chipinla
Straight Flush
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What is your preference and why? Is there really a difference?
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Blinds: 25¢/50¢ or 50¢/50¢… is there really a difference? (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter chipinla
- Start date
25c/50c. Cause the initial buy in is $100 not $200.
We do half of biggest for match. So rebuys are $1-200. You lose maybe $5-600 on a terrible night.
50/50c Initial would be $200; rebuys would be 200-$400. You probably lose $1K+ on a bad night.
Poker wise does it make a difference?
Probably not.
Game running/ game health / sustainment of a consistent game?
I think it has an impact. Losing $300 hopefully isn't lifre impacting money for anyone in my game. I know it isn't. Losing $1K? Probably is for some people.
I rather have a consistent game with vetted players. We did like 60 sessions last year. Rather than have a slightly bigger game and have to semi constantly recruit more player.
I know for a fact some of my players have a stop lost of $300. Not because it's 3 bullets. But of the potential financial impacts.
We do half of biggest for match. So rebuys are $1-200. You lose maybe $5-600 on a terrible night.
50/50c Initial would be $200; rebuys would be 200-$400. You probably lose $1K+ on a bad night.
Poker wise does it make a difference?
Probably not.
Game running/ game health / sustainment of a consistent game?
I think it has an impact. Losing $300 hopefully isn't lifre impacting money for anyone in my game. I know it isn't. Losing $1K? Probably is for some people.
I rather have a consistent game with vetted players. We did like 60 sessions last year. Rather than have a slightly bigger game and have to semi constantly recruit more player.
I know for a fact some of my players have a stop lost of $300. Not because it's 3 bullets. But of the potential financial impacts.
Flopalopagus
Flush
My biggest gripe with .5/.5 or any other blind structure where the small and big are the same is that there is very little difference between 1st and 2nd position except who goes when. Blinds being equal, you have zero incentive to fold a hand from the small unless there is a raise. That’s good for action, suck outs, bad beats etc, but I prefer more decision making and strategy whenever possible. There isn’t a lot that you can do about it at smaller stakes, but it’s hard enough to get people to drop a hand for just a few dollars/cents. Giving 2 people an auto free look in a passive game/hand doesn’t sit well with me.
Smaller potatoes, but I find it harder to remember who’s small and big when folks aren’t paying attention and someone forgets to move the button. Keeping the blinds different usually makes it easier to recall who put out the one chip and who put out the two chips in the previous hand.
From a dollars and cents stand point, there isn’t much of a difference. I play a .25/.5 game that runs way more like a .5/1 game.
It’s not an issue of right or wrong. Just a strong personal preference.
Smaller potatoes, but I find it harder to remember who’s small and big when folks aren’t paying attention and someone forgets to move the button. Keeping the blinds different usually makes it easier to recall who put out the one chip and who put out the two chips in the previous hand.
From a dollars and cents stand point, there isn’t much of a difference. I play a .25/.5 game that runs way more like a .5/1 game.
It’s not an issue of right or wrong. Just a strong personal preference.
suchj0sh
Flush
Depends on why you’re hosting and what kind of players you have imo.
My guys are idiots, don’t care about learning, just want to “touch some cards” as we like to say. 50¢/50¢ works best in this scenario in my opinion. If I’m not in the hand most hands are going to the flop limped anyway, so there is no difference between SB calling 25¢ or checking.
My biggest pro: almost no bets are made using the frac past pre-flop. My players reach for the $1’s much more frequently playing 50/50. It has been making for bigger pots, and this in turn actually is getting them think a little more, which I count as a positive.
My guys are idiots, don’t care about learning, just want to “touch some cards” as we like to say. 50¢/50¢ works best in this scenario in my opinion. If I’m not in the hand most hands are going to the flop limped anyway, so there is no difference between SB calling 25¢ or checking.
My biggest pro: almost no bets are made using the frac past pre-flop. My players reach for the $1’s much more frequently playing 50/50. It has been making for bigger pots, and this in turn actually is getting them think a little more, which I count as a positive.
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Flopalopagus
Flush
Sometimes I sheepishly like betting odd amounts to collect a tower of fracs for shits and giggles. But I digress.
3:30 in the morning, flop is betting $3.75 into a $15 pot while telling us why he doesnt like the musical Chicago. It's exhausting mind games.
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In my group, there isn't a difference. We only need to to a $200 buy in the big bonds is $1.
That's usually around 1130 on the east coast
? the calc for 200 BB is based on the BB only right? So then $100 as a buy in works for both .25/.5 and .5/.5. - So now that you know you'll be hosting a .5/.5?
I find the small bind only folds in a .5/.5 if there is a raise, it's the same in both lol, but it speeds up the action in the .5/.5
. 
I play mostly .25/.50 for NL and PL games, sometimes .25/.25 PL. As a practical matter, I think .50/.50 plays about the same as .25/.50 in NL games. As @Rieguy mentioned, whether you have quarters or halves is important.
Another blinds issue for .25/.50 PL is whether to treat the SB as .25 or assume completion at .50 pre-flop (I prefer the latter because I think it's easier to calculate the pot pre-flop).
Another blinds issue for .25/.50 PL is whether to treat the SB as .25 or assume completion at .50 pre-flop (I prefer the latter because I think it's easier to calculate the pot pre-flop).
PapaWheelie
High Hand
Wow. I'm really on the micro end of micro stakes. $.25/50 Cent game with a $50 buy in. We usually play 3 to 4 hours and maybe 2/8 or 3/8 will re-buy. I think the most anyone has ever lost is $75. The most anyone has ever won is $200-$300.
Flopalopagus
Flush
$250 - $350 is the most I recall anyone losing. (I think)
Most won was $575 I think.
Most won was $575 I think.
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PapaWheelie
High Hand
.... but also, please invite me to that game
suchj0sh
Flush
Very similar to my game. When we play .50/.50 some still buy in for $50, some for $100. I’d say we go closer to 4-5 $50 rebuys, but everyone sucks so it’s usually spread out.
This.
Rare to see the sb fold over .25 in my game. Lucky if thats all it would take to see a flop. I occasionally fold maybe once in that position, and it's mostly to do some hosting.
This is a great topic.
I've had conversations with many-a-dealers; the best one explained it like this: The small blind is only considered a full bet if its a red chip game, meaning virtually no whites on the table. They have whites in case the small blind folds but not many. 2/5 or 1/3 with a $5 bring-in are all red-chip games.
How I circumvented the issue: we round up, so if UTG wants to pot it in a .25/.5, it goes to $2 as the raise from a pot size of $1.75.
For small (1/2, 1/3) casino stakes and micro (0.25/0.50 or less) home game stakes it’s rare for the SB to fold unless there is a significant raise (4+ bb) as the absolute $ amount at risk is still very small. Obviously this varies among table and player composition, aggression, UTG straddles if allowed, etc.
For comparison to your game, my home game is 0.25/0.25 with up to a $100 max buy in (400bb), though most throw down three $20 bills to start at $60 (240bb). Players like the (appropriately) deep stack needed for the swings associated with cash games without having to add-on or top up.
FWIW, I decided on 0.25/0.25 because I wanted a significant value difference between my two lowest chips (0.25 & 1) and didn’t want to have to stock too many 0.25 chips to run a 0.25/0.50 game.
Glencairn
Sitting Out
The casino I dealt at would run a weekly plo 1/2 with 5 bring in. I thought it was a bit dumb because floors weren't on the same page and had different answers. Some said that the blinds were rounded up together to 5, others said the blinds didn't count. I advocated to make it a straight 5/5, but was told it wouldn't bring as much interest if it was posted at that stake, even though it ran big enough for that stake.
At .25/.50, if no bring in is implemented, I would personally agree with you and count the blinds at 1 together if they fold preflop. The fracs only purpose would be for the blinds and shouldn't be used after the fact for later streets.
I usually host .25/.50, .50/.50 & $1/$1 all $100 max. At the end of the night they all have about the same amount of $ on the table.
When I host a larger Buy-in/max amount is when the total $ changes
When I host a larger Buy-in/max amount is when the total $ changes
One way to deal with those issues is to implement one simple rule:
• the first player entering a pot must raise (no player can simply 'call' the big blind amount).
That ensures decision-making from every player at the table. To put additional pressure on the blinds, add a secondary rule:
• if all previous players fold, the button must raise.
With that addition, the blinds never get a free ride, so it makes duplicate blind amounts irrelevant.
And no more 8-way limped pots. Must pay to play.
MrCatPants
Full House
Vinyard
Two Pair
1/1
Because the pain of having to play 2 .25 .50/1. Sometime it is hard to match .50 for the set.
1/1 solved the problem!
That’s just me OCD!
Because the pain of having to play 2 .25 .50/1. Sometime it is hard to match .50 for the set.
1/1 solved the problem!
That’s just me OCD!
Glencairn
Sitting Out
I played in a home game that didn't use 1's and formatted 5/5 that ran between a 1/3 and 2/5.
RocAFella1
Royal Flush
buzzmonkey
Flush
For me it's all about what size frac you want to use. I use quarters.
I occasionally run a $0.25/0.25 game for so.e casual players in the neighborhood to keep the buy-ins low. Then for my poker friends that I've played with forever we do $0.25/0.50 or $0.50/$1.
I occasionally run a $0.25/0.25 game for so.e casual players in the neighborhood to keep the buy-ins low. Then for my poker friends that I've played with forever we do $0.25/0.50 or $0.50/$1.
It is definitely much simpler, hard to argue against that!
But my OCD really doesn't like SB and BB being equal..
Also, how else are you going to field some cool 0.X chips?
Vinyard
Two Pair
Back in the days, frac was limited and expensive.
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