Quitting when ahead.

[arcimede$]

It amazes me how you are so selective in the information you present to make an argument. You point out the win rate for 99, but you didn't mention the win rate for pocket tens, pocket jacks, pocket queens, kings or aces. Is there a reason you overlooked that information?

Because that is what you were holding. The other don't matter in this situation. You can only make decisions based on the cards you are holding. You stated you would have called against one other better. Looks like that was the proper choice without additional knowledge since you would have been favored to win.

I told you that the other player made a raise that was five times the big blind -- and that is indicative that the player had a big hand. I watched that player in previous hands and when he made big bets, he had big cards. A bet of five times the big blind indicated to me that he had a hand that was stronger than my pocket 9s. Continuing to play put my win goal and loss limit in danger.

The win goal made no difference. If you really believed he had a strong hand then the right play was to fold no matter what the win goal/loss limit was. That's my whole point. You tried to make this about your win/loss goals when they really should not be a factor in the middle of a hand. Before or after the hand was complete is the time to analyze those goals.

Part of having an edge at poker, and part of having an advantage at poker, is knowing when to fold -- just like the song says. My edge and my advantage will still be around the next time I play... and the next hand that I play. Folding a hand is not a sign of a lack of an edge or a lack of an advantage or ability. To the contrary, it's a sign of skill -- a skill you don't have to employ in video poker because in video poker you are not playing against another player holding cards that are unknown to you.

Alan, I have played poker before and I have watched lots of holdem on TV. You aren't stating any revelations, calling or folding is not the issue. The issue is you let an extraneous factor influence your play.

As far as the "extraneous factor" of win goals and loss limits go... it's a very big factor in poker.

Nonsense. Every hand is independent. Quitting at some magical time in poker is no difference than it is in VP. It's an illusion.

What you can't understand Arc, because you play against a machine, is that your table image is vital to your future success. Eight players saw me get up from that table and leave with $900 including $700 of their money which was my profit. That image will stick with them the next time we meet. Your video poker machine will not remember you. But leaving as a big winner will leave the impression that in the future when I play my hand, I play winning hands. Put the "image quotient" in your video poker strategy book and see how far it gets you with your one-eyed jacks machine.

So, you're saying you create a good image winning $700 but not winning $688. More nonsense. And, if you continued to play you might have walked away with over $1000. Would that create a better image?

You continue to quote gambling gospel with no regard for reality of play. You have no concept of poker strategy, betting strategy, table image, reading competitors and what their hands might be, yet you continue to preach some gambling pablum that is supposed to tell me that you -- someone who has never played live poker in his life -- knows more than what I know about playing and bankroll management.

Once again, this is not about playing poker, it's about letting an extraneous factor affect your play. You are so stuck on win/loss goals that you are letting them affect you. While you may claim to be a good poker play, comments like these say you are missing some capabilities. For example, if another player realized you took these goals into consideration they just might throw in some big raises at times to take advantage of your poor thinking.