Everybody knows that tournament poker is essentially ridiculous. Play well for five hours, chip up, lose a race and bust out before the bubble. Yet the one advantage that donkfests have over the altogether superior medium of cash games is that they actually come to a conclusion. You either get KO'd or you win the whole thing whereas cash games are an endless procession of hand after hand and decision after decision.
Though the never ending nature of cash games are part of their appeal, one facet I have never managed to fully grasp is when to quit. I can remember many happy cash sessions where a decent win has turned into a miserable and lonely walk home after getting felted at 4am, when I should have quit hours earlier.
Quit while you are ahead?
You may say you should have quit while you're ahead. But most people play their best, most creative poker when they are winning. So, if you shouldn't quit a cash game when you are winning, then what about the times you get off to a bad start and are stuck a few buy-ins? This works great in theory but there are times, such as when playing drunken goons late on a Saturday night that the game is just far too sweet to ever leave.
Yes, that £200 they took when calling all-in on the turn with a gutshot hurt, but patience is all you need to get it back. It's never the right idea to quit a juicy game if your bankroll can manage the swings and you are playing your best game. That's the spot we all love in poker and the reason why it isn't just gambling.
When to quit
When should we quit then? That's not a question I should answer, rather one my opponents should. The whole beauty of cash poker is that we essentially get to choose whom we play against. The quality of the opposition should dictate the length of your sessions and not your results. It's fiendishly simple but winners should never quit if they stand to win a lot more by simply putting the hours in. Get the coffee ready as it's going to be a long night.