When to Cash Out?

[JDMcNugent7]

So, usually i do a thing where every $100 i win i cash out $50. But i won about $400 in the last 8 days and didnt cash out any.
I really dont know if i wanna keep it in there and be able to move up blinds and tourny buy ins, or just cash some out and guarentee myself some money.

I was just wondering what your guys policies were about cashing out and how often u do it?

[omahilo]

depends what your playing for...

If your playing just to make alittle extra spending money then cash out but if your playing to actually move up limits, get better, etc then just keep building your roll.

I started with $25 and build it up to $1000 then cashed out $500 then would cash out $500 everytime I got to $1000, I did this about 3-4 times.

Just depends on what you are playing for.

[Aequitas58]

Omahilo is right, it entirely depends on why you're playing. This is a question that every poker player should ask himself before he sits at a table, and even before he deposits money.

If you're playing for fun, then fuck it: grab a beer, put on some music, and play poker. Limits shouldn't matter, as long as you have enough for the buy-in. The main idea here is to have a good time.

If you're playing to get better at poker and build a bankroll, then you have to slow down. Play limits that are w/in your bankroll, read, post, read, analyze, and play more. Experience at the tables and dedication to learning is necessary.

It sound like you're trying to get better ... I suggest keeping the money in your account, playing LIMIT hold'em, and adhering to the 300 BB rule.

[JDMcNugent7]

why play Limit ? i play NL right now.

[Talking Poker]

Because it will be good for your game. You'll learn the fundamentals.

[Aequitas58]

Limit is a great game. You learn the fundamentals, like TP said, but also important things like discipline, patience, and bankroll management. NL is fun because you can "double up," but don't forget how you can also stack off ... when someone gets lucky.

Limit is about capitalizing on the errors of your opponents, mathematically making correct plays, and grinding out those precious BB's.

No limit (at the low levels) is also about capitalizing on opponent mistakes, but you're really concerned w/ doubling up. Yes, there is math involved, including implied odds and drawing odds, but there's more "feel" and "instinct" invovled.

From my perspective, I think it's hard for the beginner to appreciate these subtle nuances, let alone be able to instinctually "feel out" or "read" a player online. Then again, maybe you can.

One last thing: as w/ the limit games offered online... I think they can be a HUGE cash cow if you have a sound pre-flop strategy, you stick to levels your BR can handle, and you learn the math. Now all you have to do is start logging hands.

It goes back to the earlier question of, "Why do you play poker?"

GL.

[Zybomb]

This discussion has switched from the original topic, but heres my take on the whole limit/NL thing

I don't think this is entirely necessary --

I started playing Hold Em in NL cash games and NL tournaments. Once I moved online I did play a bit of limit poker, but not very much. Is there more money to be made playing limit? I don't know, because I have experimented enough. But I think there are several differences and several other oppertunities to give opponents chances to make errors in NL

Playing Against Drawing Hands:

In Limit HoldEm you simply can not protect your hand. If you have AA and raise preflop its 1 bet, the BB calls with suited cards lets say. Assuming everyone else folds including the SB (this is highly unlikely in Low limits) there is still 4.5 small bets in the pot. So if someone flops a flush draw, you can not bet them out (theyd be mathamatically wrong for folding)

In NL, you can adjust your preflop raise to get a wider hands to fold, you can adjust your bet on the flop to get drawing hands out OR make them make a mistake by calling your bet

Playing With Drawing Hands

In Limit you'll often have correct odds to call a flop bet with as little as an inside straight, a backdoor flush and an over card etc. Knowing when to lay down drawing hands, and when to call is important.

Aggression / Steals / Bluffing

It is very difficult to bluff an opponent who has anything in Low Stakes Limit Hold Em (No Fold Em Hold Em). For one more bet, anyone with a hand good enough to make it this far will probably see you all the way down

If you flop a flush draw and decide to raise, in Limit while you may buy yourself a free card on the turn to catch, it is unlikely you'll steal the pot on either or the two remaining streets.

If you flop a flush draw and decide to raise, in NL you can choose to bet out strong on the turn reppin a set or some made hand and take down the pot with aggression. People with a hands check call even if they are very sure you have a set.

Check raises become much less effective, unlike you are check raising for value...and it still decreases that value

Continuation Bets: Much less effective in Limit, almost manditory in NL

Strategy

Limit teachs you to play very straight up poker (bet when you have it fold when you dont) doesn't teach you about reads, varying bet amounts, how to effectively bluff, when to steal and when not to, different flops that are easy to represent etc.

Dont get me wrong I am not saying there are not advantages to limit as well (like people have said if you play almost mechanically and grind out sessions you should be a winning player through good preflop selection and smart post flop play.) or that the basics are not learned in limit. I just think that the two games have big differences and sometimes the switch can be confusing and result in mixed results

[JDMcNugent7]

I started out playing NL as well and still do. I have played LIMIT online before and i felt like iw as pretty decent at it actually, but i couldnt protect my hand and i couldnt bluff and i didnt even hardly need to pay attention to my opponents, i hardly ever had to make a read, since its so mechanical. I played it for like a week and played no NL. I did win at it and alot more slowly and cautiously than i did at NL, but not as much either. Mostly probably because i am much better at NL than LIMIT. I just don't like LIMIT as much mainly because i Love to make ppl make mistakes, like puting them on a flush draw and then making them call a bet that doesnt match their odds and therefore giving myself better odds to win. I may try LIMIT again soon and see how i like it but i think NL is so much more exciting and more about making people make mistakes and capatilazing on those mistakes.

[Talking Poker]

I'd like to sit down with you at a NL table sometime JD.... see what you're made of.

Let's try to get a forum cash game going sometime later this week, shall we? I'll play whatever limit you like... $25 is fine.

[Aequitas58]

I think that's a fantastic idea.

[JDMcNugent7]

I'm game. I mean i dont want it to be a showdown with you TP exactly, i mean u just got 6th in a actual WSOP and I'm not even old enough to register. If we could get a full table at the .10/.25 tables of people from this forum then I'd be there for sure. Let's try to do it sometime soon.

I figure the worst that could come from this is i lose like $25 and u guys teach me how to play better, so I'll play whenever.

[Talking Poker]

Absolutely. I just want to see what all your hype is about first hand. Let's start a new thread on this sometime soon.

"TPF Cash Game Today" or something like that. Today isn't great for me, but I might be able to play later tonight...

[omahilo]

I might play tonight... depends what site tho... I would prefer stars but thats just me.

[PShabi]

We did this before and it was fun.

Mainly because I took the stacks and "teenrocker" made an appearance.

Count me in.

[JDMcNugent7]

Lets do it tonight - on Stars tho, and how about .10/.25 ???

[omahilo]

I'll play alittle bit on stars... prefer it not to be too late... let me know what table...

stars ID = Demonstalker