'Sitting out' in poker is when a player is taking a break from the action temporarily
but is continuing to 🛡 hold on to their seat at the table.
In a cash game players will
not pay any blinds while they are 🛡 sitting out whereas in a poker tournament the blinds
will continue to be deducted for players who are sitting out. 🛡 In this guide we’ll learn
the following:
What does it mean to ‘sit out’ in a poker cash game?
When should we 🛡 sit
out in poker?
How long can we sit out for in poker?
What should we do if our opponents
are sitting 🛡 out in poker?
Is it ok to sit out in a poker tournament?
Is it ok to sit
out in a poker 🛡 cash game?
What Does It Mean To Sit Out In A Poker Cash Game?
Sitting
out simply means we are taking a 🛡 break from a poker game but we are continuing to
reserve our seat. We won’t be dealt in to any 🛡 of the blinds but we will be required to
post the blinds when we return if an orbit has been 🛡 completed while we were away.
Players may prefer to wait until they will be dealt into the big blind position 🛡 before
returning from sitting out. There is usually a time limit on ‘sitting out’ at which
point our seat will 🛡 no longer be reserved.
When Should We Sit Out In Poker?
We can sit
out from a poker cash game at any 🛡 time when we need a short break (5 minutes or so). If
we require a longer break it will usually 🛡 make sense to leave the table and rejoin when
we are ready to restart the action. We should usually avoid 🛡 sitting out of a poker
tournament unless absolutely necessary because it could hinder our chances of achieving
a good result. 🛡 Poker tournaments will have scheduled breaks where the action on all
tables is paused for a period of time.
How Long 🛡 Can We Sit Out For In Poker?
In a poker
cash games the amount of time we can sit out for 🛡 will depend on the room, but it’s
usually not more than 15 minutes. Sitting out is usually for short breaks 🛡 only. For
longer breaks we should leave the table and rejoin the action when ready. In
tournaments we can sit 🛡 out for as long as we desire provided we still have a stack.
However, unlike in cash games, blinds will 🛡 continue to be taken from our stack in poker
tournaments. If we sit out for too long, we’ll have no 🛡 stack when we return!
What
Should We Do If Our Opponents Are Sitting Out In Poker?
In a cash game, players sitting
🛡 out essentially means the action has become more short-handed. Strategically this
requires us to loosen up our starting hand requirements. 🛡 In tournaments, the blinds are
still posted by players who are sitting out. This means that we should be aware 🛡 of
opportunities to pick up extra blinds. For example, if a player who is sitting out
posts the big blind 🛡 behind us, we should be looking to open raise wider than usual
since we know that the big blind will 🛡 always fold preflop.
Is It OK To Sit Out In A
Poker Tournament?
We should avoid sitting out in poker tournaments where 🛡 possible since
the blinds and antes will continue to be deducted from our stack even when we are not
at 🛡 the table. As much as possible we should try to take our breaks during the
designated tournament break so that 🛡 we get as much table time as possible. Of course,
we may sometimes have a genuine reason for sitting out, 🛡 in which case we should try and
return to the action as soon as possible.
Is It Ok To Sit Out 🛡 In A Poker Cash
Game?
There is no negative consequence associated with sitting out in a cash game. The
only thing 🛡 to keep in mind is that it’s best to sit out right before posting the big
blind. If we sit 🛡 out mid orbit we’ll be missing out on hands that we could have played
for ‘free’ since we have already 🛡 paid the big blind that orbit. If we rejoin the table
in a new orbit we’ll be required to post 🛡 the blinds again in order to rejoin the
action. The best option is therefore to sit out right before posting 🛡 the big blind, and
rejoin the action directly in the big blind position.
Summary
Sitting out while on a
poker table simply 🛡 means we are taking a temporary break from the action but intend on
returning. Whether or not we continue to 🛡 pay the blinds while sitting out will depend
on whether we are playing a cash game or a tournament.
Sitting out 🛡 is designed for
short breaks. If we require a longer break we should generally think about leaving the
table and 🛡 rejoining the action when we are ready.
Sitting out in poker tournaments
should generally be avoided since it eats into our 🛡 chances of securing the best
possible result.
