Scrotum (1 Viewer)

Phantom

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Hi,

Can the Scrotum experts perhaps add to this thread and give some insight into this game, tips, strategies, hand selection, hands of interest and any other items of interest to improve one's game?

@Jimulacrum and others :)

Thanks
 
I've actually played very little Scrotum—just a couple orbits at BBOTB 2016.

One general point of strategy worth noting is not to think of the game like Hold'em or Omaha. It shares the concept of hole cards and the flop-turn-river structure, but it's otherwise very different. Hand values probably run closer to something like Triple Draw High, since you start with five cards and then essentially draw repeatedly (except in a community-card format with a three-card "burst draw" to start).

You should basically never start with any hand that doesn't have at least three cards worth keeping, like trips, two pair, or four to a straight flush out of the gate. Play only two (or one!), and your opponents can confidently deduce your exact maximum potential throughout the hand. Once it's three, though, you could have quads on any board, or a straight flush on most, so the Hold'em/Omaha concept of the nuts goes almost completely out the window. Chasing straights and flushes is for the birds; even a pat straight or flush is dubious (I think we had a thread about exactly that). Full houses and better are what you want. All of this is, of course, relative to your opponents' hands, so position is massively important. It gets you an advantage in both betting and in setting your hand.

Also, I think this game would be far more interesting high-low than high-only. I've only played it high-only, but I can imagine there's a lot more potential for interesting decisions and big action in high-low.
 
Haha, sorry to disappoint about the pics. I also had second thoughts about the term 'hand selection' haha.

Thanks @Jimulacrum . I did several practice hands and noted that on quite a few occasions, two pair turned into a boat and would hard to pick?

I am unfamiliar (completely) with the hi/lo concept in poker games. Can someone explain how that works in Scrotum8?

Thanks for the input thus far :)
 
Whenever possible, play :ac::2c::3c::8c: against @detroitdad for several hundred dollars in Scrotum 8. Make sure to river the flush and a low hand on the river. He will pay you off.

That, or stand pat with the wheel against Fran.

It can be a very profitable game. But give back all profits on the last 2 orbits and cash out +$8 for the night.
Sounds solid :)
 
I’ve found getting the steel wheel underneath and then having two people pick up a six low from the board and assuming you have a high only underneath hand (since you kept five) is the way to play this game.
 
OK, I'm going to be the dissenter again.

IMO -- and I've been playing Scrotum for over ten years -- Scrotum/8 sucks. You might as well just do flips.

Again IMO, hi-lo games are simply a way to 1) increase the effective stakes of a game and 2) reduce the advantage to be gained by objective analysis of the hand. They're best suited for players with short attention spans -- you know, the type who find stud boring, and wouldn't even think of playing it pot-limit or no-limit.

There. I think I've gotten the old-fartedness out of my system for another day...refreshing! :cool:
 
OK, I'm going to be the dissenter again.

IMO -- and I've been playing Scrotum for over ten years -- Scrotum/8 sucks. You might as well just do flips.

Again IMO, hi-lo games are simply a way to 1) increase the effective stakes of a game and 2) reduce the advantage to be gained by objective analysis of the hand. They're best suited for players with short attention spans -- you know, the type who find stud boring, and wouldn't even think of playing it pot-limit or no-limit.

There. I think I've gotten the old-fartedness out of my system for another day...refreshing! :cool:

I disagree. High-low, and split-pot poker in general, offers a large advantage to the studious player, often exceeding that of high-only poker. It also requires even more of an attention span than most forms of high-only poker.

For those who are just in it for fun and gambling, though, split-pot poker does offer many opportunities to push money into the middle and have it spread around the table.

Put those things together, and you have a great game—unlike, say, pot-limit or no-limit Seven Card Stud or Hold'em, which reward only the studious players and mercilessly crush the souls of anyone who simply wants to throw some money around.

(And BTW, I will totally play all of these games. But I do recognize which ones are truly good games and which are just moneymakers for sharks.)
 
My gang is kinda new to mixed games but we love scrotum.
The only thing is everyone insisted we change the name, so now it's called big titties.

(They we afraid my wife upstairs hearing us talk about "scrotum" would be weird, so they decided to make it sound like we were talking about manly stuff instead, lol.)

We also love the hi/lo version of most games. It makes for interesting hands and changes things up. ;)
 
My gang is kinda new to mixed games but we love scrotum.
The only thing is everyone insisted we change the name, so now it's called big titties.

(They we afraid my wife upstairs hearing us talk about "scrotum" would be weird, so they decided to make it sound like we were talking about manly stuff instead, lol.)

We also love the hi/lo version of most games. It makes for interesting hands and changes things up. ;)
Haha, I will be renaming it 'Sabre' for my crew at Blades.
 
Can someone explain this game to those who have not seen it?

Scrotum:
You are dealt 5 cards. Preflop, you decide which cards (n=1-5) that you want to play and set your hand such that everyone can see the number you are keeping. You must play every card you keep, interacting with the standard flop, turn, and river that are on the board. For example, if you keep two pair (4 cards) and the board matches one of them, you play the one from the board for a boat. Another example, if you keep trips and the board has a pair, you also make a boat. Alternatively, you keep trips and the case card hits, then you have quads. Four to a flush means you have a flush when there is one card of your suit that hits. You can also keep all 5, ignoring the board with a pat hand.

Scrotum8:
Scrotum, but adding a split with the lowest 8-or-less qualifying low. Keeping four small cards of a suit is extremely powerful, as there is the opportunity to scoop with a nice flush. Steel wheel = $$$ (nut low with a dominating high).

Very tricky and fun game, with a lot of reading of people involved. Lots of choices for what to keep to maximize payouts and disguise hands!
 
Scrotum:
You are dealt 5 cards. Preflop, you decide which cards (n=1-5) that you want to play and set your hand such that everyone can see the number you are keeping. You must play every card you keep, interacting with the standard flop, turn, and river that are on the board. For example, if you keep two pair (4 cards) and the board matches one of them, you play the one from the board for a boat. Another example, if you keep trips and the board has a pair, you also make a boat. Alternatively, you keep trips and the case card hits, then you have quads. Four to a flush means you have a flush when there is one card of your suit that hits. You can also keep all 5, ignoring the board with a pat hand.

Scrotum8:
Scrotum, but adding a split with the lowest 8-or-less qualifying low. Keeping four small cards of a suit is extremely powerful, as there is the opportunity to scoop with a nice flush. Steel wheel = $$$ (nut low with a dominating high).

Very tricky and fun game, with a lot of reading of people involved. Lots of choices for what to keep to maximize payouts and disguise hands!
Thanks Inca, great explanation. @abby99 's cards are an awesome resource, and the experience of players who have regularly played these games just adds meat to the bones :). I am excited to try quite a few 'new' games with my crew when my Blades chips arrive.

Anyone else with some experience with Scrotum over years of playing - @pltrgyst . Any tips or interesting scenarios?
 

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