Everything you thought you knew about poker is wrong...* (1 Viewer)

[Taghkanic]

You started a thread, but weren't looking for any replies? I'm confused. If I only disagreed with one or two points, I might have broken down why I disagree. Mostly, we couldn't be further apart on our opinions.

I’m looking for replies. I just find it weird that a sample size that small would be considered dispositive of anything.

All the home and social hall games in my NY region I’ve ever played in use poker sized decks. That proves nothing, in itself; just like citing a handful of hosts in Michigan proves nothing.

 

[Eriks]

I’m looking for replies. I just find it weird that a sample size that small would be considered dispositive of anything.

All the home and social hall games in my NY region I’ve ever played in use poker sized decks. That proves nothing, in itself; just like citing a handful of hosts in Michigan proves nothing.

Not sure what you’re looking to ”prove”. Everything on the list except:

GTO applies to all stakes, teaching how to better exploit villains.

…are examples of preferences. One can agree or disagree but not prove/disprove. They have all been done over multiple threads already and there’s really nothing new here, so the jokes insensitivities is bound to start flying - poker sorry.

 

[Taghkanic]

Not sure what you’re looking to ”prove”. Everything on the list except:



…are examples of preferences. One can agree or disagree but not prove/disprove. They have all been done over multiple threads already and there’s really nothing new here, so the jokes insensitivities is bound to start flying - poker sorry.

“This thread is pointless, so I’m going to bump it repeatedly.” Makes a lot of sense. If you’re 9 years old…

If you prefer to go all over the site looking for comments with similar points of view, go for it. Just like people put together compilation sales threads and other summary posts, I’m pulling together my views on a host of related topics, both to collect those thoughts, and to have a single resource to point to as needed.

So sue me. No one forces you to read it.

A few years ago I was posting on scattered threads about poker patents I’d found, then decided to do an omnibus post so they could all be found in one place. bUt tHoSe wErE aLrEaDy pOsTeD

When someone feels the need to repeatedly crap on a thread they find useless, that says more about them than the OP.

 

[Frogzilla]

I played a WPT event with non denoms in ‘21 and it was bad.

Here’s a stack pic, no idea how many chips it is. Maybe good amount of chips? Who can say. I think one hand I went all in and then asked the dealer for a count of my own stack. That was a first

 

[Taghkanic]

I played a WPT event with non denoms in ‘21 and it was bad.

Here’s a stack pic, no idea how many chips it is. Maybe good? Who can say.

View attachment 1615019

Presumably you knew their values while you were playing, right? If not… I’m not sure you should play tourneys. Knowing how many BB you have left is key at all stages.

But let’s think this through.

Three colors in the pic.

Standard casino tourney chip jumps are 100/500/1K/5K/25K/100K etc.

Normally the higher the denom, the fewer on the table. With standard value jumps, it’s an easy puzzle to solve. Just look at the board showing the current blinds, then thr stacks on the table. Simple deduction is all you need.

Assuming this was relatively early, a reasonable guess would be that the blues were 100s, the purples 500s, and the orange 1Ks, based not only on colors but quantities. If later in the tourney, could be blue 1Ks etc.

But if a player was still somehow unsure, plopped down in the tourney at random, not having heard any dealer or house announcements, all they’d have to do is:

* Ask the dealer once, and remember what s/he said.

* If too shy to ask, watch for 2-3 hands to see how other players put out their blinds and bets, and how the dealer makes change. With only three colors out there, you can figure it out very fast.

It’s only difficult if one isn’t willing to put in minimal effort. Choosing to be helpless isn’t in itself a reason to denominate.

 

[Machine]

I think one hand I went all in and then asked the dealer for a count of my own stack. That was a first

Typically, the dealer would have to reach over and dig your chips out of your arms as you weren't conscious. It must have been refreshing, actually, to be awake long enough to help the dealer.

I just finished your book, it was .... Eye Opening, @bergs recommended it.

​

 

[Taghkanic]

Illustration:

You have the chips in the photo.

Dealer announces (and the tournament displays show) the blinds are going up to 200/400 with a 400 BB ante.

SB puts out two blue chips. BB puts out four blues and one purple.

Dealer pulls in the BB ante as four blues, it checks around and the BB gets one blue back.

Now you know:

Blue 100
Purple 500
Orange (not used) is therefore 1K.

 

[BarrieJ3]

Never before has PCF seen so many trolls and well intentioned folks come together.

We must get Taghi into politics. I think only he can unite our country. #liltaghiforprez

 

[chippitydoodah]

Illustration:

You have the chips in the photo.

Dealer announces (and the tournament displays show) the blinds are going up to 200/400 with a 400 BB ante.

SB puts out two blue chips. BB puts out four blues and one purple.

Dealer pulls in the BB ante as four blues, it checks around and the BB gets one blue back.

Now you know:

Blue 100
Purple 500
Orange (not used) is therefore 1K.

 

[Lil Tuna]

Never before has PCF seen so many trolls and well intentioned folks come together.

We must get Taghi into politics. I think only he can unite our country. #liltaghiforprez

View attachment 1615024

Two well intentioned PCF trolls plotting their next thread crap.

 

[chippitydoodah]

Two well intentioned PCF trolls plotting their next thread crap. View attachment 1615046View attachment 1615045

 

[Taghkanic]

Never before has PCF seen so many trolls and well intentioned folks come together.

Guys, I’ve done a lot of soul searching. This morning I made a New Year’s Resolution—to try to go more with the flow in an effort to fit in better with the group.

Through these debates, I have come to understand that the conventional wisdom believed by the majority must be right.

How could so many people be wrong? Answer: They can’t be!

However, it is going to take a lot of time and practice to rid myself of my rotten and corrosive impulse to be skeptical, examine evidence and question underlying assumptions.

I’m going to need your help to show me the pokeristically correct (PC) way.

So let me give this a first try… See if I can manage it!! Here goes:

Dice chips are by far the most popular poker chips in the world.

Therefore, dice chips are the best poker chips.

Am I doing it right?

 

[Lil Tuna]

Guys, I’ve done a lot of soul searching. This morning I made a New Year’s Resolution—to try to go more with the flow in an effort to fit in better with the group.

Through these debates, I have come to understand that the conventional wisdom believed by the majority must be right.

How could so many people he wrong? Answer: They can’t be!

However, it is going to take a lot of time and practice to rid myself of my rotten and corrosive impulse to be skeptical, examine evidence and question underlying assumptions.

I’m going to need your help to show me the pokeristically correct (PC) way.

So let me give this a first try… See if I can manage it!! Here goes:

Dice chips are by far the most popular poker chips in the world.

Therefore, dice chips are the best poker chips.

Am I doing it right?

 

[BPTDirector]

After wasting a few minutes on this thread all I can say is you can’t fix stupid. Take that however you wish, I left it just as ambiguous as the rest of the BS here.

 

[Lil Tuna]

After wasting a few minutes on this thread

 

[doublebooyah85]

Well if we’re piling on and @Taghkanic for the most part is taking it well, you are usually pretty defensive and difficult to engage in with disagreements. But I chalk it up to the minimal expression everyone has with a keyboard. Not that the majority is always right lol but ya know what? The majority is usually right for simple shit like poker games. But anyway…i’m very much the same way as well. Very opinionated and I repeat myself. In fact I may need to go bump is the market saturated thread for some fun.

I played a WPT event with non denoms in ‘21 and it was bad.

Here’s a stack pic, no idea how many chips it is. Maybe good amount of chips? Who can say. I think one hand I went all in and then asked the dealer for a count of my own stack. That was a first

View attachment 1615019

@Frogzilla no denoms in a tourney is fucking wild and this is coming from someone with a no denom cash game set. Idc if your rain man, no denoms is asking for multiple mistakes in a tourney. Had to be a shit show.

 

[upNdown]

@Frogzilla no denoms in a tourney is fucking wild and this is coming from someone with a no denom cash game set. Idc if your rain man, no denoms is asking for multiple mistakes in a tourney. Had to be a shit show.

I played a WPT event with non denoms in ‘21 and it was bad.

Here’s a stack pic, no idea how many chips it is. Maybe good amount of chips? Who can say. I think one hand I went all in and then asked the dealer for a count of my own stack. That was a first

View attachment 1615019

We have a local casino (RI) that used to be called Twin Rivers. It was rebranded Ballys in the last couple of years, and early in 2025 they partnered with Maverick Gaming to expand their poker room. Anyway, they finally held their first tournament a couple of days ago, and I was shocked to learn that they used chips with no denoms. To me, that's uncomprehensible, especially with the major brands involved.

 

[ekricket]

Well if we’re piling on and @Taghkanic for the most part is taking it well, you are usually pretty defensive and difficult to engage in with disagreements. But I chalk it up to the minimal expression everyone has with a keyboard. Not that the majority is always right lol but ya know what? The majority is usually right for simple shit like poker games. But anyway…i’m very much the same way as well. Very opinionated and I repeat myself. In fact I may need to go bump is the market saturated thread for some fun.

@Frogzilla no denoms in a tourney is fucking wild and this is coming from someone with a no denom cash game set. Idc if your rain man, no denoms is asking for multiple mistakes in a tourney. Had to be a shit show.

We have a local casino (RI) that used to be called Twin Rivers. It was rebranded Ballys in the last couple of years, and early in 2025 they partnered with Maverick Gaming to expand their poker room. Anyway, they finally held their first tournament a couple of days ago, and I was shocked to learn that they used chips with no denoms. To me, that's uncomprehensible, especially with the major brands involved.

I’ve played tournaments with nondenominational - three colors - green, black, and blue.
At the beginning green was $25, black 100, blue 500
But after the first colorup, when greens are removed, they are reintroduced in the second color up as T1000’s. So now it’s black 100, blue 500, green 1000.

Efficiency.

 

[doublebooyah85]

I’ve played tournaments with nondenominational - three colors - green, black, and blue.
At the beginning green was $25, black 100, blue 500
But after the first colorup, when greens are removed, they are reintroduced in the second color up as T1000’s. So now it’s black 100, blue 500, green 1000.

Efficiency.

I think we’ve all done it, but I would choose a different word than efficiency lol

 

[Lil Tuna]

I would choose a different word than efficiency

 

[Taghkanic]

Anyway, they finally held their first tournament a couple of days ago, and I was shocked to learn that they used chips with no denoms. To me, that's uncomprehensible, especially with the major brands involved.

I think I mentioned this here or in one of the other denom threads, but back in the day I played almost weekly in various firehouse, VFW, Legion Hall and other social hall tournaments. Almost without exception, they used non-denoms, usually dice or other cheapo chips.

Though the players in these games skewed older (60+), and were not exactly world-beating players, they did just fine with the non-denoms. Some places would tape a chip value chart to tables, but almost no one ever referred to it.

The only people who needed to ask were the people who have to be reminded of everything over and over again. When to act, how much the bet is, where the bathrooms are, when the dinner break is...

These are the same players who sit down and suspiciously count their starting stack nineteen times, and then make a stink that they got shorted some chips. Then the host comes around and shows them that no, you got the right amount of chips.

Every. Time.

As I’ve said ad nauseam... Color is the main way people see chip values. If you have a barrel of red chips in a cash game, and you really really honestly can’t recall what they are worth, you might ask the host or dealer, or even glance at the inlay to verify that it’s a $5. After that, you know red = $5. Forever in that game. You don’t check every red chip’s denon every time you win one to make sure someone didn’t sneak you a red $4 chip.

So you only need to be told once. No need to print it on every single chip.

 

[upNdown]

I think I mentioned this here or in one of the other denom threads, but back in the day I played almost weekly in various firehouse, VFW, Legion Hall and other social hall tournaments. Almost without exception, they used non-denoms, most of them dice chips.

No doubt. My comment was directed toward the guys who encountered non-denoms in an actual casino. When I go to a tournament at a KoC or a VFW, I expect non-denominated chips. But at the Maverick poker room in the Bally's casino, I expect numbers.

 

[Taghkanic]

But after the first colorup, when greens are removed, they are reintroduced in the second color up as T1000’s. So now it’s black 100, blue 500, green 1000.

Leaving aside all other denom issues... Doesn’t that open things up to massive cheating?

Someone could palm a few 25s early and hey presto, in a couple of hours they are worth 40x more.

Crazy.