etiquette of leaving a heads up table

I was playing a small stake 1-1 with someone on poker stars - I was sitting on the table and she joined me with double my chipstack.

As I say I was only play small stakes. Anyhow, it ebbs and flows until eventually I manage to stack her. Then after a few more games I take another chunk so we're down to about 70% chipstack me, 30% chipstack her.

After this last win, every two hands either before the flop, or on the flop she's pushing all in. I just couldn't play her, went on about seven consecutive hands before I left. I felt bad because I'd won some of her stack but it was just unplayable.

It is generally ok for me to leave in that situation to do that in that situation?

Thanks

what stakes exactly were this?

it's never wrong to leave when you feel uncomfortable

Oh hey Casey sorry I did try to catch up with you before I played but couldn't see you online - that h2h I sat down with $15 which was most of what I had, typing this I know it's so bad in so many way.

I was going to play some pool at my local pub tonight because I was so frustrated with betfair they still haven't released my 120$ bankroll. Anyhow on the way up I thought... hmm it would be far greater ev if I gave the pub a miss tonight and put 40$ into PS as I still have a bonus to clear which is what I did. (can't believe i'm bringing ev into my life situations, I think I've been hanging around here too much the passed couple of weeks!)

Edit: on a more serious note is was the most productive of the two options, so I may already be seeing the effect of my limited poker knowledge in real life applications...

Anyhow I went in a 1$ tourny and lost, and a 3$ tourny and lost, I also played in a 5$ cash buy in (couldn't find much lower max buy ins) and lost.. it was a bit of a slipperly slope.

So I was down to 24$ and thought well this was your sunday night out, it's not your real bankroll so just chill a bit and do what you think you'll enjoy. So I tried my hands at Heads up. Hmm... Writing this I'm so annoyed what have I learnt in these past few weeks if not the importance of propper BR management! Anyhow I got lucky and thanks to that heads up am back to 48$ and am just playing in a 1$ mtt at the moment!

I sat down with $15 which was most of what I had

I went in a 1$ tourny

and a 3$ tourny

I also played in a 5$ cash buy

I'm not pointing out anything you don't know. I hope you'll point out such BR decision that I made like that to me.
Nice Heads up play though. (And as far as your question, I say take the money and run, it's what we're here for. Again-> )

wellrounded is right. You are here to make money, not be nice. Take the money and run when you feel comfortable.

Originally Posted by LuckySlevin

it's not your real bankroll so just chill a bit and ....

Hmm... Writing this I'm so annoyed what have I learnt in these past few weeks if not the importance of propper BR management!

bankroll mgmt 101 refresher course time - read my first couple of ops threads for bankroll mgmt nittery, linked to the first post of my signature op.

re your question - leave the table whenever you want, although if someone is pushing every hand then I'm going to stay and take their money

as far as i know, it is perfectly OK to leave whenever you want in HU... then again I've never played in HU cash yet (and prolly won't until I'm playing 100NL cash)

btw what is your BR?!! cuz you play at all types of different stakes atm lol

When its +EV stay, when its -EV leave. If they're being idiots I might say something as I leave but generally I'd just close the table and move on.

The whole problem is knowing when it's +EV though. Whenever you're uncomfortable it's not +EV. Whenever soemone plays/buyins for an amount that makes your edge -EV does this to you as well. You'll learn as you go on in your poker career when you need to be sitting out even if you are the better player.

I usually type "I'm going... you have one more hand to win it back"
Then I fold and leave.

I guess "lol I got you moneyz." would be fine too.

Thanks for all the replies people

Something to consider also when moving up. Let's say I decide to move up to NL25 with a $500 bankroll. This is 20 buyins and the very minimum suggested by bankroll management (40-50 buyins is not unheard of in recommendations).

I don't want to lose all my bankroll at once and I decide that if I drop to $400 I'll go back down to NL10. That's one tool worth considering. How much you will lose before moving down.

Second I decide that I don't want to have too much of my bankroll at any one table. I know that if I lose a big chunk out of my bankroll I am inclined to tilt and play badly without stopping or moving down (burning money). I have two ways to achieve this:

1) Buy in short. I could buy in for $5, $10 or $15 and play a specific short stack strategy - then if I manage to double up I could decide if I want to change strategy or leave the table and resume my short stacking
2) Bank the win. I could buy in for the full $25, decide that I will never lose a single hand for more than $50 max and leave any table when I get above $50.

These are measures intended to keep me sane. It may not be the most +EV decisions in a vacuum (like yesterday I was sitting at a table where I had 150bb, wanted a break and there were 3 donors with 200-300bb each - I stayed and took 300bb off them before my break rather than bank my small win and take the break I intended) - but it is a framework you can decide on for yourself to control your risk.

These types of things are especially important to consider when you are bending the rules of bankroll management. I think it's important to have open eyes and know what you're getting into. You want to sit down at a cash table with half of the bankroll you have on a site? Fine, I have no problem with that - but have you got a plan for how you will handle if you win? Do you have a plan for how you will handle it if you lose? If not - THAT I have a problem with.

If I play a table, double up and leave - I will be called hit and run and people will abuse me over it. They of course want to win the money back and won't want me to leave - I want to bank my win. Let them talk.
If I play a table with weak players, find some of the same weak players on another table and I leave the table where I have 300bb (banking my win) to sit down at another table to abuse the same weak player - people could accuse me of ratholing (taking money that are at stake and making them safe). It's another derogatory term and it's all the same thing.

You don't have to be rude to people, of course. It's not uncommon for me to take someone's complete chip stack and on the next hand when he is super short stacked and goes all in - to just call him and give him a little something back. It keeps him in the game and makes it more likely that he'll rebuy and dump some more money on the table.

It's always important to understand your opponent - as well as how your opponent sees you. Let's say you've won a bit headsup and you're beginning to think about banking the win - and you pick up AA. If you're quick now would be a fine time to tell your opponent that you'll be leaving soon to bank your win because you have too big a portion of your bankroll on the table and you're getting nervous about losing it all. If you handle that conversation correctly your opponent may think you are scared money and will bet into you with any two cards, even if you call his bets, and you can take down a bigger pot simply by manipulating how the opponent perceives you.

Poker can be a social game - but sometimes when people are being social, what they are really doing is looking for or trying to exploit edges or just manipulating people. You should be aware of this.