Lesson Number 2: The "Hit and Run Strategy" Is A Weakness.

I think all decent poker players have had to endure the hit and run merchant at some point or another. They usually come in two varieties. First you have the proficient shortstacker who usually arrives with the minimum stack and who has the strategy all figured out; they wait for their moment to strike, get their double up and then fuck off with your hard earned chips and it's thank you and goodnight sir!

Then you get the other type who come with a small stack that's not always the minimum and is usually an odd amount. Now these guys usually have a username that is often unfamiliar and as they play, it slowly starts to dawn that they're not really all that good. But what they do is that if they win a huge hand, often through luckboxing, they then scuttle off as happy as Larry that they've managed to nab, what is for them, a very large sum of money. I'm sure 99% of the time they'll lose it to the sharks in the long run but that's not the point; it can be annoying if it happens to you.

Now tonight, I two-tabled the $100nl game for just 63 hands but effectively I hit and ran. However, I certainly don't count myself as one of the types above. What I do get from this though, is the reason why I am still an amateur and why the pros are still way out there in front. I'll explain my reasons for doing the hit and run strategy in a moment but in the meantime here is my PokerOfficer graph for the session:

So, obviously, the sharp rise indicates my jackpot hand but the reason for stopping shortly after was really psychological more than anything else. Yesterday, I had that small drop which left me annoyed and I just didn't want that happening again anytime soon. This win put me in a good mood and I just didn't want the emotion from yesterday to come back again. So I left the table, banked the win and stayed in my good mood. But my whole point is, I think this is a weakness. This attitude will just make you an average player at best.

My emotion dictated my decision to leave the table and this should never be an issue in poker. Especially if there are still players sitting at the table who you feel you have an edge over. Keep playing that A-game and don't wimp out. Hit and running is arguably OK if you come to the table shortstacked and actively play that particular strategy - but it shouldn't really be done through the insecurity of knowing that you could lose it very soon. Why give up that edge?

So let's write this second lesson down again for clarification: FOR MY STYLE OF PLAY, THE HIT AND RUN STRATEGY IS A WEAKNESS.