Cash Game $.50/$1 vs $1/$1 (1 Viewer)

[Forever to Thee]

As I have said before I am close to hosting my first game in many years; tournament with cash game as tables clear. I have long been set on having a .50/$1 cash game. After going down the dark hole that is chipping I am beginning to realize how much easier and cost effective playing $1/$1 will be. Buts its not traditional...
How do you feel about it?
How have your players received it?
Does it change play/strategy at all?
Any negative behind switch except its not traditional SB/BB NLH?

 

[RichMahogany]

Zero difference IMO

 

[Beakertwang]

In my experience, almost no one will fold their small blind in a limped pot, so going 1/1 will make a negligible difference.

 

[Legend5555]

I have run both, there is essentially no difference. Save yourself the extra chips.

 

[Coyote]

1/1 is more efficient, clay-wise. But this forum is NOT about efficiency clay-wise; quite the contrary.
.50/1 is less efficient but more beautiful, as it places an extra chip (the half-dollar) on the table. Otherwise, you 'll be playing with just 3 chips (1-5-20/25).
I 'm a fetishist and prefer the former.
Let alone that, you could play an orbit (out of 3 or 4) of .50/.50 PLO (most fair and reasonable at the given stakes)

 

[Joe Harris]

One difference between them is 50¢/$1 sounds like a smaller game to some players, even if they play similarly. That may be a good thing or not, depending on your player pool.

 

[shorticus]

I’d just play $1/$1

 

[Coyote]

It also depends on the specific society and economy.
In Greece, to get the feel of money on the pocket, you should multiply by 3 (at least).
So, .50/1 Euros is easily the equivalent of $1.5/3 in the US, so that's the ceiling of stakes you could play among "normal" people (doctors, lawyers, engineers, senior civil servants), i.e. not filthy rich businessmen or poker pros.

 

[Beakertwang]

If you can spare the chip funds, maybe get a rack of quarters just to have on hand for some lower risk friends/family games. Or some Starbursts or other NCV chip, just to have around. MOAR CHIPS is always the right answer.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Play $1/1, don’t allow straddles if you want to keep it smaller.

 

[dkersey]

I too, started a home game, and wanted to smart small, like .25/.50. I noticed after the 1st hour, the 25c chips were only being used for the blinds. For example, nobody ever folded to a $3.50 bet versus a $3 bet. So, i raised the blinds to .50/1, and of course the same thing happened. Now we play 1/1, and I never get out the quarters. It saves time upfront and as cash out time at the end of the night.

What is more important is the max buy ins amounts based on the blinds - typical stacks are 100BB, so $100 for 1/1. After that, it becomes a deep game, like 1/2 or 2/5. When it becomes where you can lose several hundred dollars, its not a social game anymore. Depends on what type of group you have.

 

[DrStrange]

I host $1/$1 once a month. Often I do this with $1 and $5 chips only - several sets have 400+ $5 chips. Sure you only have two sorts of chips on the table but a big pot might have close to a hundred chips in it.

So what do I do with my $0.50 chips? I host a $0.50/$0.50 game rather than a $0.25/$0.50 game.

I agree that few people fold their small blind. It doesn't make much difference.

Want to play smaller? Try a single blind game and see if the players act any differently than a double blind game. For what it is worth, my players don't care.

Bottom line, do what is fun -=- DrStrange

 

[Coyote]

What is more important is the max buy ins amounts based on the blinds - typical stacks are 100BB, so $100 for 1/1. After that, it becomes a deep game, like 1/2 or 2/5. When it becomes where you can lose several hundred dollars, its not a social game anymore. Depends on what type of group you have.

This.

 

[Gobbs]

From a player’s standpoint and as a nit, .50/$1 sounds better to me since, when I’m the SB, I save 50 cents in a raised pot when I have garbage. In reality, the SB doesn’t even save 50 cents enough for it to make a difference. The difference between .50/$1 and $1/$1 is pretty negligible. Bottom line, do what you want.

 

[trigs]

I host a $0.50-$0.50 game (as opposed to a $0.25-$0.50 game) and I don't see any difference at all. In fact, I prefer the SB and BB the same because it makes it easier for pot limit games.

 

[Gobbs]

I prefer the SB and BB the same because it makes it easier for pot limit games.

Or, you can just count the SB as a BB for PL games. So, regardless of it being 25/50 or 50/50, a pot-size bet (with no limpers) would be $2.00. We do that consistently and it works quite well.

 

[v1pe]

1/1 100%. Nobody is likely to be betting in increments of 50c after the flop anyway.

In my experience the factor that really matters most is the max buy in. The higher the maximum buy in the larger the game will play.

 

[SeanGecko]

I love saving my .25. or whatever is my small blind so I prefer it.

 

[detroitdad]

Zero difference IMO

I agree

 

[JustinInMN]

I have played both. I think both play fine.

1-1 should play a little bigger because the standard "pot size" open in 4x instead aof 3.5x. That factors in all the later streets.

Usually I favor fewer colors (and more chips of each), but I don't find 50c chips to be a nuisance in such a game.

 

[Marius L]

Very minor difference for sure. I would do 1-1 as well. I often play 5-5 over here and it's good

 

[Coyote]

Very minor difference for sure. I would do 1-1 as well. I often play 5-5 over here and it's good

Well, I mostly play 5-5 (Euro dimes) here and it's good.