How to set upbuyins/rebuys for a Texas Holdem cash game (1 Viewer)

[raceboy]

Hey Everybody,

I have a semi regular texas holdem cash game at my house.

I copied another guy's game format of $.50-$1 blinds and a starting buyin of $150.

We had some players that were much more serious and some that just wanted a casual game, but knew that without money on the line it would not work. we had some confusion conflicts about the rebuy levels. some of the guys wanted it to be "matching stack" rebuys. some of the less "serious" players want it to be a little less "cash intensive" so I am considering adjusting the game and would like your feedback.


I am thinking of changing the game to this;

- $.25-$.50 blinds and a starting buyin of $100
- first rebuys limited to $100 in the first hour
- max $200 rebuys in hour 2 & 3
- max $300 rebuys in in hour 4 on.

 

[raceboy]

Hey Everybody,

I have a semi regular texas holdem cash game at my house.

I copied another guy's game format of $.50-$1 blinds and a starting buyin of $150.

We had some players that were much more serious and some that just wanted a casual game, but knew that without money on the line it would not work. we had some confusion conflicts about the rebuy levels. some of the guys wanted it to be "matching stack" rebuys. some of the less "serious" players want it to be a little less "cash intensive" so I am considering adjusting the game and would like your feedback.


I am thinking of changing the game to this;

- $.25-$.50 blinds and a starting buyin of $100
- first rebuys limited to $100 in the first hour
- max $200 rebuys in hour 2 & 3
- max $300 rebuys in in hour 4 on.


I would welcome your feedback.

 

[Tommy]

Post & thread merged to keep the replies organized.

 

[JMC9389]

Welcome!

A $100 buy in for a 0.25/0.50 game is just fine. In my game, I allow top offs and rebuys at any time to the initial buy in or half the big stack, whichever is greater at the time. It helps a bit to prevent the deep pocketed donkeys from playing super aggro and bullying the smaller stacks, but allows there to be a semblance of competitive play in which the more opportune and skilled players usually end up winners on the night.

 

[tablescraps]

Keep it simple. $100 - $300 buyins at any time. $300 cap.

 

[raceboy]

Welcome!

A $100 buy in for a 0.25/0.50 game is just fine. In my game, I allow top offs and rebuys at any time to the initial buy in or half the big stack, whichever is greater at the time. It helps a bit to prevent the deep pocketed donkeys from playing super aggro and bullying the smaller stacks, but allows there to be a semblance of competitive play in which the more opportune and skilled players usually end up winners on the night.

Thank you. That is very helpful feedback

 

[LeLe]

The starting stack and rebuy rule are going to decide how big the game are going to be and will attract very different crowd / player

For me, I used this when I am playing with a group of casual friend

100 BB starting Stack. Rebuy at 200BB or match half the Biggest stack, topping up is allow in between hands.


For me, I used this when I am playing with a group of gambling friend

200 BB Starting Stack. Rebuy Matching the Biggest Stack (Rounded down to the nearest 100), topping up is allow in between hands.

 

[Mojo1312]

In NLHE, the buy-in amount, combined with the aggression level and quality of your player pool, determines how expensive the game will be.

Having a minimum buy-in and capping re-buys helps restrict how deep players can get into the game. You can spread the buy-in, 100BB's minimum to 200BB's maximum, for example and do the same for rebuys. The rule I followed for my weekly game is players could re-buy back into the game for the set minimum up to half the big stack. What is gaining popularity in my area is increasing the max re-buy amount by 50% half way through the session.

So if players can buy in for 100BB's max at the start of the game, that max set amount jumps by 50BB's at the halfway point. Whatever you decide to do, keep it simple. Welcome to the forum.

 

[raceboy]

In NLHE, the buy-in amount, combined with the aggression level and quality of your player pool, determines how expensive the game will be.

Having a minimum buy-in and capping re-buys helps restrict how deep players can get into the game. You can spread the buy-in, 100BB's minimum to 200BB's maximum, for example and do the same for rebuys. The rule I followed for my weekly game is players could re-buy back into the game for the set minimum up to half the big stack. What is gaining popularity in my area is increasing the max re-buy amount by 50% half way through the session.

So if players can buy in for 100BB's max at the start of the game, that max set amount jumps by 50BB's at the halfway point. Whatever you decide to do, keep it simple. Welcome to the forum.

Thank you for your feedback

 

[Bacon Dad]

100 BB starting Stack. Rebuy at 200BB or match half the Biggest stack, topping up is allow in between hands.

Hey @LeLe.

I see the term “the Biggest Stack” a lot But never messed with it in cash games. I like the concept you described.

Is this the person with the largest total number of chips or the highest VALUE of all their chips? Logic says the later given it is in reference to buy-ins and $$. Right???

In home cash games, me (and only me) as the host deals with the rebuys, top offs, and the bank. Is that normal in cash games? And is it the bank manager’s responsibility to know who has biggest stack or do you rely on the players to know and tell you?

Lastly, is there a difference between top offs and rebuys?

Thanks so much.
B.D.

 

[minglu812]

In my friendly cash games, we do 100bb for the first buyin and then either 100bb or 200bb rebuys afterwards. I hope this helps.

 

[Bacon Dad]

In my friendly cash games, we do 100bb for the first buyin and then either 100bb or 200bb rebuys afterwards. I hope this helps.

It does. Thanks! I was wondering mostly about the terminology of “Biggest Stack”. It’s highest total value, right?

BTW, Nice Pharaoh Chips if those are yours In your image.

 

[JMC9389]

Hey @LeLe.

I see the term “the Biggest Stack” a lot But never messed with it in cash games. I like the concept you described.

Is this the person with the largest total number of chips or the highest VALUE of all their chips? Logic says the later given it is in reference to buy-ins and $$. Right???

In home cash games, me (and only me) as the host deals with the rebuys, top offs, and the bank. Is that normal in cash games? And is it the bank manager’s responsibility to know who has biggest stack or do you rely on the players to know and tell you?

Lastly, is there a difference between top offs and rebuys?

Thanks so much.
B.D.

Biggest stack in value, yes. Say you're three hours into a 0.25/0.50 game and you have stacks of $20, $50, $100, and $150. If someone busts out, they can buy back in up to $75.

If you're hosting, yes, best for you to manage the bank. If you host, you're responsible for the bank to be right at the end of the night. Unless you trust someone implicitly to run the bank for you and they accept responsibility for it, it's on the host.

Top offs are additions to one's stack in between hands. Rebuys occur when adding chips when you get stacked or felted and left with no chips as a result.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bacon Dad]

Biggest stack in value, yes. Say you're three hours into a 0.25/0.50 game and you have stacks of $20, $50, $100, and $150. If someone busts out, they can buy back in up to $75.

If you're hosting, yes, best for you to manage the bank. If you host, you're responsible for the bank to be right at the end of the night. Unless you trust someone implicitly to run the bank for you and they accept responsibility for it, it's on the host.

Top offs are additions to one's stack in between hands. Rebuys occur when adding chips when you get stacked or felted and left with no chips as a result.

Hope this helps!

Nailed it my friend! Thanks so much. Makes perfect sense with your example. Appreciated!

 

[LeLe]

Is this the person with the largest total number of chips or the highest VALUE of all their chips? Logic says the later given it is in reference to buy-ins and $$. Right???

What @JMC9389 listed as an example is correct, usually as the bank I will round it off to the nearest whole number rather than the actual figure just to simplify and speed up things.

Example Biggest Stack in game have $193, I will allow rebuy or top up to $100 rather than $96.50

In home cash games, me (and only me) as the host deals with the rebuys, top offs, and the bank. Is that normal in cash games?

Always only have 1 person in charge of the bank, it usually the host or the person who brought the chip set to co-host.

And is it the bank manager’s responsibility to know who has biggest stack or do you rely on the players to know and tell you?

Usually, it's pretty clear who is holding the biggest stack.

All the bank need to do is ask for a quick count from person who having the biggest stack.

Lastly, is there a difference between top offs and rebuys?

Rebuy is when one get felted and want to re buy in a stack

example: Biggest stack $201, Starting with $0 stack. He can rebuy up to $100 total stack.

Top off is when one have a stack and want to add on by buying more chips to his stack

example: Biggest stack $201, Starting with $50 stack. He can top up additional $50 to $100 total stack.

 

[Halozz]

Our game is simpler everyone start with 300 150bb every rebuy is 300 for 1 chip counter No limit to buy in 2/2 game. Max someone bought in for 18 counter not in 1 shot though but it's call NLH for a reason I guess.

 

[Bacon Dad]

Thanks @JMC9389 and @LeLe for clearing this up for me.

In your opinion, does a cash game get too deep too fast if the initial buy-in is $100 for a 0.25c/0.50c game (that’s 200bb) and you allow rebuys and top ups (40bb min) to the greater of 200bb or 1/2 Big Stack? My players are friendlies that are not that aggressive or bullies. It’s a casual game so maybe it’s not a concern. But I am trying to establishing my house rules.

Or should rebuys/top ups be 300bb max, not 200bb?

When do you go unlimited or cap it?

Thanks again.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Thanks @JMC9389 and @LeLe for clearing this up for me.

In your opinion, does a cash game get too deep too fast if the initial buy-in is $100 for a 0.25c/0.50c game (that’s 200bb) and you allow rebuys and top ups (40bb min) to the greater of 200bb or 1/2 Big Stack? My players are friendlies that are not that aggressive or bullies. It’s a casual game so maybe it’s not a concern. But I am trying to establishing my house rules.

Or should rebuys/top ups be 300bb max, not 200bb?

When do you go unlimited or cap it?

Thanks again.

For a casual beginning game, I found 200bb hard cap very effective. My players didnt like the idea of rebuying in for more than original buyin because people would be nursing the original 20 as if its a tournament. They're dumb, but they're dumb together. So now it's just 200bb across the board.

 

[detroitdad]

I set up my buy ins with chips. 200 BB'S.

 

[Bacon Dad]

I set up my buy ins with chips. 200 BB'S.

View attachment 1035369

Those are some good lookin’ chips!

 

[allforcharity]

Thanks @JMC9389 and @LeLe for clearing this up for me.

In your opinion, does a cash game get too deep too fast if the initial buy-in is $100 for a 0.25c/0.50c game (that’s 200bb) and you allow rebuys and top ups (40bb min) to the greater of 200bb or 1/2 Big Stack? My players are friendlies that are not that aggressive or bullies. It’s a casual game so maybe it’s not a concern. But I am trying to establishing my house rules.

Or should rebuys/top ups be 300bb max, not 200bb?

When do you go unlimited or cap it?

Thanks again.

People who are playing poker for cash should wear their big boy pants and take responsibility for the amount they wager.

Nothing wrong if you want to limit your initial buy in and top ups to 100BB, if that's what your group is agreeable to and makes everyone comfortable.

If your game is super limpy then you might need more than 1 rack of quarters. This is the only scenario where I generally suggest it.

 

[detroitdad]

In your opinion, does a cash game get too deep too fast if the initial buy-in is $100 for a 0.25c/0.50c game (that’s 200bb) and you allow rebuys and top ups (40bb min) to the greater of 200bb or 1/2 Big Stack?

We play .25/.50, $100 max buy in. Rebuys are up to half the deep stack. The game plays better at 200 bb's than it did at 100 bb's. More "poker" is being played vs more "gambling".

In an 8 player game, we usually have anywhere from $1700 to 2k on the table at the end of the night.

 

[DoubleEagle]

We play $1/2. We use to have a $100 minimum and $300 maximum with re-buys to the largest stack. Players started wanting to buy in for more. No one in our group cared so we took the buy-in and re-buy caps off. Most still buy-in for $300 and a few buy-in for $500. The larger buy-ins/re-buys hasn't changed the game in any way. May not work for every game, but it works well for us.