Cash Game Introducing a Bomb Pot to Newbies (1 Viewer)

[emunster18]

Hey guys, I have a bunch of newbies playing my cash game in September. They all have come to 1 or 2 games previously. Thoughts on introducing them to bomb pots?

We play 0.25/0.50 with a $50 buy-in. I was thinking a bomb pot every orbit with a $2 ante and a cap at $20. That way people don't blow their whole wad on the first couple. Appreciate anyone's thoughts on the approach. Thanks!

 

[sheikh617]

Every orbit might be a tad much. If I was introducing it for the first time with newer players, maybe timed by the hour or something. It feels bad to lose your stack on them, and it happens quite often lol. Of course if your players like the first couple, go for the orbit.

 

[emunster18]

Every orbit might be a tad much. If I was introducing it for the first time with newer players, maybe timed by the hour or something. It feels bad to lose your stack on them, and it happens quite often lol. Of course if your players like the first couple, go for the orbit.

What do you think of capping it at a $20 max/player? That way entire stacks are lost less often.

 

[Colquhoun]

Every orbit might be a tad much. If I was introducing it for the first time with newer players, maybe timed by the hour or something. It feels bad to lose your stack on them, and it happens quite often lol. Of course if your players like the first couple, go for the orbit.

You could use this timer I found online to do one every hour. The cool thing is it randomly picks a time… if you set it to a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 60 minutes. So with that setting, some time during the next hour, it will ring…and your next hand is a bomb pot. Run the timer every hour like this.
https://www.randomtimergenerator.com/

 

[chippitydoodah]

Try running a bomb pot following a suited flop. Some nights you get just a couple and some nights you get a bunch but I like the randomness of it

 

[KHarp1]

Capping a bomb pot, in theory, is a good idea, especially in the smaller, friendly home game, so that you don't lose a bunch of your players on one hand. The flip side of that is, "it's only $20, I may hit, or at least chop so what the heck" mentality. You may end up with nearly everyone in the pot running for the river.

 

[sheikh617]

What do you think of capping it at a $20 max/player? That way entire stacks are lost less often.

You could definitely do that. I personally do not like capping bomb pots. We play bomb pots usually for the action so capping them, to me, is counterproductive. But each person's group will vary of course.

 

[Taghkanic]

I would wait until people play more than 1-2 times before adding new wrinkles.

And once you try it, I would go for maybe once an hour max.

In my game, we play a bomb pot on the next hand after there is a monotone flop (all three cards the same suit). This randomizes the timing and makes it feel like more of a treat. It still works out to about once an hour on average, but sometimes you have none for 2-3 hours, sometimes several in quick succession.

Also you may want to consider making the bomb pots optional (people can sit out if they are not into it).

Then there’s the game you choose. In many hold ’em cash games I play in, they do double board Omaha. This makes for a lot of action and big pots, but those inexperienced with both Omaha and double boards can make big rookie mistakes… which can lead to some bad feeling or at least discouragement.

 

[chippitydoodah]

You can't lose without losing.
You can't learn without losing.

 

[Taghkanic]

Lastly, I find the size of the bomb pot really changes the way they play. If the ante is too large, you wind up with a giant pot on the flop.

This incentivizes whoever flops 2 pair+ to bet huge and take it down quickly since lots of draws are possible 8/9 handed. A smaller ante makes for more multiway play to the turn or river.

 

[emunster18]

Lastly, I find the size of the bomb pot really changes the way they play. If the ante is too large, you wind up with a giant pot on the flop.

This incentivizes whoever flops 2 pair+ to bet huge and take it down quickly since lots of draws are possible 8/9 handed. A smaller ante makes for more multiway play to the turn or river.

I'm thinking a 1.50 or 2.00 ante, double board NLHE, capped at $20. I'll introduce it at this month's game and gather feedback. This is a close friend group and a friendly game, so people won't be bashful if they hate it after the first one.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Capping a bomb pot, in theory, is a good idea, especially in the smaller, friendly home game, so that you don't lose a bunch of your players on one hand. The flip side of that is, "it's only $20, I may hit, or at least chop so what the heck" mentality. You may end up with nearly everyone in the pot running for the river.

My group LOVES action, and we get it with bomb pots. It's pretty much a guarantee that someone will be all-in each time. For context, my game is .25/.50 with $100 max buy-ins, and we use a bomb pot button that moves counterclockwise so we get one per orbit.

For a newer group, I do like the idea of a cap. That allows everyone to play the bomb pot and allows the winner(s) to scoop a sizeable pot, but still protects each player from losing their entire stack. Feel it out, and see if this works well for your group for a few sessions. If it's too much, you can always get rid of them. If it's not enough and they want blood (my guys), you can always uncap them later.

 

[upNdown]

Capping a bomb pot, in theory, is a good idea, especially in the smaller, friendly home game, so that you don't lose a bunch of your players on one hand. The flip side of that is, "it's only $20, I may hit, or at least chop so what the heck" mentality. You may end up with nearly everyone in the pot running for the river.

Yeah, and if we’re talking about newer players, they’ll learn nothing but bad habits from this. Especially if you’re talking about double board Omaha bomb pots for non-Omaha players.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Yeah, and if we’re talking about newer players, they’ll learn nothing but bad habits from this. Especially if you’re talking about double board Omaha bomb pots for non-Omaha players.

Single or double board Holdem is a much better bomb pot for newbs.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Hey guys, I have a bunch of newbies playing my cash game in September. They all have come to 1 or 2 games previously. Thoughts on introducing them to bomb pots?

We play 0.25/0.50 with a $50 buy-in. I was thinking a bomb pot every orbit with a $2 ante and a cap at $20. That way people don't blow their whole wad on the first couple. Appreciate anyone's thoughts on the approach. Thanks!

No, don’t.

Let the group and game evolve naturally. Bomb pots are not good for the long term health of the game. Period, end of story.

 

[BatteredAggie]

No, don’t.

Let the group and game evolve naturally. Bomb pots are not good for the long term health of the game. Period, end of story.

Curious why you say this?

I have no opinion but I’m also considering introducing my group of friends to bomb pots. It’s a micro stakes, friendly game and I thought it might introduce fun action if we cap the maximum total bet at 30BB.

 

[emunster18]

Single or double board Holdem is a much better bomb pot for newbs.

I'm planning a double board of hold em, not Omaha. I guarantee mistakes would be made with this group if I dealt Omaha.

 

[emunster18]

No, don’t.

Let the group and game evolve naturally. Bomb pots are not good for the long term health of the game. Period, end of story.

My poker nights include lots of drinking and laughs, not a serious player in the whole bunch. I'm thinking the added action (up to a cap) will add to the experience, not detract.

 

[emunster18]

Mechanically, this is what I'm thinking now:

Throw a bomb pot chip in the first pot. Whoever wins the first hand holds the bomb pot button. Every other orbit, we'll play a bomb pot, and pass the button counterclockwise one spot. Likely to end up with 3-4 in the night.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Curious why you say this?

I have no opinion but I’m also considering introducing my group of friends to bomb pots. It’s a micro stakes, friendly game and I thought it might introduce fun action if we cap the maximum total bet at 30BB.

One every orbit is very often. It will be the biggest pot pretty much every orbit. With the $20 cap you might as well do $20 flips every orbit because that is what the hand will be for anyone that continues on the flop. But if the group is there to just gamble then have at it.

If you really want to have some kind of bomb pot, every hour is plenty.

 

[tabletalker7]

You could put the number of bomb pots in the hands of your players.

The first hand of the night, put a "bomb pot" chip in the pot. Whoever wins it gets the chip. They can use the chip at their discretion. Before cards are dealt they can throw in the chip, and that hand is now a bomb pot with the winner getting the bomb pot chip to use at their discretion. Just figure out something in the event of split pots (maybe 2 bomb pot chips, one to each side of the split) and this lets the players choose when and how often

 

[QuailValley]

Recently introduced bomb pots to my group (0.25/0.25 NLHE). We play fairly conservative anyways so I didnt worry about any sort of limit (since we already play with no limits).

So I essentially 'sold' bomb pot chips to each player as part of their buyin ($2 each), that fund went towards the bad beat jackpot that is awarded at the end of the night. My main goal was to fund the bad beat.

How the players can play it is when they are dealer before any cards dealt they play their chip, it is returned to the bank and everyone antes 0.25 (a big blind). I tried playing Omaha, but yeah it was very confusing, to the point that I got it mixed up myself. So we just stuck with what we know, Hold em.

 

[TheYeti]

For context, my game is .25/.50 with $100 max buy-ins, and we use a bomb pot button that moves counterclockwise so we get one per orbit.

If the bomb pot button moves every time the button moves, wouldn't that mean a bomb pot twice an orbit? Or does the bomb pot button only move one player to the right and stay there until the button reaches it?

 

[KHarp1]

The bomb pot button moves counter clockwise and when it and the regular button occupy the same seat the bomb pot button gets placed out into the playing area and the regular button goes back against the rail. After the bomb pot the BP button rotates counter clockwise one seat where it's placed out of the play area until next orbit. The regular button is moved back into the play area and regular play resumes.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

If the bomb pot button moves every time the button moves, wouldn't that mean a bomb pot twice an orbit? Or does the bomb pot button only move one player to the right and stay there until the button reaches it?

The latter - so one bomb pot per orbit.