We learn many skills at the poker table. We learn how to put opponents on ranges of hands, what are good cards to bluff at, calculating our outs and pot odds, and the list goes on from there. One of the more obscure skills we as players need to learn is when to get up and leave a game. This is probably the most important skill we have as players and yet it's very difficult to try and articulate to others. I have a check list I like to run through when determining if I should stay in a game or not.

1) Is the game good? This is what everyone always tells you to think about at the table, but what does it actually mean. I look for a few things. Are there any big pots going around? Are there a lot of limper/callers? Are there a bunch of calling stations at the table? Is the game loose? Basically I have two types of games I like to play in. Games where people are calling too much and too thin to be profitable and games where people can be taken off AJ on an A394T board (aka tighter players). In either case I'm willing to stay at the table, otherwise this is strike one and gets me thinking about leaving.

2) How do I feel? Put your ego aside and think for a second while you're sitting at the table. Are you mad about any beats? Are you getting frustrated from the lack of action your big hands are getting? Are you trying to get into more pots because you're getting impatient? I also take my personal life into account. If I'm in a lousy mood I usually don't even bother starting up a session and there have been occasions where I've called it quits early because my personal life is getting in the way of my playing great poker. Thoughts like, "I have to prove I can do this...maybe they were right about this being a bad career choice" are big red flags to me. It can be more subtle than that though. Say you broke up with someone or your parents are getting a divorce, maybe you were fine at the beginning but now that you have a lot of downtime at the poker table your mind starts to wander and you start to think about these things, making you distracted at the table. If any of this is true, I'm almost always just taking a walk to relax and if that doesn't help I'll just leave.

3) Is the money getting in the way? I've had this happen before where I've been sitting at a 1/2 NLHE table and I've run up over $1K in profit, but everyone at the table is very deep stacked. I'm still at the point where a $1K night is a good night or me and if I start losing a little of that money I'll get a little apprehensive and start tightening up to protect my night's profits. That's not exactly the best way to play. If the money starts mattering a little more than it should then it's probably a good idea to call it quits.

These are the big three for me. Normally one alone will not be enough for me to leave a game but any two of these three and it's time to strongly consider getting up. Protecting yourself at the table and protecting your money when called for is part of being a professional. You have to be able to make these calls without letting ego get in the way. As long as you can come back tomorrow and play, the session was a success (ok that's a stretch but you get the point).