Play or leave?

[Maroon]

A couple of times recently I've logged on to WH and won a bigger than average pot on my first hand.  What to do now?

Option 1: Stay as opposition probably soft. Done this and took a big swing downwards. Won some back after an hour or so slightly up but less than the first pot.

Option 2: Hit and run.  Done this and sat there thinking "I should be back in that game getting rich!"

Stats say option 2.  Just wondered what you guys do/think.

[jonthomson]

Play as long as you think the game is good. Of course it's a bit hard to tell after one hand (although you ought to have some idea if you've taken even a bit of care over table selection) if the game is good, but poker's all one big session and your decision to play shouldn't change if you've just doubled up first hand or just had aces cracked. Unless you tilt a lot 

[snoopy1239]

I read something in a book recently regarding this issue.

It highlighted the fact that players often scarper after winning a big pot, but without sufficient reason.

If you leave the game because you are afraid of losing your money, are playing out of your depth, have been lucky, or consider yourself to be the weaker player, then you shouldn't have played in the game in the first place.

If you don't have any such issues, then there is little reason for you to leave. Personally, I see it as an incentive to stay. I have more cash than the others players, I feel dominant, confident, on top of my game, etc, etc. True, I've taken down a big pot, but why should that stop me from winning some more?

Bizarrely, we tend to play on when we suffer a bad beat, yet leave when we rake a big pot. Where's the logic there?

Personally, I opt to play for a certain time-period, say 1 hour, and then stop after the time has elapsed, whatever the situation. If I've raked a big pot after 30 mins, I carry on until the hour. If I lose a big pot after 30 mins, I refill and carry on until the hour. Of course we should stop if the win or loss causes an emotional change, but for me, I try not to let either effect my performance.

Put it this way. My method used to be: leave when I've hit my pot and carry on if I get beat. When I got beat, my head wasn't in the game and I tended to lose even more. Therefore, the profit I gained from my 10 mins in the winning session was less than thedefecit I encountered in my losing session. I now try to maintain a level of conistency and play for that 1 hour. Tricky to uphold, but I've improved as a result.

[snoopy1239]

By the way, my answer is: If you're heads still in the game, 'Play'