Fixed Limit with No Limit Chip Breakdown? (1 Viewer)

[TheYeti]

I host a 25c/50c NLHE game monthly and the last couple months we've been playing PLO for the first hour (since we are usually short-handed) just to try to expand our horizons. A few players who usually don't rebuy during the NL game have had to rebuy in that first hour(!). Because of this, I'm thinking about going to a fixed limit game instead of pot limit.

I have a pretty typical 1000pc breakdown:
25c - 240
$1 - 240
$5 - 400
$25 - 100
$100 - 20

My question; can I get away with using my current chip set for the time being just so my players can get the feel for $2/$4 limit? Should I maybe go with $2/$5 so I don't run out of $1s and/or have to make change so often?

 

[Santa123]

It will work. $2/$5 is a cool idea not because of running out of 1s but to introduce the 5s.

 

[upNdown]

Sure, why not? Remember, they have fixed limit tournaments with escalating blinds, and they don’t use special chips for those.

 

[doublebooyah85]

8 racks of $5s

 

[chippitydoodah]

8 racks of $5s

He means ON TOP OF the 4 you have

 

[Jimulacrum]

I host a 25c/50c NLHE game monthly and the last couple months we've been playing PLO for the first hour (since we are usually short-handed) just to try to expand our horizons. A few players who usually don't rebuy during the NL game have had to rebuy in that first hour(!). Because of this, I'm thinking about going to a fixed limit game instead of pot limit.

I have a pretty typical 1000pc breakdown:
25c - 240
$1 - 240
$5 - 400
$25 - 100
$100 - 20

My question; can I get away with using my current chip set for the time being just so my players can get the feel for $2/$4 limit? Should I maybe go with $2/$5 so I don't run out of $1s and/or have to make change so often?

If you don't feel like buying a mountain of $1 chips just to try hosting fixed limit, use the $1 and $5 chips together. Between the two, you have $2,240 to play with, which should be more than enough for $2/4. Worst case, use some of your higher denoms to bridge the gap.

It's not as picture-perfect as a limit game with thousands of $1 chips, but I'm sure your guys can figure out how to make $2/4/6/8 and $4/8/12/16 bets with a mix of $1 and $5 chips. If they really take to it, consider expanding your set of $1s to make a proper limit set (or make a separate limit set in a different style, if you prefer).

 

[suchj0sh]

$2/$5 isn’t a bad idea honestly.

 

[TheYeti]

It will work. $2/$5 is a cool idea not because of running out of 1s but to introduce the 5s.

$2/$5 isn’t a bad idea honestly.

Would you guys keep the blinds at half the big/small bets ($1/$2.50) or should I leave the fracs off the table and go with $1/$2 or $1/$3?

 

[suchj0sh]

I’d keep it 1/2 so the first betting round still makes sense at $2

 

[Jimulacrum]

I’d keep it 1/2 so the first betting round still makes sense at $2

Agree. Go $1/2 blinds, $2/4/6/8 low limit, $5/10/15/20 high limit, no need for fracs.

Can't say I've seen a lot of limit games with this structure, but I'd totally try it out. Seems to slightly skew risk/reward so that chasing is more valuable, since you can get paid off ~25% more in the later rounds than in $2/4.

 

[suchj0sh]

Agree. Go $1/2 blinds, $2/4/6/8 low limit, $5/10/15/20 high limit, no need for fracs.

Can't say I've seen a lot of limit games with this structure, but I'd totally try it out. Seems to slightly skew risk/reward so that chasing is more valuable, since you can get paid off ~25% more in the later rounds than in $2/4.

Yeah. Flop calling ranges should probably be wider. But in a casual game they’re already so wide anyway. Limit is so fun. Wish more people liked it.

 

[Jimulacrum]

Yeah. Flop calling ranges should probably be wider. But in a casual game they’re already so wide anyway. Limit is so fun. Wish more people liked it.

In theory, yes. In reality, as you basically said, people are going to play the way they play, for the most part.

Agree 100% about limit. Makes it a lot easier to try out crazy games too.

 

[upNdown]

Flop calling ranges should probably be wider.

Should they? Since it could be significantly more expensive to get to the river, I’d think if you wanted to adjust, you’d tighten up.

 

[Jimulacrum]

Should they? Since it could be significantly more expensive to get to the river, I’d think if you wanted to adjust, you’d tighten up.

Depends on what you're trying to do. Wider for draws on the flop, but less wide for made hands that now have slightly increased reverse implied odds.

 

[suchj0sh]

Depends on what you're trying to do. Wider for draws on the flop, but less wide for made hands that now have slightly increased reverse implied odds.

Right. Taking more draws off the flop, going for less thin value on later streets.

 

[drgg]

We play a deep .25/.50 game, and we just started doing a couple of mixed games nights a month doing HORSE. We started with $1-2 LIMIT, and its been pretty fun, usually people leave up or down $50-$100

 

[suchj0sh]

We play a deep .25/.50 game, and we just started doing a couple of mixed games nights a month doing HORSE. We started with $1-2 LIMIT, and its been pretty fun, usually people leave up or down $50-$100

The dream. My guys are too stupid to play anything other than hold’em. I got them to do a hand of Crazy Pineapple every round last time, and that was ok, but I cannot imagine them ever caring enough to learn a split pot game.

 

[TheYeti]

We play a deep .25/.50 game, and we just started doing a couple of mixed games nights a month doing HORSE. We started with $1-2 LIMIT, and its been pretty fun, usually people leave up or down $50-$100

Since you mention that your regular game runs deep, do any of your guys complain that 1/2 limit is too small of stakes?

 

[doublebooyah85]

The dream. My guys are too stupid to play anything other than hold’em. I got them to do a hand of Crazy Pineapple every round last time, and that was ok, but I cannot imagine them ever caring enough to learn a split pot game.

Start w lazy pineapple bomb pots

 

[Jimulacrum]

The dream. My guys are too stupid to play anything other than hold’em. I got them to do a hand of Crazy Pineapple every round last time, and that was ok, but I cannot imagine them ever caring enough to learn a split pot game.

Probably the easiest split-pot game to slip to a bunch of Hold'em players is Double Board Hold'em. Deceptively simple enough that they should feel pretty comfortable. More comfortable than with Scarney or Dramaha, anyway.

 

[drgg]

Since you mention that your regular game runs deep, do any of your guys complain that 1/2 limit is too small of stakes?

No because out of our 20-player pool only really 5 will play mixed games. And since everyone is very new to them there's no complaints as we are learning the motions. Down the line though I think we will have to raise it since $1-2 limit can get slow at times, and the $2 big bet isn't big enough to get folds at some points. But with mixed games its a high vpip so its still fine.

 

[TheYeti]

Well, I mentioned trying out $2/$5 limit at our next game to my players and got a resounding "NO WAY!".

The majority of comments were along the lines of "nobody will ever fold!". How can I rebut that and get them to come over to the dark side??

 

[upNdown]

Well, I mentioned trying out $2/$5 limit at our next game to my players and got a resounding "NO WAY!".

The majority of comments were along the lines of "nobody will ever fold!". How can I rebut that and get them to come over to the dark side??

People at home games fold?

 

[doublebooyah85]

Well, I mentioned trying out $2/$5 limit at our next game to my players and got a resounding "NO WAY!".

The majority of comments were along the lines of "nobody will ever fold!". How can I rebut that and get them to come over to the dark side??

Ease into it one of the nights ur NL game goes short handed…I introduce my mixed games once the night gets late and we go short handed…maybe try “half” pot limit.

 

[TheYeti]

People at home games fold?

Pretty much what I said!

Player: "I don't like it because it's hard to get rid of players. It doesn't cost that much to speculate and suck out."
Me: "Are you trying to say it's easy to get rid of players at my game playing NL? Has got to be a joke, right?"

 

[suchj0sh]

Limit is it’s own skill set, and it’s hard to get monkeys to appreciate it, in my experience.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Ease into it one of the nights ur NL game goes short handed…I introduce my mixed games once the night gets late and we go short handed…maybe try “half” pot limit.

Yeah agreed. We have "poker night" and for the majority of players expect NLHE, but near the end of the night fixed limit allows me to throw the weird games at em. Trying PLO early on in the night to try and expand your horizons is dangerous!


For most of these questions I usually say just use your set and it'll work fine, but a dedicated limit set for fixed limit makes it much easier. I don't have to remind them they can't use the bigger chips, just pushing piles of the same chips forward is fun. I would advice a cheap setup, worked really well for us in stud and draw games.

 

[suchj0sh]

Maybe A-5TD is a good way to start. My guys are too stupid to understand 2-7, but the hand rankings in A-5 are easier. Draw games just kind of “feel good” to me.

 

[SteveEH]

How can I rebut that and get them to come over to the dark side??

Tell them they'll need to apply a completely different strategy than NL, and they'll realize this after the slow bleed of losses adds up?

If your players don't have the interest to learn something new, reduce your stakes to .25/.25 for PLO.

 

[TheYeti]

reduce your stakes to .25/.25 for PLO.

Forgot to mention that in the OP, I already did that.