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Hit and Run - To leave after playing for a very short period of time, simply because you are winning.
Poker players will play poker for a variety of reasons, but for many, the primary goal is to book a win in the game. Some players have
set specific goals, or at least have a general idea about how much money they are likely to make during a winning session. If they
meet these goals or expectations, they cash out, regardless of how long they have been playing for. If they win right away, their
session could be as short as a few hands, or even one hand. If you cash out after playing for a very short time, simply because you
are winning, it is referred to as a “hit and run.” Players who routinely engage in this type of behavior are known, unflatteringly, as
“hit and run artists.”
The problem with this type of behavior is that it is very rude to the other players in the game. While it is usually legal to get up
from a cash game at any time, doing so after a very short play violates an unwritten rule, as most players consider it disrespectful
to hit and run on somebody. There are a number of arguments against hitting and running. First of all, it is detrimental to the game
to the point where it shows a general disrespect to the other players who are playing in it. For one thing, It shows a disregard for
the competitive nature of the game. A poker game is a competitive event, and as a new player you are expected to stick around and play
for awhile. If someone does hit and run, there are often consequences for the game. The player who got hit and run on is likely to be
upset or offended, especially if he got hit and run on for a large amount of money. This can ruin the atmosphere, and make the game
less fun and less profitable for the good players to play in. The change in atmosphere alone can be enough to run players off. In
addition to this, the hit and run artist is getting up from the game. This can make the game weak and put pressure on a shorthanded
game to break. So in addition to being rude, hitting and running can actually be very detrimental to the game.
To discourage hitting and running, many casinos have rules in place which help to discourage it. One rule that most casinos share has
to do with the length of time you must wait after cashing out, before you are allowed to buy back in for the table minimum. It is a
requirement in most casinos that once you cash out or leave the game, you must wait an hour or two before you are permitted to buy
back in, so long as you intend to buy in with fewer chips than you cashed out with. In other words, if you return to the same game
within the timeframe outline in the house rules, you
are required to buy in with as many or more chips than you initially cashed out. Your only other options would be to play a different
game, quit for the day, or to wait the time out, at which point you would considered a new player, and would be free to buy in for anything
equal to or greater than the table minimum. This rule prevents players from hitting and running. You cannot cash out, pocket the profit,
and immediately return to the same game. That is part of what makes a game “table stakes,” which virtually every casino poker game is.
Table stakes simply means that only money or chips that are on the table may play, and that everything that is on the table must play.
Players may not remove chips from the table (other than small amounts for incidentals), and they may not go into their
pocket for more money during the hand.
If you do get hit and run on, you should keep it in perspective. It really is not a big deal. When your opponent sat down, he was just
as likely to lose to you as you were to him over the short run. Playing only a few hands does not give you any advantage over the long
run. Over the long run, the hit and run strategy only benefits players who play poorly, because it causes them to play fewer hands, so
they lose less. It is a terrible strategy for winning players for exactly the same reason. It limits the number of hands that you
play, and that can only hurt you over the long run.
Usage: Tried To Hit And Run, Hit And Run On Me, He Hit and Ran, Ran Like a Rabbit, Hit and Run Artist
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