When is it OK to quit when you're ahead?

M

miscrewed89

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Recently I was playing a match with another local player. My girlfriend, with whom I live, was with me. She had been fighting a cold for a few days and started feeling quite badly. I was running over my opponent quite handily and wasn't sure what to do. She went out to the car to lie down and get warm as it was cool in the pool room. After about 30 minutes of her going to the car I explained the situation to my opponent and quit. He understood, paid me and handled it well. I told him that it wasn't like we would never play again and he agreed. This was not a high stakes match, but I still felt like somewhat of a nit for quitting.

I've seen situations where someone faked a reason to quit while ahead and I've also seen it turn ugly. There are times, especially in a 24 hour pool room, where fatigue sets in and a player just can't function anymore. Is there anything wrong with quitting because you're simply just too tired to play anymore? You've put in several hours of hard effort to get ahead and you don't want to give it all back because your body is giving out. Does it have to be who can stand up the longest? Who can handle the most "snappers" or who has them and who doesn't? What if the guy winning has to go to work (I know, a pool player with a job, really?)? What's the difference if the place isn't a 24 hour room and it's closing time? The loser pays up at that point and maybe they play again tomorrow or the next day, right?

I'm just curious to hear some stories from others who have witnessed or been involved in one of these scenarios and also some opinions on when it's OK and when it's not.
 
When you are willing to say "dont worry about paying me, consider us even because I've got to go."

Thats my opinion anyway.

Bare minimum you say "we are going to have to fi ish this later. Keep your money for now."
 
So your willing to lose money when your mind goes to worrying about your GF?
Or when you get too tired to keep playing?

Get out when you want if you play one set and quit just because u won some $ I don't agree with that. If I win a set I'll play at least one more if they want to.
 
James2003 said:
So your willing to lose money when your mind goes to worrying about your GF?
Or when you get too tired to keep playing?

Get out when you want if you play one set and quit just because u won some $ I don't agree with that. If I win a set I'll play at least one more if they want to.
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As long as hrs got the money I'll keep playing unless we agree ahead of time on a limit.
 
Tell the guy a time that you are leaving, you have to give a bit of notice, and also offer the opponent a chance to win his money back with double or nothing.
 
(((Satori))) said:
When you are willing to say "dont worry about paying me, consider us even because I've got to go."

Thats my opinion anyway.

Bare minimum you say "we are going to have to fi ish this later. Keep your money for now."
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Honestly, I think this is a terrible attitude prevalent within pool - and one that puts a lot of people off of gambling at all.

If somebody wants to quit after one set, two sets, or ten sets, winner or loser, there should be absolutely nothing wrong with that. They're under no obligation to lose their money back to you, and certainly under no obligation to just give it you back as they have a life outside of the pool room to go to.

*I am fully prepared for people to call my attitude 'nitty'.
 
In this particular case I'm the one who lost out. I could have won a lot more had I stayed. I saved him money by quitting. I was playing over my head and probably won't be next time.
 
I quit when I'm ready to

If it is just because I am tired and bored I will give thirty minutes or an hour warning but I'll quit anytime I feel the need. Like many on this forum I'm not in my prime and it would be stupid to think I can still play thirty or forty hours or more at a stretch, on the natch, and still play close to the speed when I started.

The idea behind gambling, or more accurately concerning pool, wagering, is to win money. You spend ages negotiating to try to get everything you can in your favor, as does the other player. When it becomes a bad bet for whatever reason it is time to shut it down. That doesn't mean quitting because you are down or because you are up and scared of losing some or all of it back, but when the conditions you made the game under no longer exist it is time to change the game or shut down. On the rare occasion you have made a really bad game adjust at the end of that bet or shut down.

If you have to quit in the middle of the set discuss it with the other player either to finish at an agreed upon time, prorate, or if the other player isn't willing to do either you lose whatever you have on the light.

I will usually raise the bet on the last wager if the other person asks, however if it has taken many wagers to win the money it isn't smart to risk it all on one bet. I'll double the bet or maybe go as high as half of what I have won. If I have spent hours winning money I'm not giving it back in a few minutes. The only time I go with double or nothing is when I am sure the other player is in a bad game.

Despite claims to the contrary, nobody ever has a shortage of people willing to play if they come to the pool room with cash in their pocket and a willingness to let somebody take a shot at it. While a lot of people have given up trying to get my cash I don't think anyone has ever claimed I was bad action by the next day.

Winning or losing, when you let the other player persuade you to do something you don't want to you are the one with your nose open.

Smart gamblers are called nits, dumb gamblers are called suckers. Neither is too flattering but I'd far prefer being called a nit.

Hu
 
This is what's ridiculous about gambling. every time I watch the big money matches at the expo rarely does anyone lose any money because there is an unwritten rule to not quit on a guy that's down. So is it really gambling when your just going to play until your even? There was a time when I gambled and I can tell you I made it clear I was playing a certain amount of sets or time and at that point it's done and I don't give a shit if I'm down or up..I'm leaving. lol
 
Gee sir, it sure has been fun gambling with you for the last 6 hours, and I really could put this $1000 to good use that I've won. But I'd hate to be called a nit later, so why don't we play double or nothing this last game. I'll be sure to throw the game so I don't quit winner or anything.

Said no true gambler ever!
 
Between my wife/kids, and especially my job, I am always on the clock, so I unfortunately run into this a lot. I have learned to be very clear before we start how long I have and exactly what time I need to go and give my opponent the option not to play. In my mind, as long as I am leaving Win or lose at that time it's ok. I also give a warning about an hour prior to my cutoff time. I still take some sh$t sometimes but I believe I am being as up front as possible.
 
Mkbtank said:
Between my wife/kids, and especially my job, I am always on the clock, so I unfortunately run into this a lot. I have learned to be very clear before we start how long I have and exactly what time I need to go and give my opponent the option not to play. In my mind, as long as I am leaving Win or lose at that time it's ok. I also give a warning about an hour prior to my cutoff time. I still take some sh$t sometimes but I believe I am being as up front as possible.
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I agree. And in any set that ran long with one person, I'd give them ample warning on when I had to leave as well.

I just think it's funny that pool has this mystique about the seedy, gambling side of the game. But so many want to make sure it's "fair" and nobody quits winner, or their a nit.

Guess what, the gambling is not JUST what happens on the table. It's how long you have the chance to get the cheese? Are you being hustled? Is your opponent shooting an air barrel (see other thread on things people won at a pool hall). And to some extent, you may be gambling your safety if you're in a strange room.

It's all a gamble people.
 
Most that gamble a lot or gambled for years touch all the bases before the game starts. Anything over $100 for short sets or $20 a game should post before each game or post a # of sets or games at the beginning of play.

Couldn't your GF take a cab home? Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
Most that gamble a lot or gambled for years touch all the bases before the game starts. Anything over $100 for short sets or $20 a game should post before each game or post a # of sets or games at the beginning of play.

Couldn't your GF take a cab home? Johnnyt
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Almost ALL problems like these could have been settled very easy IF both players went over the, "when can you quit rules."
 
SakuJack said:
lol, I assume this is a joke? If my wife/gf was sick, and I told her to take a cab home because I was busy gambling, I'd say that would make me a pretty shitty person.
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GF sick for a few days, so bring her out to a poolroom while you gamble and she gives whatever she has to everyone in the joint. Now that's a shitty person. Johnnyt
 
i used to play until the fella gave up when i was young
now i have diabetes and sometimes i lose my energy so i just quit when i want to

it used to be considered poor form to quit ahead ,with or without warning

pool players gripe either way

if you are playing friends and gambling.a thing I never do or did,then I would play so cheap
that I would say forget it when time to pay came

if you are playing pros or hustlers,forget about protocol
they will whine and claim they will never play you again,
but i have found this to be idle chatter

i saw a cowboy movie and the hero always got in fights after winning
another cowboy ask"Why do you play with sore losers?"

He replied"It beats
playing with winners"
 
yeah you're a tool for quitting and you should have shown some class and let him keep his cash since you said low stakes

and the gf excuse is pathetic, throw her dumb ass in a cab, lol

if you're quitting ahead there needs to be either set rules established beforehand regarding time or.....you do the man a solid if you really need to go and figure something out, there's only 10 million options available, get creative dummy
 
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