When Should You Cash Out of a Poker Game?

You came to play poker for one thing: to win. You’ve got your poker strategy, your poker face, your reading of other players. It’s all nailed.

Okay, now what? There are many points when you can leave the game with a win. Are you holding out for a large pot, or collecting various humble pots?

There are a few things to consider before you make a decision on when you feel you should check out of the game, and they should be ironed out before you even sit down at the table. Read our guide to understand when the best moment is to cash out for you.

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What type of poker player are you?

The first step in establishing when you should cash out comes from defining yourself as a player. Who are you aspiring to be? Are you a professional player looking to be the best and live off your work? Or semi-professional, looking to win some extra money? Or simply a social player who likes the game more than the practicality?

This will determine more than anything when you cash out, since your priorities will be vastly different. A professional poker player will aim to make regular cash-outs to cover his or her expenses. A semi-professional player will be looking to cash out once in a while and social players will only make the occasional cash-outs as a one-off.

The one universal rule between all players is to not cash out when you need the money, because that is what your day job is for. It promotes responsible gambling and ensures you don’t get stuck in a rut.

What are your poker goals?

The next step is to nail down what you want to get out of poker. Are you just enjoying a few late-night rounds at a live table on GGPoker.com, or are you aiming for tournaments and high stakes?

If you’re aiming to climb to play amongst the best, the cash-out strategy becomes simple: don’t. Cashing out moves you further from the required bankroll for the next limit.

Avoid cashing out while playing the micros

Cashing out at the micros, where you could be earning single digits, simply isn’t worth it. You won’t make enough at tables with such low stakes to bankroll onto the next table and you won’t progress.

There are people who grind away at the micros, and make a living off of it, but it’s not a glamorous life. In fact, it will only see you going home with barely enough to cover gas. Instead, use the micros to progress up to bigger tables.

Mid and high stakes strategies

Mid- and high-stakes tables are where you can start making some good money. People who have made it to these tables have gained an idea of when they feel best to cash out, resulting in their decent take-home result.

The best option is to take out no more than 50% of your profit at the poker tables. It gives you a safety net for the next month and the necessary bankroll for the next table.

Monthly pay

If you are a regular at the mid and high-stakes tables, looking to make this an ongoing thing, the final recommendation is that you should check out once a month.

Supplement your savings, make sure you have enough bankroll for the next table, and it will soon feel like a regular job where the money isn’t on your mind as you work. You won’t feel like you need to rely on it when it gets close to payday and you’re running out of money, or you spot something shiny in a shop window and make an impulse buy. It will be off-limits until your poker payday just like any other.