Tourney Free bar poker - is this right? Worth playing? (1 Viewer)

[upNdown]

Hey guys! I'm kind of new to poker, so bear with me.
What do you all think about free bar poker tournaments? Was this one structured wrong, or do they all just stink, or am I just whining?
This tournament starts you with 17K as follows:
10 x 100
4 x 500
4 x 1000
2 x 5000
(I only include the chip breakdown as part of my rant against the whole tournament - there was constant change-making - very annoying.)
Blinds started at 100/200 and went up every 15 minutes as follows:
200/400
300/600
500/1000
1000/2000
2000/4000
etc
We were playing 8 to a table on crappy fold-up octagon table-tops with those annoying built-in chip trays and a cupholder directly in front of you (try dealing around your own beer - so annoying.)
I played this format a few times before I put my finger on what's wrong - when we came back from the break and blinds were 1000/2000, 75% of the people were still in the tournamnet, nobody had changed tables, and everybody at my table had 25K give or take a few. In other words, nobody had 20 big blinds, so everybody was short-stacked, right?
Anyway, I didn't finish in the top half after 4 tries, and I think I may give up on this format. I understand you can't really wait around for good hands in a fast-blind tournament like this. But I feel like the combination between that, and the fact that nobody has anything to lose, just makes it a TOTALLY different game than what I'm used to in my limited exposure to casino tournamnets and our small home cash game.
I suppose I could learn to succeed in this format, but do I even want to? Maybe it's sour grapes, but it's an uncomfortable game, and i'm kind of afraid I'd just learn bad habits adapting my game this this tournament.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[trever]

If you don't like the structure, skip the tournament, but still show up and play in the cash game which follows.

 

[jbutler]

Was this one structured wrong, or do they all just stink, or am I just whining?

Yes, yes, and yes.

You won't learn much advanced strategy playing a game like this, but it does serve to get people comfortable with the general rhythm of the game. As @trever said, play the cash game after or ask around to see who within the group hosts a cash game you can get into. You'll find you learn a lot more playing cash than you ever will playing a tournament with the above structure.

 

[mummel]

I think @BGinGA will have a stroke if he sees that structure.

 

[upNdown]

There's no cash game following this free bar poker. It's a bunch of older folks killing weeknights. But I take the point; I need to find another cash game.
I've been playing in a .25/.50 game every other week for about 6 months and I've taken to the game. The nearest poker rooms are about 90 min away and the casinos are almost twice as far. I've made a few trips - have a tough time justifying the 1/2 stakes in those places, but I like the fixed costs of their tournaments. But yes, I guess I need to find another local small-stakes cash game to continue to develop my game, because I don't think that free poker will help me at all.

 

[upNdown]

I think @BGinGA will have a stroke if he sees that structure.

So it is bad then? I felt like it. I've played in a handful of cash tournaments, but I didn't memorize the blind schedules, for comparison.

 

[pltrgyst]

Sounds like our local bar game, which has pretty unlimited add-ons and rebuys at $10 and $20 (so the guys running and dealing the games can make some money). And non-denom Budweiser chips.

Then they also have "dealer hands" -- generally J9, 69, and 23. Win a pot with one of those hands, and you get to roll two dice, and receive an additional thousand chips for each spot rolled.

Plus one mentally retarded (literally) player -- a nice kid, but can't even count out chips to call a bet. Everyone else at the table advises him on how to act when it's his turn. He made the final table last week, and was over the moon.

Vegas it ain't. :

 

[phaze12]

Don't know where in Boston you are but if you are "new" to poker and want to learn about tournament poker you might want to check out the eastern poker tour. It is a bar league that cost $20 or $25 to play. They have different regions around MA and RI.You get fed, there is a cash prize depending on how many people enter and a point system for other things ( go to the web site to find out the particulars). It is a charity company so if you play in the charity events it pays out 70% but there is a cash game going. (1\2 with a $5 max rake, that was the last time I went, could have gone up)

 

[mummel]

Don't know where in Boston you are but if you are "new" to poker and want to learn about tournament poker you might want to check out the eastern poker tour. It is a bar league that cost $20 or $25 to play. They have different regions around MA and RI.You get fed, there is a cash prize depending on how many people enter and a point system for other things ( go to the web site to find out the particulars). It is a charity company so if you play in the charity events it pays out 70% but there is a cash game going. (1\2 with a $5 max rake, that was the last time I went, could have gone up)

I tried this once. It was ok, but it wasnt much fun social wise. Just a bunch of people focused on getting their next cards and the faster the cards are dealt the better. Also, the payout structure/odds you're getting is pretty crappy (the risk reward math doesn't really add up).

Home games all the way!

 

[Chicken Rob]

There is a huge PCF community in your back yard. Several of us host in the region. We play .25/.50 mixed games, but it can get pretty deep late night.

You WILL learn a lot. There is a lot of skill in the room. Go to a game and meet the locals. Buy in short ($40 at a time), play super tight at first, learn the games, get better at playing. Simple.

Every player in this game is a winner at casino 1/2, most are winners at 2/5, some play higher. There is no better poker education available. Plus learning the mixed games is fun once you get past the initial fear.

 

[pltrgyst]

.... Go to a game and meet the locals. Buy in short ($40 at a time), play super tight at first, learn the games, get better at playing. Simple.

 

[upNdown]

There is a huge PCF community in your back yard. Several of us host in the region. We play .25/.50 mixed games, but it can get pretty deep late night.

You WILL learn a lot. There is a lot of skill in the room. Go to a game and meet the locals. Buy in short ($40 at a time), play super tight at first, learn the games, get better at playing. Simple.

Every player in this game is a winner at casino 1/2, most are winners at 2/5, some play higher. There is no better poker education available. Plus learning the mixed games is fun once you get past the initial fear.

Sounds interesting. I'd love to try a new cash game, but a mixed game is scary. I've only ever played no limit Holden.
I'm on the south shore, so anything greater Boston or south is easy for me.

 

[Chicken Rob]

Sounds interesting. I'd love to try a new cash game, but a mixed game is scary. I've only ever played no limit Holden.
I'm on the south shore, so anything greater Boston or south is easy for me.

not sure if any of the Boston hosts are a good fit for south shore, but @bergs hosts every 4-12 weeks. It's worth the drive for these games. We all started (mostly) as just Holdem players. The new games are scary at first. but it's a friendly group. We even are happy to share advice when not in a hand. It really is a great learning environment.

Keep an eye out for Truman's house in the home game section.

 

[BGinGA]

I think @BGinGA will have a stroke if he sees that structure.

Structures like that are what justify my existence. :

 

[Adam Crowley]

We have a bunch of these bar games in Aus as well. We get 20k start blinds start at 25/50 15 min levels. You get a 15k add on for spending money at the bar and blinds double every level.

This structure above sucks as well but there is still a lot of poker that can be learnt for a cheap fee. Not sure if it's the same at your bar game but the structure is not the worst part here it's the players. It's really difficult to get better at poker when the tables VPIP is 95% and WTSD for every player is around 90%.

 

[Chicken Rob]

We have a bunch of these bar games in Aus as well. We get 20k start blinds start at 25/50 15 min levels. You get a 15k add on for spending money at the bar and blinds double every level.

This structure above sucks as well but there is still a lot of poker that can be learnt for a cheap fee. Not sure if it's the same at your bar game but the structure is not the worst part here it's the players. It's really difficult to get better at poker when the tables VPIP is 95% and WTSD for every player is around 90%.

It might be hard to learn to play good poker but this is a dream set of opponents. Your expectation should be way better than average.

 

[Adam Crowley]

It might be hard to learn to play good poker but this is a dream set of opponents. Your expectation should be way better than average.

Yeah just a little lol, I dont play often and when I do its all about the beer, they get about 60 runners and its kinda impossible to not get down to top 16, I would FT about 70%

 

[AllinBallin]

Do you win anything? Never played bar poker, but I'm heading up there tomorrow to help me get more exposure to players like @Jimulacrum and try and win a $50 gift card in the process..

 

[Adam Crowley]

its about $200 for first, but only pays top 4, and avg final table stacks are 5bb deep, I spend more than I make on beer

 

[AllinBallin]

Oh $200? I would totally try and keep that going and start recruiting for a real home game..

 

[jbutler]

You know, as shit as the structures and chips and players and payouts are, I had some of the best social times playing free poker at bars in Atlanta. If you find a good group of fun, pleasant people, it can be a blast to just have some drinks and fake gamble it up. And it's even more amusing when you get the few randos who come in and take it super seriously and get all steamed up when you play like a donk in a game for donks.

 

[Adam Crowley]

These games are how all my poker friends started playing in the first place, then we graduated to cash games and some played online etc..

 

[Adam Crowley]

You know, as shit as the structures and chips and players and payouts are, I had some of the best social times playing free poker at bars in Atlanta. If you find a good group of fun, pleasant people, it can be a blast to just have some drinks and fake gamble it up. And it's even more amusing when you get the few randos who come in and take it super seriously and get all steamed up when you play like a donk in a game for donks.

Yeah this is why I still go now, sometimes I want to get out of the house, why not donk around and drink some beers, plus I don't mind flipping stacks, once you get to the final table you still sweat for the money

 

[GoStumpy]

I see these games running on most nights of the week, the fun drinking one is Thursday and usually has 3 tables, they give bonus chips for how much you spent last week, then at break you get topped up with how much you spent today... Only problem is the structure makes them them out of time at closing and they double the blinds almost every hand.. Turns into flipping for 1st

Other game is much better structure Tuesday's but further from me and starts earlier.. No bonus chips for anyone so it's a bit more fair.. Old people and young guys that think they are good.. Lol. I remember winning two in a row out of ~50 entrants and then 3rd the game after that. Good times.

Other one

 

[Jimulacrum]

Do you win anything? Never played bar poker, but I'm heading up there tomorrow to help me get more exposure to players like @Jimulacrum and try and win a $50 gift card in the process..

WTF is that supposed to mean?

 

[BGinGA]

lol, i understood it perfectly.....

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

You know, as shit as the structures and chips and players and payouts are, I had some of the best social times playing free poker at bars in Atlanta. If you find a good group of fun, pleasant people, it can be a blast to just have some drinks and fake gamble it up. And it's even more amusing when you get the few randos who come in and take it super seriously and get all steamed up when you play like a donk in a game for donks.

It's true, I met @krafticus playing bar poker, and through the transitive property the rest of you fine upstanding ladies and gentlemen. Horrible play, but some good people, and if you're not used to live poker it's a cheap fun way to get familiar with chips and blinds and whatnot.

 

[Blaster]

I played in a local bar circuit back in '07 ... & "play" wise it sucked..
The blinds doubled each time from round to round, the dealers didn't understand the math concept of a "re-raise" in a NL tournament, so an initial bet of 200, raised to, say, 600 total, needed to be re-raised to 1200 or more , instead of 1000 or more ...
They are set up to jam as many super turbo tournaments in a night as they can, to get as many dealer tips & bar food/drink orders ...

 

[TexRex]

I don't like bar games, but I've played in them. If you get to know the host, you might be able to recruit for your home games, but you have to be careful how you do it. That's the biggest reason I'd play in a bar game.