Two of the local (home) cash games have recently gone from traditional 1-2 no limit to a single $5 blind posted by the button. Action starts with the person who traditionally would have been the SB. Straddles are posted by the SB if desired.
Both these games run big for a 1-2 game with most starting raises in the $15 to $25 range, higher on occasion.
There are no dealers in either game, so no tipping, so no need for $1 chips.
Most hands, the game runs no bigger than it did before, given the usual preflop raises. Multi-way limped pots are clearly bigger, but have never been all that common. Given that these games already ran big for the given blinds, there hasn't been much increase in the average pot size, or $$ won or lost.
It tends to speed up play and simplify the betting process, and there haven't really been any obvious downsides. The new rule seems to be liked by most playres.
Two questions: Has anybody played using this rule? Is there a downside that we haven't run into yet?
L
Both these games run big for a 1-2 game with most starting raises in the $15 to $25 range, higher on occasion.
There are no dealers in either game, so no tipping, so no need for $1 chips.
Most hands, the game runs no bigger than it did before, given the usual preflop raises. Multi-way limped pots are clearly bigger, but have never been all that common. Given that these games already ran big for the given blinds, there hasn't been much increase in the average pot size, or $$ won or lost.
It tends to speed up play and simplify the betting process, and there haven't really been any obvious downsides. The new rule seems to be liked by most playres.
Two questions: Has anybody played using this rule? Is there a downside that we haven't run into yet?
L