ive tried both... planting them in a big pot from seed to finish and transplanting from small to big.

Even though it is kind of a pain in the ass, I can see now how transplanting your plant is better for your plant in the long run. It tends to slow down a bit after the transplant but it makes up for it afterwards, especially if you LST. =)

From now on, I transplant at least 3 times and end up with nice sized plants...