Cash Game Hosts - how do you structure your buy-ins versus your blinds? (1 Viewer)

[MrCatPants]

Interesting discussion spawning off the straddling thread - how do you structure your cash game, in terms of blinds and buy-ins. I'll share first:

In the game I host (which I inherited about half the player base from a long running game that petered out), I run .50/1 with $40 buy-ins. Yes, it's short stacked, but re-buys get on the table pretty quick and effectively make the game play deeper. It's like fun-sized candy bars - you end up eating more when they're smaller. Ideally though, I'd love to push the initial buy-in up long term, but I think it's going to force me to split the game eventually into a "smaller" and "bigger" game based on disparity in disposable income.

In the game I attend regularly, it plays $1/$1 dealer's choice, with initial buy-ins from $40-$100. This one is more active though, and usually multiple people are walking away with $500-$1000 apiece at the end of the night. Same concept though, re-buys get on the table fast.

How does your game work? And what would you change if you could?

 

[Mojo1312]

Many players never branch out beyond their original home game crowd. Kudos to you for picking up a game and attending other games. You have hit upon a great topic for discussion.

I started hosting because I grew tired of playing in $20 home games and I did not enjoy playing $1/$2 at the casino away from my friends. (To say nothing of the 10% rake up to $6 out of every pot plus $1 for the BBJ at $20.) Initially, I thought there was enough interest within the home game crowd I knew for a .25/50 game with a $60 to $100 buy-in. However, this proved to be one of life's examples where you can't wholly trust what people tell you. Good intentions aside.

I lowered the buy-in amount to $40 to $60 in response to the failed commitments and no shows. This change proved to be the sweet spot and I quickly built up a very robust home game.

I posted a list of 8 rules addressing proper poker etiquette. (One player to a hand, etc.) In terms of the format: UTG or the button could straddle for up to 5x the BB. Re-straddling was not permitted. Players could re-buy for up to half of the big stack at the table.

I prefer to play poker where the minimum buy-in is 100 x the BB, whether it is .25/.50 or $1/$3. I hope to establish a $1/$1 mixed game this fall that consists of NLHE, PLO and FL7CS or RAZZ with a $100 to $200 buy-in. If I can't, then my box of poker chips are going to remain in the corner of my closet.

Regarding the size of the game, I feel the stakes/format should be changed once a full ring game averages more than twenty-five full buy-ins a session.

 

[AceFour]

We do a 0.25/0.50 NLH for initial $40 or $60. Pretty quick folks are topping off for $40/$60 more and allow rebuys up to $100.