Dealer's choice! What is and isn't allowed (2 Viewers)

[ArielVer18]

When playing dealer's choice, do you have any criteria what games the dealer is allowed to call?

Recently, a long time regular lamented that he always want to call Blind man’s bluff*, but @ArielVer18 won't let him. I said I don't remember my reasoning because it wasn't explicitly prohibited when we first established the ground rules a long long time ago. Another player said it's too easy to accidentally cheat, so it's not considered a real poker game.

Here's mine, but please don't copy it because it's written in 2008 and needs updating to accommodate (or ban) some of the newer games players are coming up with:

Spoiler

If you can explain it, you can deal it. However, the game must not contain elements of stripped deck, joker, wildcard, buying card, nor passing card. Moreover, no table games nor made-up games.

*EDIT: name of the game changed to the current preferred nomenclature to avoid microaggression

 

[UniLover]

Two people must have played it and know the rules without having to look it up.

 

[Machine]

I would explain that 'Indian' poker is 'stereotyping' and rude, further more I would have no part of that kind of BS at my game!

How ever if he called 'Blind Man's Bluff' I'd have to allow it...

 

[BEANO52]

"In Between" has been banned a few times I've sat in different dealers choice.

 

[ArielVer18]

I would explain that 'Indian' poker is 'stereotyping' and rude, further more I would have no part of that kind of BS at my game!

How ever if he called 'Blind Man's Bluff' I'd have to allow it...

Thanks! I never realized the name of the game was inherently racist. Will edit OP. Mods, please don’t move this thread to politics

 

[bergs]

My general rule is “have I seen it ever spread in a casino?” with the mixed games at Resorts World basically being the hub of the mixed game universe from a game diversity inside the casino perspective.

Normally blind man’s bluff would be out, but I ended up going to the Wynn in 2019 after a work dinner and this guy was playing 10/20 mixed with a bunch of his friends and had an open seat. He busted the WSOP main in 8th the night before. Great guy, great friends, great time.

We ended up playing 3 or 4 orbits of blind man’s bluff. It was an amazing game - everyone was laughing the entire time but if I had good starting cards they’d briefly stop laughing when I looked at them. Benefit of playing in his post-$1M cash euphoria with his friends, I guess.

 

[TheOffalo]

nor made-up games

My smaller original home game group play mostly community card games, and we play all kinds of variations (though I haven't gotten them into Scarney or Derailment yet). At some point one of the hosts declared no wild card games for whatever reason.

Another group I play with it's pretty much anything goes, right @TricycleClub @wonderpuddle @WhiteMamba1646 @IllCallOneTime?

 

[cpiaaq]

The only game we ever formally banned was 55 which is basically 3 card guts with 5s wild. Had the first game gone differently I’m sure it would have been fine.

We make up games, try them and if they are fun we play them again. The bad ones are forgotten. We played “roll chips onto a frisbee” once (it didn’t work out). But “Throw chips into a hat” is a favorite tie breaker for 7-27 (ie 6.5 vs 7.5). As crazy as this sounds, its mostly a dozen games played over and over. (blind games are played for an orbit, others are ante and played once).

It comes down to your crew. For us it’s more about fun and friends than $$ or hands per hour.

There’s good logic in banning pot-multiplying games like in-between and guts.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Question for clarification. When you guys refer to "dealer's choice" do you mean that each hand the dealer chooses a game, and you play it once, then deal passes and a new game is selected? I think I played poker like this a few times about 35+ years ago, and it was such an awful experience that I didn't play poker again until the Hold'em craze got super popular. I will never host dealer's choice if this is what you mean. Playing a completely different game every hand with nearly limitless choices sounds absolutely miserable to me.

OTOH, I do enjoy most of the mixed games that are popular with other PCF players that I know from my local games, and from PCF meetups. But these games are typically limited to several games specified at the beginning of the night. And once the game has been selected (could be done by the dealer) a full orbit of that game is played. I could see a game being set up where 4-8 games are pre-selected, preferably with game cards to explain the rules. Then the dealer picks the one they want to play, and this game is played for a full orbit plus one. Then the next dealer picks a new game, and the same thing takes place.

As far as banning any particular games, I just don't have enough experience to even remember if there are some that I hate, but I will say that to be selected at a game that I host, it needs to be on my set of cards, or otherwise laid out and written up before play begins for that session.

 

[TheOffalo]

Question for clarification. When you guys refer to "dealer's choice" do you mean that each hand the dealer chooses a game, and you play it once, then deal passes and a new game is selected? I think I played poker like this a few times about 35+ years ago, and it was such an awful experience that I didn't play poker again until the Hold'em craze got super popular. I will never host dealer's choice if this is what you mean. Playing a completely different game every hand with nearly limitless choices sounds absolutely miserable to me.

OTOH, I do enjoy most of the mixed games that are popular with other PCF players that I know from my local games, and from PCF meetups. But these games are typically limited to several games specified at the beginning of the night. And once the game has been selected (could be done by the dealer) a full orbit of that game is played. I could see a game being set up where 4-8 games are pre-selected, preferably with game cards to explain the rules. Then the dealer picks the one they want to play, and this game is played for a full orbit plus one. Then the next dealer picks a new game, and the same thing takes place.

As far as banning any particular games, I just don't have enough experience to even remember if there are some that I hate, but I will say that to be selected at a game that I host, it needs to be on my set of cards, or otherwise laid out and written up before play begins for that session.

My small core home game group do dealer's choice one game an orbit. When the orbit completes, we play a bomb-pot of that same game dealt by the original dealer/game-caller, and then the next player calls the next game for an orbit. This allows players to not have whiplash hand-to-hand and is especially useful when teaching/learning new games.

Once we complete a full orbit-of-orbits, then we switch to dealer's choice every hand (if we have enough time in the session).

In other games I've played in, we've done dealer's choice different game every hand, there've been orbits of NLHE mixed with orbits of individual dealer's choice, and various combinations.

One variation I like is "Fun Under the Gun" where there is a set list of games that all have the same number of hole cards. Cards are dealt, and whoever is UTG after the blinds gets to look at their cards then call the game for that hand from the preset list. So that gives UTG, which is the worst position preflop, an advantage. And to make sure everyone has that advantage, you'd need to do a full orbit of this.

For example, we'll do Fun Under the Gun with 5 hole cards. The list of games may be as follows: Big O, Scrotum 8, Reverse 8 (Omaha but must use exactly 3 cards, hi/lo), Drawmaha, etc. so that there is enough variation for the UTG player to choose between after looking at their hole cards.

 

[ArielVer18]

A local player came up with a horribly unbalanced game. It's holdem, but after the river, a second board comes out (along with three more rounds of betting). First board is discarded and irrelevant. Some of us have not been successful in showing how the game is essentially holdem with FOUR preflop betting rounds and five exposed cards.

Question for clarification. When you guys refer to "dealer's choice" do you mean that each hand the dealer chooses a game, and you play it once, then deal passes and a new game is selected? I think I played poker like this a few times about 35+ years ago, and it was such an awful experience that I didn't play poker again until the Hold'em craze got super popular. I will never host dealer's choice if this is what you mean. Playing a completely different game every hand with nearly limitless choices sounds absolutely miserable to me.

Dealer's choice refers to all those formats: orbit+1, Orbit then button skip, change every hand, etc.

 

[TheOffalo]

A local player came up with a horribly unbalanced game. It's holdem, but after the river, a second board comes out (along with three more rounds of betting). First board is discarded and irrelevant. Some of us have not been successful in showing how the game is essentially holdem with FOUR preflop betting rounds and five exposed cards.

Wow, really not sure what the point is. Why wouldn't people just checkdown the first board if it's irrelevant? Or do most people do that, and then someone bets and everyone folds? To clarify, is there a winner of the first board? People who get to the showdown on the first board have to reveal their hand win it, so then everyone's aware of what those people have in their hands when the second board is dealt? Unless I'm grossly misunderstanding this.

What might be an interesting twist to that is if the game is split pot. So play out the first board as normal but pay out half the pot. Then deal out the second board with new flop, turn, river bets, and the winner of that board wins the rest.

There could be multiple interesting twists to this format. For example, you can have players who fold during the first board be back in for the second board. You could have only those who make it to showdown reveal their hole cards to each other to determine the winner of the first board without letting other players know. The betting during the first board could be an interesting way to pot-build for a second board if you have a decently strong hand that might hold up through the second board...

 

[Machine]

A local player came up with a horribly unbalanced game. It's holdem, but after the river, a second board comes out (along with three more rounds of betting). First board is discarded and irrelevant. Some of us have not been successful in showing how the game is essentially holdem with FOUR preflop betting rounds and five exposed cards.

All you need now is some decaf coffee and you've got a party!

 

[TheOffalo]

Another interesting variation would be to play two hold'em hands without shuffling in between. So if 9 players, then 18 hole cards, 5 board cards, 3 burn cards, or 26 cards used max (unless hand ends before river), award the pot.

Then deal new hole cards and a new board (maybe only 2 burn cards to leave the required final card in the stub, if max # of cards were used on the previous hand) with new rounds of betting. Everyone has knowledge of the previous board and previous hole cards revealed during showdown (but not of burn cards or folded hands) and what outs they may or may not still have in the new hand, and play through as normal otherwise.

 

[Ben8257]

I can't believe no one has said @Angie99 or @Machine cards... if it's in the cards... it's allowed!

Plus anything that @bergs or @k9dr think up after being drunk!

For example I was told "Derailment" was outlawed long ago at meet ups. Rob introduces that shit to us in Florida and the past 2 years everyone is playing it!

Also Dramaha zero or 49 might not be in the cards but they should... drawmaha 21 should only be played with experienced players because it is confusing and if only 1 or 2 know the rules... you will have to explain them again every single hand!

99% of the time no wilds in any games... but @DarkHelmet55 always allows a few orbits of "Follow the Queen" I grew up playing stud with wilds so I don't mind... but absolutely NOT in any type of Omaha variant games.

In my personal opinion... Scrotum8 should be outlawed... you think.Derailment can get expensive and tricky... Scrotum8 is the devil!!

 

[detroitdad]

No wild card games. Also, if it takes too long to explain the game, find something else

 

[ThinkingFold]

In my personal opinion... Scrotum8 should be outlawed... you think.Derailment can get expensive and tricky... Scrotum8 is the devil!!

We have a saying in my game that goes "If you're sad, remember, you can fold.". So basically any game can be called and if you got a problem with it, fold.

Scrotum8 is the game I get sad about and always fold.

 

[JRald07]

Scrotum8 should be outlawed...

Only way to play it is the "crazy" variant (discard after the flop)

 

[Ben8257]

We have a rule in my game that goes "If you're sad, remember, you can fold.". So basically any game can be called and if you got a problem with it, fold.

Scrotum8 is the game I get sad about and always fold.

I probably shouldn't have mentioned that awful beast! We all kmow the defense that don't know it are going to go digging now. Trust me, forget you ever heard that name! Also 100% I fold this orbit... gotta piss! Haha

 

[k9dr]

I have a card for Shuck, but it’s still not allowed

 

[Ben8257]

Only way to play it is the "crazy" variant (discard after the flop)

Seriously bro

 

[Ben8257]

I have a card for Shuck, but it’s still not allowed

View attachment 1267757

But have you figured out "the sixteen Chapple" game again Mark? That game was awesome! But everyone at the table was to drunk/high or something else to remember the next day. It was honestly one of your best works of art sir!

 

[Jimulacrum]

My dealer's choice game is just taking shape over the past few months. So far it's anything that the group agrees to play, including made-up games.

If it's a complicated game and at least one player is not familiar, we'll play out a sample hand for no money to clarify how it works.

Game started as Hold'em only (though we have a lot of experienced players). Now we play maybe a dozen hands of Hold'em in a night, and the rest is mostly Omaha, 5-card Double Board Omaha, Dramaha / Route 66, 3-card Double Board Hold'em, Brutal Scarney, and a game called Keithington (5 or 6 hole cards, double board; top board plays Omaha rules, bottom Hold'em rules).

I'm kinda proud that I managed to get this going with this crowd. I was expecting to run nothing but Hold'em every week.

 

[TheOffalo]

Scrotum8 should be outlawed...

Only way to play it is the "crazy" variant (discard after the flop)

My regular group only plays "regular" Scrotum 8, but the PCF guys I play with only do "crazy" (post-flop discard) Scrotum 8 as the standard--that's "Scrotum" to them without needing the "crazy" prefix. You definitely need a more nutted ( ) hand to win in Crazy Scrotum 8...

 

[JRald07]

guys I play with only do "crazy" (post-flop discard) Scrotum 8 as the standard--that's "Scrotum" to them without needing the "crazy" prefix.

Funny you mention that... same with my players. Crazy Scrotum 8 to my players actually means you can discard just one more card after the turn. I gave up on correcting them but I still try when we have outsiders play (@quintooo can attest to this).

 

[buzzmonkey]

I have a stack of index cards, each with a permitted game on it. You can play anything in the stack. If anyone wants to add a game they have to plead their case.

 

[RadicusScout]

My dealer's choice game is just taking shape over the past few months. So far it's anything that the group agrees to play, including made-up games.

If it's a complicated game and at least one player is not familiar, we'll play out a sample hand for no money to clarify how it works.

This is pretty much our game. We'll play it - wilds, swaps, RNG, etc. We'll give it a go.

Having said that, I'm going to try to introduce more of abby99's mixed games to the group. We played a couple orbits of Pineapple and the group seemed to enjoy it. We'll progress from here.

 

[Jimulacrum]

This is pretty much our game. We'll play it - wilds, swaps, RNG, etc. We'll give it a go.

Having said that, I'm going to try to introduce more of abby99's mixed games to the group. We played a couple orbits of Pineapple and the group seemed to enjoy it. We'll progress from here.

I should have added: no wild cards. We joke about it from time to time, but no one in the game wants to play with wild cards, so it's off the menu.

What is RNG?

 

[RadicusScout]

What is RNG?

Oh sorry, it's just to mean random (officially stands for Random Number Generator). So for example, we could play a game where if a 10 Hearts shows up, everyone puts in $1 to the pot. Or swap hands with the person to the left. Or have the person to the left steal a card.

Mayhem.

 

[Machine]

What is RNG?

OMFG you call yourself a GaMboLEr and you don't know about Random Number Generators !??!?!! JFC FFS!!!!

aka RNJesus