A - Z of Poker: Day 17

From London to Vegas in 26 Letters

Day 17: Q is for ...

Q is for Quitting. I think one of the commonest things my sons ask me during or after a cash session is "why didn't you quit while you were ahead". It's kind of futile to attempt an explanation / justification along the lines of "table conditions, meta-considerations, game-flow" and so on. An answer of the "I didn't want to" variety probably stands more of a chance.

To be sure, their reasoning isn't particularly sound (basically, if I am ahead by any amount and no matter how short the elapsed time, they think I should be cashing out).

However, many are the times I look back on a session and lament not cashing out earlier. Quitting whilst I am ahead is something I am all but incapable of. It goes against all my instincts. To do so would mean leaving a game that might actually be a good game and is pretty certainly an enjoyable game (winning = enjoyable). I also consider hit'n'run to be a capital offence.

Based on evidence of my sessions, an independent analyst might conclude that I must equate hit'n'run with ever leaving the game in profit. That is to say, I have a strong tendency to play until I'm bust. I need to quit doing that !

Q is for Qualifier. As you know, I qualified to play in the main event of the WSOP this year. It's the second year that I've managed this and in fact it's really only the 2nd year that I tried to. I don't really take this to mean that I am all that good at qualification but I might feel next year (and subsequent years) that I have to do it again and I have visions of spending $1000s trying.

I'm wondering whether to actually play more qualifiers when I actually get to Vegas. It sounds a strange idea at first, but I have been told there is a lot of value in the single-table SnG qualifiers at the Rio. Perhaps the knowledge that I am already "in" will allow me to play without too much fear, which may be a good thing. But it would feel strange to lose money playing qualifiers after already making it. Each $ lost this way might feel worse than a $ spent trying to qualify in the first place.