Cash Game Heads Up Microstakes Cash Breakdowns and Suggestions (1 Viewer)

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So once the pandemic is over, me a a few friends are going to take the train from Toronto to NYC. It's a 12+ hour trip of trainy goodness through the Adirondacks. And of course, what do you do on a train for 12 hours? You play poker.

I'm looking to make a custom heads-up microstakes set, but I need help with breakdowns. Would be for a 5c/10c NLHE game. I'd like to limit it to 100 chips, and if you figure I can make it a 3 player set and stay under a hundred chips, that's even better.

I'm also haven't figured out yet how to transport these chips...best idea so far is to use one of the boxes the chips from TCE come in (hence the 100 chip limit) with lots of elastic bands to keep the lid on the box. Any other ideas are most welcome. Are there good cases available for a heads up set with cards and buttons and stuff?

Thanks for the help everyone.
 
I’ve never thought heads up sets of 100 chips is enough for heads up cash. 100 chips works for a heads up tourney set because each chip is used for a finite amount of time, then the game ends. Since cash games tend not to have an end in the same way that tourneys do, I think more chips are needed to keep the game going indefinitely

Edit: of course you can have $5s or $20 bills play, but I think that can get confusing when trying to gauge stacks
 
I’ve never thought heads up sets of 100 chips is enough. 100 chips works for a heads up tourney set because each chip is used for a finite amount of time, then the game ends. Since cash games tend not to have an end in the same way that tourneys do, I think more chips are needed to keep the game going indefinitely
That's fair. I want to lean towards cash if possible, only because the friends I travel with aren't super in to poker. A cash game is more intuitive to poker newbs, and more inviting/laid back. Easier to play on the train without an app or timer for the blinds, and the newbs don't have to keep asking "What are the blinds again?". Plus there's the advantage that when they bust out they can keep rebuying indefinitely. This is more of laid-back kind of attitude to pass time as opposed to a game to make money.
 
Since it's only going to be 2 or 3 people playing, would it be viable to have lots of demoninations that are just meant for storing wealth for the players who consistently win? For example in a 5c/10c game, no one will ever make it to $500, so maybe have {5 x $100, 4 x $25} x the number of players, plus all the chips that actually see play, like the 5c, 25c, $1, and $5. The large chips are enough for each player to have any dollar value up to $500 but will never be in a pot. They're just for coloring up the excess winnings, if that makes sense. Maybe what I want won't actually work, just an idea. Plus it's an excuse to get another set of chips :)
 
I’d probably go with 10/20/40/20/10 in that case. That would give 3 players about 13 buy ins each at 0.05/.10 100 BB buy ins. I’d imagine that would be plenty
 
My thoughts:
  • play 10c/10c instead of 5c/10c to eliminate the need for another denomination (the 5c).
  • let cash bills over $5 be in play, so long as players only add-on between hands AND everyone knows that a player has bills in their stack
  • essentially, you're using chips instead of coins as workhorse/betting chips. Bills over $5 are just value storage and the chips are to keep the game moving.
I'd go
  • 20x 10c
  • 50x 25c
  • 20x $1
  • 10x $5
This makes for a total bank of $84.50 - a little over 8 buy-ins at $10/per (100bb). When the game starts, get all the 10c out among player buy-ins first, then all the 25c, then $1. Once all the other chips are in play, use the $5 for top-ups and rebuys until cash has to play. It's a little tight but for 100 chips I think it would be playable!
 
My self, I've a heads-up /travel set but it's for tourney :


It can even support 5 players (stacks of 2500 (8/8/3) on starting blinds 25-25).

For a micro cash set, I'd go with :
40 x 5c
40 x 25c
20 x 1

It's a total bank of 32. If you play NL5 0.05 - 0.05, it'd work as it's 3 buy-in per player.

In a train, you may not want to many 5 cents on the table.
So maybe best to go with :
30 x 5c
30 x 25c
30 x 1
10 x 5

Which makes a total bank of 89, so more than 4 buy-in per player for NL10 (0.05 - 0.10). It would also make the set playable for 3 players (ideally NL5 then).
 
I think for 3 players the answer is
(30) $.05
(30) $.25
(21) $1
(18) $5
(1) $20

This would give starting stacks of 10/10/7/2 a rebuy each of (4) $5s and an extra rebuy with the single $20 chip... who wants a 99 chip set? Lol

if you go throught the rebuys and want to keep playing. Cash put and start over! That is the only way I can see playing 3 players with 100 chips. Not enough but could make it work for sure.

Ben
 
You are from Canada, just play Euchre! I think the rules are in your Constitution.

I am kidding, of course...but there are many awesome card games that do not require a chipset, and are great to gamble. Hearts is very underplayed, and is a great cutthroat gambling game. Cribbage boards are easy to pack.
 
You are from Canada, just play Euchre! I think the rules are in your Constitution.

I am kidding, of course...but there are many awesome card games that do not require a chipset, and are great to gamble. Hearts is very underplayed, and is a great cutthroat gambling game. Cribbage boards are easy to pack
I grew up playing Cribbage Chris, haven't played in a long time, may have to break a board out between games at our next meet up... damn I would be rusty though, what a fun game with drunk gandpa at hunt camp growing up!! Lol
 
I'll make sure to pack a board for next meetup. It's my family go-to game.
 
With a pack of cards and half a day to kill you might want more than just poker in your ammo belt. Here's some great games for two, three, and four that everyone should try at least once. Clicking the links takes you to the rules, in case you need them:

Four:
Four, in partnerships:
Three:
Two:
Two, three, or four:
Those are the best player counts for each game IMHO, but most of them can also be adapted to play with any number. You can and should play all of these games for money, using your poker chips, of course. :)
 
My Family have a travel set for 200 chip for 0.25 0.50 Game with 100 bb buyin

40/80/60/20 25c/$1/$5/$25

We mostly played 4/5 ppl handed rather than the 6 but it should work as well. From exp, We don’t really need much 25c and you can get by with 40 even lesser if u want more $1/5 chip those are the chip that is much more in need.

There will be a lot of exchanging of Chip after every big pot win, and we use cash notes sometime when we run out of chip when more ppl >6 is involve

100 for head up is just not as fun as 4-5-6 ppl playing it way much fun however you can do 20/36/30/14 5c/25c/$1/$5 for your case if you want to keep it within 100 chip
 

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