Chip Leaders Sitting Out

[acciuno]

Had a question regarding sitting out. It seems that I notice a lot that people get a heavy chip lead and sit out till they are in the money. Is there not some sort of Poker etiquette that people should abide by or does it not matter. Get all the chips you can and then leave and hope you get paid? I'm so confused. Personally I just couldn't do it on purpose and I don't understand how anybody can. Please advise.

[Drakken]

I know that at PokerStars it is specifically allowed.

It's actually a good strategy if the blinds are low, because other players are forced to play against each other without trying to go at the big fish, while the player sitting out risk nothing but lose a little of his chip lead, blind per blind.

Things get worse however as the blinds and antes increase, as also the number of players dwindle. They can then check their way to steal the blinds from the player sitting out.

[acciuno]

So sometimes it could be a good idea? Have you tried it? Does it seem to work for you? What about in like a STT SNG type setting or would you mostly use it in more a high occupancy MMT or tournament? Just wondering cause I have never really thought about applying that as a strategy?

[youngwayne]

It is a terrible idea IMO. If you start a tourny play it. There is really no point to get an early chip lead, sit out, and just cash and barley make a profit for you hours of play when you could have very easily could have played and had a legitimate shot at the final table. In MTT's the payouts are top heavy. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are where the money is at not just cashing and getting your buy in back. I would never sit out as a strategy you are giving away blinds and missing hands where you could have accumulated more chips. Seems like the dumbest strategy I have ever heard of. In fact I would say it is the exact opposite of a "strategy"

[derringer007]

Originally Posted by acciuno

So sometimes it could be a good idea? Have you tried it? Does it seem to work for you? What about in like a STT SNG type setting or would you mostly use it in more a high occupancy MMT or tournament? Just wondering cause I have never really thought about applying that as a strategy?

I have seen players sitting out. I find it very annoying. Never have done it never will. Is it really that difficult to just fold your hand every time ? Is all it accomplishes is far as I'm concerned is it slows down the game.

[NoWuckingFurries]

Originally Posted by derringer007

I have seen players sitting out. I find it very annoying. Never have done it never will. Is it really that difficult to just fold your hand every time ? Is all it accomplishes is far as I'm concerned is it slows down the game.

How does it slow down the game if you are on auto-fold, surely it's faster than manually folding every hand, especially UTG?

I multi-table and I also have a life apart from poker. I have no problem with going to the toilet, making myself a cup of tea, raiding the fridge, answering the door/telephone, or concentrating on a SNG where it is down to the last three or four people. In all of those situations I will sit out. If it puts some muppet on tilt then that is just an added bonus for me.

[santiz]

I dont think anyone does this on purpose to win more money. I sometimes do it when I know i have go somewhere else before the tournament ends. When this happens i just try to build a stack like a maniac and then just leave the tournament running when I go to try to cash something. Its better than nothing but I can assure you that the cash you earn using this as a strategy is ridiculously small. You are better off taking your risks to make the big bucks, even if you have to be eliminated several times with nothing. Its just more profitable in the long run.

[derringer007]

OK. you win i mistakenly said that players sitting out slow down the game. I'm wrong

[scrawnybob]

hi

I would say that sitting out when you are actually playing / been active in the game is totally different to signing up for a game and then not showing up

no shows - bad (irritating as it does slow the game in terms of getting players out)

sitouts when active - your choice / right / priviledge

IMHO if you've turned up (for a freeroll) or paid the buy-in ... you are entitled to sitout for as long or a short, as little or as often as you choose - they are your chips to waste / blow / siton until and not until you have none left

as to sitout tactics

It goes without saying it is incredibly rude to walk away without hitting the sitout button (ok the auto will take effect after 3 hands or so but its just thoughtless)

but I would much rather be making a cup of tea, having a ciggie when I have a chip lead or bigger stack than if I had a short stack

you simply cannot afford to walk away if every hand has to be considered for your suvival or getting back into the game ...

but if you manage to say double / triple up in the very early stages of the game and you need a break or dont want to donk off chips - then take a break and sitout

obviously you will miss hands - but it may be better if you havent got discipline to avoid temptation

also in the later stages you might find a breath of fresh air is worth losing 3 blinds over a couple of orbits

also by taking your break NOT at the same time as the site break (or making sure you have 3 minutes out of the 5 min site break) - you can take advantage of the less than organised or those that nip off early and pick up some blinds

hope thats a help

cheers scrawnybob

[luzipher]

Originally Posted by scrawnybob

hi

sitouts when active - your choice / right / priviledge

IMHO if you've turned up (for a freeroll) or paid the buy-in ... you are entitled to sitout for as long or a short, as little or as often as you choose - they are your chips to waste / blow / siton until and not until you have none left

as to sitout tactics

I agree, you can choose when and how long your sitout will be. Is part of the game and anybody can use it like a tactic to get his/her objetive.

Originally Posted by scrawnybob

but if you manage to say double / triple up in the very early stages of the game and you need a break or dont want to donk off chips - then take a break and sitout

obviously you will miss hands - but it may be better if you havent got discipline to avoid temptation

I suffered this temptation.
I was playing a satellite tourney, with 30 or so places (all places with the same prize).
I have an enough stack to win one of the places and I was folding every hand.

I was in BB and everybody folds except SB. He raised 2xBB and I holded AA so I called.
Flop came something like 2c Ah Kd and he went allin with a half of my stack.
I thought just for 2 or 3 seconds and call.
He had Kh Th and the turn and river were hearts too, so he hit the flush!
I was in the problem to fight for this place again. Finally I made it, so the history ends happy, but I learn my lesson.
Since this incident, when I have enough stack to reach my objective I click the sitout button.