Poll: Cash Game Seating (1 Viewer)

[doublebooyah85]

Regardless if you think it’s right or wrong. If you host or not…

When you go to a Cash game (at the beginning) do you draw for seats or get to pick your seat?

 

[Eriks]

Voted

 

[doublebooyah85]

Voted

Booyah!

 

[Poker Zombie]

Pick your seat - first come, first served.

If someone said "I'm saving this seat for X", I'd leave immediately, as there is clear and obvious cheating intended. First come first served, means first calls their seat.

If someone requested a random draw, I would allow that as well. It can't possibly hurt - unless someone intended to cheat (re: the two Cubans from @Anthony Martino's Poker Pro thread). If two players need to be in a certain position, there is a reason.

 

[ChipFinderSK]

Lol at the “always show up late don’t know” option

 

[Marius L]

Usually cashgames are first come first serve. Just sit whereever you'd like. However for the sosial aspect of a home game, we actually usually draw for seats just to make it a little less hostile for the fish, and to make it a bit more interesting for the usual regs.

 

[doublebooyah85]

Pick your seat - first come, first served.

If someone said "I'm saving this seat for X", I'd leave immediately, as there is clear and obvious cheating intended. First come first served, means first calls their seat.

If omeone requested a random draw, I would allow that as well. It can't possibly hurt - unless someone intended to cheat (re: the two Cubans from @Anthony Martino's Poker Pro thread). If two players need to be in a certain position, there is a reason.

This is wild. Reserved seats at a cash game does not mean cheating lol.

All my friends have certain seats they like. And the other cash game I go to players also like certain seats.

In both games if a player is going to help start the game and one of the first 9-10 players and will be there within the first hour, we hold seats.

Trust me, someone saving a seat doesn’t indicate they are cheaters lololol

 

[grebe]

I would play either. It's not an issue to me. I don't get to vote, as I don't host.

 

[tmham]

As a host, out of fairness, I would insist that everyone draws their seat randomly. Unless they volunteer to deal in seats 5 or 10

 

[Poker Zombie]

Trust me, someone saving a seat doesn’t indicate they are cheaters lololol

Not using a cut card does not indicate cheating. Not cutting when your buddy shuffled does not indicate cheating. String bets don't indicate cheating (truly most string bets are just bad practice).

But there's a reason these are rules. The poll shows a high number of people have some level of suspicion. In a 2/5 game with perhaps $10,000 on the table - yeah, I'd like to minimize suspicion. Doesn't indicate cheating (someone should lose a hand or at least a finger if cheating for 10K). We're not talking about taking body parts yet, just that this smells foul.

 

[Statesvegas]

I am a little surprised that random draw isn't the norm. We don't draw for seats at my game because of fear of collision or cheating, but rather to randomize the seats for my players who are of significantly different playing styles and skill levels, as I believe that where these players are seated has an impact on the game itself. Am I mistake in this belief? We play NLHE and variants, as well as Omaha, but with low stakes.

 

[doublebooyah85]

I am a little surprised that random draw isn't the norm. We don't draw for seats at my game because of fear of collision or cheating, but rather to randomize the seats for my players who are of significantly different playing styles and skill levels, as I believe that where these players are seated has an impact on the game itself. Am I mistake in this belief? We play NLHE and variants, as well as Omaha, but with low stakes.

I think these are more competitive, dare u say nitty, games. And everyone is looking make it a level playing field.

The cash games I go to, the host does a gold job mixing plenty of action players this isn’t a concern for anyone where you sit.

 

[Marius L]

I am a little surprised that random draw isn't the norm. We don't draw for seats at my game because of fear of collision or cheating, but rather to randomize the seats for my players who are of significantly different playing styles and skill levels, as I believe that where these players are seated has an impact on the game itself. Am I mistake in this belief? We play NLHE and variants, as well as Omaha, but with low stakes.

The norm for cashgame poker is to sit wherever you like. If you enter a casino there is no seat drawing for a cash game. However some people will do a draw at the start of a home game just to make seating a bit less competitive.

In a casino enviroment and if you play poker professionally, seating and table selection will have a lot to say for how profitable you are in the long run.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

The poll shows a high number of people have some level of suspicion.

I agree with your point about best practices as defense against cheating, certainly, but this sentence is a stretch. Myself (and probably others) that voted hard to say just says the OP barely had ANY information. It just said they like to sit next to eachother. We can never say definitively yes or no to the title 'are they cheating together' with that info.

Refusing to give a binary answer doesn't mean anything above a common sense baseline, we just wanted to hear more about the situation and whether there was any evidence. I guess -some level of suspicion- is vague enough to apply to pretty much everything in life but death and taxes, though.

 

[upNdown]

I am a little surprised that random draw isn't the norm. We don't draw for seats at my game because of fear of collision or cheating, but rather to randomize the seats for my players who are of significantly different playing styles and skill levels, as I believe that where these players are seated has an impact on the game itself. Am I mistake in this belief? We play NLHE and variants, as well as Omaha, but with low stakes.

There’s no denying that there can be an advantage to choosing your seat in a game where you’re familiar with the other players.
But that also holds true for casino cash games, where seat selection could be seen as similarly important to table selection. Not the same of course, but same idea.
To me (and I can’t remember ever playing in a cash game where people drew for seats) choosing your seat is just a part of the game.

I have no problem with fairness and even playing fields. I’m in favor of it. But when you take into account all the variables of a poker game, you have to know that drawing for seats to create an even playing field can’t be very effective - it will never be even.

 

[Marius L]

The poll shows a high number of people have some level of suspicion.

Not sure how you read the poll, but my reason for random draw has nothing to do with cheating but simply to keep the game healthy and fair. I'd rather not have the best players sit next to the biggest fish every single game. Or have people be super strategic with where they are sitting down. In a home game that is. In a casino or poker club I always will sit down in the seat I belive is the most +EV.

 

[upNdown]

In a casino or poker club I always will sit down in the seat I belive is the most +EV.

 

[BGinGA]

This is wild. Reserved seats at a cash game does not mean cheating lol.

Trust me, someone saving a seat doesn’t indicate they are cheaters lololol

Sounds like what a cheater would say.

No offense intended, seriously

 

[glynn]

The poll shows a high number of people have some level of suspicion.

Not just that, I also encoded my boxers vs. briefs preference in my vote.

 

[Old State]

I’ve never drawn for seat at the cash games I host but I started considering it a few years ago. I have a couple different crews I plays with. One is semi casual (who I’ve mostly been playing with for the past 3 years) and my other consists of very strong aggressive casino stakes players I’ve played with for 20 years.

It’s this second group that I’ve wanted to do that with. I always sit in the dealer seat (I have a chip drawer built under the table there) and let people sit where ever they like. Problem is the best player always sits directly to my left….ALWAYS. He is my old high school friend and college roommate and taught me how to play straight poker so there isn’t any bad blood … but I think it’s giving him a significant advantage games after game.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I also encoded my boxers vs. briefs preference in my vote.

The boxers vs. briefs preference vote was stolen,

 

[detroitdad]

Regardless if you think it’s right or wrong. If you host or not…

When you go to a Cash game (at the beginning) do you draw for seats or get to pick your seat?

It depends on whose house we are playing at. When I host, I normally have my players draw for seats. Some hosts don't.

 

[ekricket]

Problem is the best player always sits directly to my left….ALWAYS. He is my old high school friend and college roommate

Well, we found Brad and Don.

 

[Goldfish]

At my house and the other game I usually play at we draw for seats. Although at my house, I always sit in seat 8/9 because of my hosting/banking duties. Everyone else draws.

 

[Old State]

Well, we found Brad and Don.

I had no idea what you were referring to until I saw the thread link at the bottom of the page. Not a good analogy because Brad is not complaining about Don sitting next to him and the entire table of players would have been playing cards together for 20 years. We all know exactly how we all play.

 

[SendThatStack]

I like the little bit of extra metagame that is added by allowing people to choose who they want to sit next to. So if the game starts shorthanded and a new player shows up do they get to choose or they have to draw for it?

 

[ekricket]

I had no idea what you were referring to until I saw the thread link at the bottom of the page. Not a good analogy because Brad is not complaining about Don sitting next to him and the entire table of players would have been playing cards together for 20 years. We all know exactly how we all play.

Exactly what Brad would say.

 

[Tonysquander]

First come, first serve at cash games. We don't reserve seats. If you want a special seat, get your butt there early and claim it, or pay me an exorbitant seat licensing fee . If players asked for a draw, we would do that as well. The host would still get his/her preferred seat no matter what.

 

[Marius L]

I like the little bit of extra metagame that is added by allowing people to choose who they want to sit next to. So if the game starts shorthanded and a new player shows up do they get to choose or they have to draw for it?

If it's been drawn at the beginning, I'd draw for new players getting to the game as they arrive as well.

 

[Frogzilla]

.
To me (and I can’t remember ever playing in a cash game where people drew for seats) choosing your seat is just a part of the game.

same…I’m surprised this is 48%-57%. I would have expected a lopsided 20%-80% or so. And numbers that add up to at most 100%. I guess i’m way off.

Now that I’m thinking back to maybe I have drawn for seats at a cash game and just didn’t care enough to remember.