Poker Glossary
Poker glossary

Hit and Run

Hit and run means leaving a cash game right after winning a big pot, without giving the others a chance to win their money back. It is legal but is considered bad etiquette.

The simple explanation

A player who sits down, wins a large pot and leaves quickly is called a hit-and-runner. Other players may be annoyed, because they were not given a chance to win their chips back. The practice is permitted in most places, but some games have rules about minimum time.

A closer look

Many home games and some casinos require a minimum time at the table, such as a number of orbits, for this reason. Players who plan to leave early should tell the table at the start, or play a fair amount of time. Hit and run is different from simply cashing out at a planned time. In tournaments it does not exist, since players cannot leave with their chips.

A practical example

A player buys in for $200, wins a $600 pot on his first hand and immediately cashes out. The table calls it a hit and run.

Full explanation

Hit and run means leaving a cash game right after winning a big pot, without giving the others a chance to win their money back. It is legal but is considered bad etiquette.

Hit and run means leaving after winning a big pot.

It is allowed, but many players dislike it.

Some games set a minimum time to play.

It usually applies to cash games, not tournaments.

Alternative spelling: hit-and-run

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