medlnkids wrote:
This article is going to spark an interesting debate. Personally, as
much as I enjoy PLAYING video poker, I enjoy WINNING at video poker
slightly more. And even though I'm an out-of-towner that doesn't get
to play whenever I want, if I would end up having such a great
winning streak on double double bonus, then I definitely would "quit
while I'm ahead." But I'd make sure to stash my winnings in the safe
and then just play JOB quarters or nickels for the rest of the trip.
I don't know about "debate", but your post could kick off a bit of
good discussion.
I think every player relates to the satisfaction of finishing a day
(or trip) "up". And I expect most players factor where they stand for
the day when showing a profit into when they decide to quit (at least
occasionally).
Speaking for myself, if I've run a net profit after 5 hours of play
and then suffer 2 consecutive hours of sharp declines, my appetite for
play is greatly diminished and I'm likely to want to take the
satisfaction of at least a modest profit for the day. That said, you
won't see me quit half way through my planned play for similar reasons
(except under the most extraordinary circumstance)j.
I see no problem with a player who quits prematurely to preserve a
profit, unless one of 2 things is true:
1) They sacrifice considerable value in quitting "early" (say, a
bonus for playing through $x coin-in, or benefits of a stronger
sustained trip average).
2) They perceive that by quitting while ahead, they increase the
probability that they'll be winners over the longer term. (In that
sense, it's truly "one long game" -- even if you're talking about just
a couple of years of play.)
- Harry