When Do You Leave a Cash Game Poker Session?

You sit down at the poker table with a strategy that you hope will profit during the session. You play poker for a while with your profit going both up and down during your time at the table. Then you begin thinking about leaving and realise that you do not want to make a mistake by leaving at the wrong time. The other players do not seem to be going anywhere and as an inexperienced player you are slightly puzzled about when the right time to leave actually is.

Choosing the correct time to leave the poker table is important to your success in poker. You do not want to leave a good game too early and sacrifice potential profits, but you also do not want to carry on playing when the conditions are not to your advantage. Playing on too long can cost you money, playing too short a session on a good table can also cost you money in the form of profits that you fail to acquire. This is yet another tricky variable in poker you must master.

There are various strategies to leaving the table at the right time. Some players choose to leave after they have reached a predetermined profit level, usually 5% to 10% of their bankroll. This is not the worst strategy for how long you play but when you are losing you may start getting desperate trying to hit this self imposed target and this could put yourself under undue pressure. You have never “made it” in terms of poker profits as this needs to be an ongoing pursuit, so to stop playing may actually be giving up a good seat at a good table.

When you play keep a close eye on the stack sizes at the table. Every pot is raked by the casino or online poker room so you need to be able to win enough money to compensate for the rake and still make money. If some of the big stacks leave this may be the time to go as your potential winnings reduce if there are only a few short stacks left battling each other.

The standard of play at the table is also important. Irrespective of the size of a players stack if they are just too good and you cannot beat them you are better off finding a better game with weaker players. You need to be very honest with yourself in this spot as good players make their money out of stubborn weaker players who think that they can beat them when they cannot. Observe who the weaker players are in the game and if they leave or get too short stacked then leave. Even if you are a good player on a table of good players there are still better spots for you. Proving yourself against better players is overrated in poker; it is making money that counts.

How you feel at the table is a major factor in whether you play on or quit. If you are bored, unhappy or just sick of poker (it happens) then do not continue wagering your money when your ‘A’ game has gone. You want to play as often as you can feeling motivated, fresh and alert. There is no reason to play under any other conditions as you can leave the game whenever you want, so use that option to your advantage.

To summarise, I would leave the poker game when any of the following situations arise,

1. When you feel tired, unhappy or affected by either a win or loss that negatively impacts how you play.
2. If you have a pre-determined stop loss or win limit, stay disciplined to leave when you reach one or the other.
3. When there is not enough money available to win at the table.
4. When the opponents you are playing are too strong.

There is no time limit to a poker session; they can go on for many hours so long as you are happy to keep playing. Keep the above points in mind and if any of them occur, leave the table. One final point, never be pressured into playing. Simply wish your opponents good luck and go on your way. You should always leave as the big blind reaches you giving you the benefit of playing whilst in late position.

By Malcolm Clarke

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