A Pre-Determined Quitting Amount?

I have read about and talked at length about when it is time to get up from a table a winner?

Here was my scenario last night, I hope to get some serious feedback from some of you about what you would have done and how you usually decide when enough is enough.

I have been playing low to mid limit hold'em (usually 5-10 or 10-20)for about 3 years. I have plenty of games to go to for the low limit (5-10) and even mid-limit (10-20 or 15-30) but in my area (Dallas) there are many players that are either very good, very tight, or have played together for so long that you seem to be playing 1 on 3 most of the time.

If I go play around here I usually just play for 4-5 hours and see how I come out. However, over the last 2-3 months I have noticed that about all I have been able to consistently profit is 2-3 hundred per session, which is fine with me I am not complaining, but in order to do this I have pretty much gotten to the point where I am playing JJ, QQ, KK, AA wired or AKs KQs and that is about it other than if noone raises my big blind. After hearing a couple of stories about when the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport, LA first opened their poker room 4 or 5 years ago (It has now been closed for a couple of years to make room for more slots!), where it was very profitable for a tight hold'em player to make big scores in most sessions because of all the gamblers wanting to play a game that they simply didn't have the patience and skill to win at, I yearned for a new poker room to open up somewhere nearby. When the Hollywood Casino in Shreveport, LA (Which is a 3 hour one way drive) finally opened up a room 3 weeks ago, I had to go to see the difference in action. I was very pleased. The poker room needs a lot of work, but the action was incredible, after about a 4 hour wait I bought in with 4 hundred at a 10-20 game and turned it into 12 hundred in 3 hours.

I know this is a long post but please bear with me as I am getting to the point I promise. So yesterday I decide to make the trek again, leaving Dallas at 4pm which put me there at 7pm. On my ride there I try to go through hands and how I would play them in my mind. Suddenly the thought went through my mind what was my goal for this trip? My answer was to sit down at a 10-20 table and grind out $1,000.00. So after I arrived and checked into a nearby hotel, I went to the Casino where I was upset to find out that there were no 10-20 games in progess, I had the choice of a 5 hour wait for a 4-8 game (UGGH) or I could be next in line for a 20-40 game. So after getting about a half hour to watch two side by side 20-40 games in action, not knowing which one I would be called too, I finally sat down at the table that I felt was the looser and wilder of the two. I wasn't too crazy about this as I don't have a whole lot of 20-40 experience and secondly I only brought $1500.00 with me which seemed to be about the normal stack for half the table. So I bought in with $500.00 and was seated in seat 1, I figured I would just play super tight and get a little more idea of each player while I folded. After only a few hands I witnessed a drunked maniac who happened to be the table chip leader raise with hands like 38s, 5Ts, etc, and draw out flushes against flopped sets of Aces and flopped straights. I knew very quickly that I better play primo hands and get good flops for my little bankroll to hold up, and be ready to let go of a hand if it is going to cost too much to draw at. After about 10 minutes I got dealt QQ on the button, with 3 players limp in I raised and knocked out both blinds, only to be called by two limpers and then be reraised by the DMCL(Drunk Maniac Chip Leader), this guy seemed to do this often as he took exception to being raised, so I cap it and there is 4 way action of the flop. Flop comes 3s6c9s, two checks and DMCL bets, I raise and knock out the two limpers, DMCL reraise and I cap it. 4th street comes Kd, this scares me especially when the DMCL comes firing out with a loud 40, I simply call. River pairs board with another 3h, DMCL checks and feeling now pretty sure he must have been drawing at Spades I bet 40 and he mucks it.

I win another hand or two and was at about 650 to the good, when my final hand came.

I was in BB with KcJd, 8 way action with 1 raise by who else then DMCL, I call because of all the action and didn't really respect his raise very much. Flop comes Ks8d9d,I and everyone else checks to DMCL who was in cutoff position and bets, folded around to me, I call and get 2 more early positioners in also. 4th street comes Qd, I check and two early position players check to DMCL who bets, I call simply because I have no way of putting him on a hand, and I have Jack high diamond draw, top pair, and gut shot straight and a straight flush draw if a 10d falls on the river. The two early position players fold. River comes 10d, I have a straight flush, but because I can't for sure put him on a possible Ace high diamond draw, I come out leading with 40, why be greedy right, he simply calls. I show him my KcJd and he goes irate because he has KdJc. As he is sloppingly tirading over the fact that he of all people can't believe that I would call all the way down with that hand and in his words "boy you had a real good hand, a real good hand, I guess you would have had a real good hand if any other diamond would have hit too huh boy" I am young in age (25) so the boy comments didn't upset me, but like I told him I can't see through the back of these things and with there not being anyway in the world to put you on a hand, what would you have done if you were me Pops!!!

As we finished our little fuss, I noticed after stacking my chips that I had $1560.00 in chips which put over my original target of $1000.00 profit. So with what I thought was a rational quick thought I tipped the dealer, told him to deal me out, I had only been playing for a total of 35 minutes, and promptly cashed out. I went back to my hotel told them I had something come up back in Dallas and would have to leave, they gave me my money back for my room as I hadn't even used it at all, and I promptly made my 3 hour voyage back to Dallas arriving home around 12:30.

Other than the little white lie to the hotel, all poker players tell them don't we, would you guys have done the same thing if you were me?

WORM

" I have pretty much gotten to the point where I am playing JJ, QQ, KK, AA wired or AKs KQs and that is about it other than if noone raises my big blind."


you are lucky to be a winning player. the game must be very very good and the rake not too tough.


as for quitting when ahead or behind a certain amount i think that is advisable if you are on a limited bankroll and/or prone to tilt when you get ahead or behind much.

As long as the game is good and I am playing well

I keep on playing assuming I am well bankrolled. With you being under bankrolled quiting when you have made a set amount of money

is OK, especially if after loseing a few hands it

adversely affects your psychological state. When I win a hand whether

it is against the table champ or the drunk I keep

my big mouth shot and do not editorialize. You

owe your opponent no explanation for your play

and in the long run you are better off if you

keep quiet.


Bruce

"Other than the little white lie to the hotel, all poker players tell them don't we, would you guys have done the same thing if you were me?"


The lies poker players tell about their play and their hands vary from little white to big rainbow whoppers. I don't feel qualified to comment on the lies they tell to hotel employees.


Very entertaining story. I see nothing wrong with setting a goal, attaining it, and quitting. While you were still a favorite in the game, and theory would dictate continuing to play, I'm sure the ride home must have been relatively enjoyable with the money in your pocket.


Other than talking back to the drunk, and possibly the untruthful way you got out of the hotel bill, an evening to be proud of.

"I don't feel qualified to comment on the lies they tell to hotel employees."


I do.


She WAS my daughter.

"dreaning" patrons . The investors and executives sleep very well as "leeches".

What U told an employee about the reason for your "refund" should be no reflection on her personally.

U are merely trying to obtain some of your own "money" back that U honored the casino with in the past.

This is "money" the casino owes U.

If U lied to someone,it was to the "leeches" that I defined above.

U did not lie to the employee.

Sleep well.


There will be a discussion on poker psychology

on the forum in the near future.

If U were "stuck" 500-1000,would U have continued to play??

Just wondering.

Sitting Bull

You can leave whenever you want. Sometimes it feels good to win. Just understand that unless you are prone to tilt it does not improve your overall win rate (and may actually decrease it slightly, because you are playing more hours without significant knowledge of your opponents tendencies).


Does anyone else think it is an obvious checkraise on the flop to isolate the maniac?

absolutely!

First of all, it sounds like you're not adequately bankrolled for 10/20, much less 20/40.


Secondly, if you are aspiring to play only those hands that you mentioned, quit now, unless you're only playing for the enjoyment of the game and possibly cigarette money.


But here's my real point: if you are sitting in a game where you know you are a favorite to win (assuming you're not too tired or need to be somewhere or are on tilt or whatever...), STAY IN THE GAME!


I don't know about anyone else here, but I'd say getting the best of it while freerolling at a higher limit than I'm accustomed to is, well, EXACTLY what I aspire to.


You got lucky and caught a miracle river card. Sure, those chips are yours the second you're stacking them, but let's be honest: it's found money. Parlay it. Especially in this game!

I couldn't agree with you more. The casino's also have no problem pumping people full of free booze and taking their rent money, while making you ask for a "free" $700 buffet!

As far as leaving ahead, Hey, thats up to you, and what anyone else wants has absolutely no relevence.