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

That's interesting. You got upset because he quit loser. He evidently knew the same thing you did, if he played very long with that weight he couldn't win. Was he wearing a t-shirt with the letters ATM on it?

No , he had no ATM shirt. Maybe I mis-explained something. I was not stealing.... I lost
The reason he was winning was due to me dogging shape and not getting out when I should. Hell I may have dogged it again but we will never know
 
"throw her in a cab"

Before people put too much weight into those words, I strongly suspect most or all were saying that tongue in cheek.

One of the funniest gambling matches I ever had was back when minimum wage was $1.25 an hour and a lot of people made just that in the blue collar joint I was in.

I was banging balls around and got a bite. Drinking a lot of beer too, I drank a lot of beer playing pool or not. The other guy was stalling and jacking the bet and feeling mighty smug, smirking in my face. As it happened there was a side door at the corner of this table and a cue rack buy the door. As usual I was playing with a house cue.

We had started at three and he had jacked the bet to fifty a game little by little with me protesting now and then but not too hard. I was up about a hundred or a little more when he jacked it to fifty. I noticed the little change in his movements around the table that announced he was ready to come off the stall.

This was what I had been waiting for. Never mind that he wasn't drinking, I put my hand on his shoulder, "I've had too much to drink, you have had too much to drink, and I don't want to take any more of your money." Before he could think of a response to me being too nice of a guy to fall for his hustle I slapped the cue in the rack and stepped out the door in a carefully choreographed move. Almost certainly could have taken him for a hundred or so more but this was much more fun! He gave away a hundred to a drunk. That had to chap him more than if he had found he had a tiger by the tail.

Hu
 
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.

It's your own damn business when you decide to quit ... winning or losing.
Yep, and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know anything. You or your opponent can quit anytime you want. You're not married.

ONB
 
Quote:


Originally Posted by peteypooldude View Post

I was down and giving him weight but I knew if we played very long that he couldn't win.

I never said I was stealing...... Playing even then yes I'm stealing. I played him the night before and lost. I didn't drop the spot. I would have stayed in the game until he got close to even at least . If you don't see anything wrong with that then I guess you don't gamble very much. It's an unwritten rule. I didn't jump his ass I just told him not to ask me to play again. That's someon wanting to fire a few dollars at your bankroll..... Bad action in my book. I'd still play him but he will have to post. Damn someone shooting $20 at your $200

You said your opponent couldn't win if you played very long. To me that is in the stealing category.

I think it is silly that it should always be up to the loser about whether to keep playing or not. Typically people agree on a dollar amount per set. Not how many sets will be played. Both parties put their money into play for that set so each party should be able to have a say in whether they want to play another set or not.

I played lots of online poker heads up. People quit me after winning and I quit people sometimes after winning. Typically the reason was my opponent was very tough and I could find easier games elsewhere. I never saw it as I had to play that same person until they won all of their money back.

I think it is your fault for letting someone shoot $20 at your $200. If that is what he has then you should only fire $20 at him. Most big scores in any form of gambling come from people chasing their losses and continuing to lose.
 
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'.

It all revolves around good communication. If you are playing per game or per set, you will be dealing with a bad situation eventually. I like to play 2 out 3 sets. Eliminate the break even scenario and know when it's over.

The only way to continue playing, where there's no break even scenario, would be to play 2 out of 3 sets of 2 out of 3 sets. This would have to be for a higher amount too, not the same amount. Double up is fair in this case.

It's a lot of pressure and that's what makes it fun.

Never any arguments. Everyone knows when it's over and you have a shot at winning 3 sets.

Ray
 
Quote:


Originally Posted by peteypooldude View Post

I was down and giving him weight but I knew if we played very long that he couldn't win.



You said your opponent couldn't win if you played very long. To me that is in the stealing category.

I think it is silly that it should always be up to the loser about whether to keep playing or not. Typically people agree on a dollar amount per set. Not how many sets will be played. Both parties put their money into play for that set so each party should be able to have a say in whether they want to play another set or not.

I played lots of online poker heads up. People quit me after winning and I quit people sometimes after winning. Typically the reason was my opponent was very tough and I could find easier games elsewhere. I never saw it as I had to play that same person until they won all of their money back.

I think it is your fault for letting someone shoot $20 at your $200. If that is what he has then you should only fire $20 at him. Most big scores in any form of gambling come from people chasing their losses and continuing to lose.

I'm not crying about it. Right or wrong I was gambling and sometimes sh1t don't work out the way you want them to. No big deal. Everyone has their own opinion ....... I was just expressing mine.
 
Know when to hold them...you know the rest.

Personally, I will typically tell someone I can only continue until such and such time if I am up and need to go. If I know in advance that I am short on time, I will let them know that up front and agree to a quit time. I have been on both sides of this with someone quitting winner and when I have bowed out as winner. I never get offended myself. This is gambling. I typically will get an agreement in place if we are playing a set that may cause us to run into the establishment closing or if we are playing per game and start a game that we may not be able to finish before closing time. I think that discussing how table time will be split should be done up front. I know with friends that winner typically covers time but for a stranger, I would not automatically assume this is how it is done.
 
Some very interesting responses... Just to clarify though, I started this thread out of curiosity of what others thought. My situation was not really even a "situation." When I go to that particular pool room I am the guy with the target on his back. I always have a pocketful of cash and am known for playing marathon matches. I'm not at all worried about losing any action because, as long as I have cash in my pocket, I will have action!

Also, there is no way in hell I'd put her in a cab and send her home! She has been in and around pool action for most of her life so she knows what it's about. She was feeling better before we left and wanted to come along. But after several hours in the cold, smoky pool room she just couldn't handle any more. I would guess that those who would put their sick, significant other in a cab to continue playing probably have difficulty keeping a significant other. And as much as one might argue they don't care and are better off without, we all know that's a lie!

Anyway, this thread has become quite interesting and informative. As I said before, my opponent and I handled the situation like the grown men we are, have no qualms with each other, and will play again.

as mentioned, a twit and with no class
lol
 
In the absence of an arrangement made ahead of time:

You don't just quit if you're winning unless there's a legitimate emergency. If you want to get out, here's what you have to do:

You have to offer your opponent an opportunity to get even by telling him how many more sets you're willing to play and offering him the opportunity to up the bet to get even in that many sets.

You don't have to give him a chance to leave as a winner. The best he can do is to get even.

If you quit any other way as a winner, you deserve whatever negative reputation you get.
 
In the absence of an arrangement made ahead of time:

You don't just quit if you're winning unless there's a legitimate emergency. If you want to get out, here's what you have to do:

You have to offer your opponent an opportunity to get even by telling him how many more sets you're willing to play and offering him the opportunity to up the bet to get even in that many sets.

You don't have to give him a chance to leave as a winner. The best he can do is to get even.

If you quit any other way as a winner, you deserve whatever negative reputation you get.


That's how I see it also
 
Just like you seek to give consideration to the guy behind coz it is 'right', some people believe it is 'right' to at least extend the same gamble you are shown, by allowing the comeback to win as many sets as he was once down.

I usually quit after the first game. And punt on first down.

In the absence of an arrangement made ahead of time:

You don't just quit if you're winning unless there's a legitimate emergency. If you want to get out, here's what you have to do:

You have to offer your opponent an opportunity to get even by telling him how many more sets you're willing to play and offering him the opportunity to up the bet to get even in that many sets.

You don't have to give him a chance to leave as a winner. The best he can do is to get even.

If you quit any other way as a winner, you deserve whatever negative reputation you get.
 
If I'm ahead and I know I have to leave then I'll give them an option of a short race to get even. I've also offered to let them keep their money and resume at a later date. I played a guy the other night until the place closed. I was down and giving him weight but I knew if we played very long that he couldn't win. I paid off and he told me to meet him the next evening at 6 and we would continue. We started playing again (me still giving weight) and he loses 2 games and quits. He says ..... I'm just not feeling it. I told him that I weren't feeling it the night before but I still played. I told him to keep the money but to never ask me to play again. As far as I'm concerned he's bad action. If he would have won the first few games then he would have kept playing

That's BS. It's tough finding good action. I've been spoiled for a few years playing 100 to 400 a set mostly with a few guys. It helped my focus immensely. Of course it can be hard to sweat 20 dollar races to 7.

Lately the big action is running dry. People playing lock artist and playing 2 sets if they lose and will go all night if they are on. Nobody wants to lockup a good amount for a long race, ahead set of best of 3 sets. To me those are the best ways to matchup. You know what is expected and you either rise up or lose. Great way to test yourself and improve.
 
I never quit winner. Most people do not get stronger the more the lose. Everyone I ever met plays better when ahead money. It's my job to let the customer go off it they want to. Playing 8 hours or more is fine by me. You gotta grind.
 
It's not always about the money. Some players are just trying to get their best game up against you, to prove something to you or themselves. It could take forever and they won't be happy until they beat you.

If you want to quit, just quit.

I will admit, I've lost respect for players who have beat me then won't play me again. That's something I won't ever quite understand but would never express it to them or anybody else.
 
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I've quit loser many times. Why shouldn't I be able to quit winner. Of course I can and have many times.
A young nine ball player kept asking to play because I'm a one pocket player.
I agreed to play 10 ball, I said quit whenever you want (even if you've won every game) because when I get tired I going to quit. Three hours later I was 160 dollars winner and said Thats all. He said "you can't quit you're winner" I said I don't know what your plan was when we started, but mine was to quit winner.

A young guy said to Fats "you can't quit I'm loser" Fats said of course you're loser, are you crazy, you're playing New York Fat.:)
Rod.
 
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