially since I still have a few days to clear BONUSJAN. I actually ended up not playing any more and just quit, but part of me was still saying, "Man, it sure would have been nice to finish out the day with the extra $$$ in my account."

Ah well, it doesn't matter much in the end. Next time it comes up I'll just play another orbit.

WT

[walterberk]

This just sounds liek a dumb question to me (hope you are not offended). If you only have to pay like $3 to see the next 9 or 10 hands and will end up getting like 100 after that, what's the problem?

[HRFats]

$3.00, heck he could do it for 75 cents if playing the lower tables.

[Weektite]

No, I'm not offended, because it wasn't really a big deal. Like I said, it was just a situation that came up last night, and I was curious to know how other people would play it.

I guess the question comes from the same part of the brain that argues the importance of waiting for the BB to come to you when sitting down at a table, even though that situation is obviously worth a lot more money in the long run.

Ahh, the things you think about when brushing your teeth...

WT

[HRFats]

I almost ALWAYS wait. Others??

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
Since paying both the BB and SB then playing around until the BB comes back is +EV if you are indeed a +EV player and posting a BB without playing "free" hands after it even though you are avoiding the SB is -EV, you should play around until the BB comes back.

After all, don't you ever play when not clearing a bonus?

-Craig

[/ QUOTE ]

No and why would one when there is so much bonus money out there being offered. Now I can see an answer to that question for people who play online professionally, maybe 8-10 hours a day, 80 - 100 hours a week b/c they would clear bonuses quickly. However, I play 2-4 hours a night, maybe 5-6 nights a week max. So, I have plenty of bonus money sitting there to clear, specifically $900 at UB, $300 at Stars, $540 at Absolute. I've been busy the last month clearing all the Party and Empire bonuses they have offered. I'm hoping for a Paradise bonus soon as I hear there is one coming. Plus, I have a Pokerroom bonus to clear.

Since I don't have a rakeback from anywhere, I don't play anywhere unless I'm clearing bonuses. If a site isn't offering me money to play there then I'm not playng there, end of story.