Cash Game Jumping to .25/.25 makes a worlds difference (2 Viewers)

[rainy_trails]

Hey chippers, I just wanted to share my chip breakdown experience and progression with my super-low stakes games. Like some of you, my game's buy-ins can get as low as $10. I browsed through so many forums that advocated for the BB to be .10, and here's what I mostly heard.
Random chipper -"BB being .10 means you get 100 BB. You want at least 100 BB, so opt for .10 BB"

My experience over the course of a handful of games is that .10 felt silly to bet with my group. People didn't take it as seriously. Although it is 100 BB ($10), my group isn't thinking, "oh I'm going to raise 4BB+ limpers (which would be like .50 cents)". They opened for .50 to a dollar or more anyways especially after the first hour of play. So, it made more sense to have the BB be .25 And yes this means they have 45 Big blinds, but my group doesn't think in these terms. People took the game a little more seriously now that limping "costs more". Also
Finally, of course, removing .10 chip means less chips to carry. It's been much easier to count chip, do rebuys, etc.

The feedback from my group was great. They all loved it. Ironically, I think having BB at .10 makes more sense if your players are decent casual players who understand how much raising BB amount means. If anyone is reading this and your group sounds anything like mine, then I say try it out! Worse thing that happens is your group doesn't like it and you go back to your old breakdown.

 

[TonZaga]

We used to play 25c/25c with my super casual group to increase action (lot more limping). Everyone knew SB/BB and was confused at first but I thought it played just fine and everyone seemed to enjoy it but we had a min buy-in of $25. If it works, it works

 

[rainy_trails]

We used to play 25c/25c with my super casual group to increase action (lot more limping). Everyone knew SB/BB and was confused at first but I thought it played just fine and everyone seemed to enjoy it but we had a min buy-in of $25. If it works, it works

That's great to hear! How did you increase the stakes in your early games? Was it you or the players that brought up the idea of a raise in the buy-in amount?

 

[MrCatPants]

ONE OF US ONE OF US

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/hot-take-small-blinds-are-unnecessary-in-cash-games.97144/

 

[TonZaga]

That's great to hear! How did you increase the stakes in your early games? Was it you or the players that brought up the idea of a raise in the buy-in amount?

I just convinced everyone to start out with min. 100 BB ($25 instead of our normal $50)

 

[Colquhoun]

The buy-in shouldnt dictate the stakes, the BB does. As you found out, if your game playing .10 blinds immediately follows with .50 and $1 bets, the stakes dictate a higher big blind.
Now, is the max buy-in still at $10? If so, the recommended advice of 100bb kicks in here. $25-$50 max with a .25/.25 game would work best to prevent constant shoves.

 

[rainy_trails]

The buy-in shouldnt dictate the stakes, the BB does. As you found out, if your game playing .10 blinds immediately follows with .50 and $1 bets, the stakes dictate a higher big blind.
Now, is the max buy-in still at $10? If so, the recommended advice of 100bb kicks in here. $25-$50 max with a .25/.25 game would work best to prevent constant shoves.

Yeah, I agree with the idea that BB should dictate stakes. I would instantly raise the minimum to $25-50 if i could. The game format I set up already feels and plays better. It’s just a matter of slowly raising it (and convincing folks) to play with a higher buy-in like $25. These are college kids/ restaurant workers like myself haha
Currently the Minimum is at $10 and max is at $15 for this particular group.

 

[Crninho]

For casual players (and Hellmuth) the 100bb buy in amount doesn't matter, it's just about the amount of money involved.

For example if I was a rec and were playing with a .10 bb and the action goes 3x raise, 9bb 3! and a 4b! to 25bb and I'm looking at JTs in the bb, I wouldn't think: "Wow, considering action this is an easy fold", I'd think: "2.5$ and I have a 40% of a royal flush? I'm in".

So my advice, play for money which wouldn't hurt anyone if they lose a couple of buyins, but not so low that it doesn't bring any kind of seriousness into the game.

Side note: I am an gambler so take my advice with a grain of salt. Cheers.

 

[Coyote]

So my advice, play for money which wouldn't hurt anyone if they lose a couple of buyins, but not so low that it doesn't bring any kind of seriousness into the game.

It's an almost impossible equation to solve, in social games, in friends' homes. Only case by case compromises can be meaningful, taking into account each crew's special features.

 

[Colquhoun]

For casual players (and Hellmuth) the 100bb buy in amount doesn't matter, it's just about the amount of money involved.

For example if I was a rec and were playing with a .10 bb and the action goes 3x raise, 9bb 3! and a 4b! to 25bb and I'm looking at JTs in the bb, I wouldn't think: "Wow, considering action this is an easy fold", I'd think: "2.5$ and I have a 40% of a royal flush? I'm in".

So my advice, play for money which wouldn't hurt anyone if they lose a couple of buyins, but not so low that it doesn't bring any kind of seriousness into the game.

Side note: I am an gambler so take my advice with a grain of salt. Cheers.

The problem is that 1 hand and your max buyin is now a very short stack and you may not have even seen a showdown. The 100bb is meaningful in that you can play plenty of poker with it and make a few stabs at the pot without issue.
A very low max buyin means people are forced to shove much more often. More like bingo than poker.
If I brought $50 to a .25/.25 game, I’d much rather play only two $25 buy-ins than five $10 buy-ins.

 

[Coyote]

Yeah, here the BB which gets true respect is 1E
Again, x100 =100E starting stack, which means at least 300E available to spend on entertainment on a single evening, which is NOT the case in this country, even among lawyers, doctors and engineers (if they have wives and children, that is)

So, some play 0.5/1 with just 50E as the starting stack (bad poker, just 50 BBs) or, in my case, I spread games of .50/.50, since everybody buys in for 50E - even if the .50 blind gets less respect.

 

[LeLe]

For example if I was a rec and were playing with a .10 bb and the action goes 3x raise, 9bb 3! and a 4b! to 25bb and I'm looking at JTs in the bb, I wouldn't think: "Wow, considering action this is an easy fold", I'd think: "2.5$ and I have a 40% of a royal flush? I'm in".

Me at a 10/20c stake poker table : "I'm All-in, Mother Fucker"

Me at a $1/2 stake poker table : "Mother Fucker, Why so expensive?"

 

[ThrowBack]

We can’t play with dimes

You see quarters being kicked in and at least you can gather them up to buy a soda

Dimes just get left in the cup holder

 

[tallsbutler]

We can’t play with dimes

You see quarters being kicked in and at least you can gather them up to buy a soda

Dimes just get left in the cup holder

Exactly the reason our group moved up to .25/.25. I’m pushing for .25/.50 now.

 

[suchj0sh]

Limit games just have to be undervalued for causal groups, right? Seems a lot easier to have a group of friendly people buy in for 25 big bets and play literally forever.

 

[MrCatPants]

Exactly the reason our group moved up to .25/.25. I’m pushing for .25/.50 now.

.50/.50 - bite the bullet. Blame inflation. Just be careful the stakes don't get uncomfortable for your losing players - they'll just quietly disappear.

 

[tallsbutler]

.50/.50 - bite the bullet. Blame inflation. Just be careful the stakes don't get uncomfortable for your losing players - they'll just quietly disappear.

Good advice

 

[bergs]

I used to have a .25/.25 $20 buyin game at my neighbor’s when I was in MA in the condos. He had beer in a vending machine and it cost a quarter. Game was so much fun. If one of them lost $40 it was apocalyptic so if I was up $20+ I’d punt at the end of the night and make one of them drive one town over to get subs at 2a. We used to play 5-6 handed max but it was fantastic drunken fun poker.

 

[Coyote]

This evening, we played 0.5/1E blinds, with buy-ins of 50E minimum and 100E maximum (or half the big stack).
But it was a special evening, with only the best of the regulars, plus some very tough underground players (sweetest guys on Earth, but still very strong players).

 

[rjbf65]

Our crew started played .10/.25 blinds for several years (denoms - .10, .25, 1.00, 5.00 chips) and would always pay out exact change at the end of the night. It was cumbersome and the bank would be slightly off more than it should have been. I played in a different game one night and they played .25/.25 and it was so much simpler. I mentioned it to the main crew about trying it out and its been that way ever since. Starting stacks, payouts, initial raises, etc.. are all easier to deal with as a result.

 

[rainy_trails]

Our crew started played .10/.25 blinds for several years (denoms - .10, .25, 1.00, 5.00 chips) and would always pay out exact change at the end of the night. It was cumbersome and the bank would be slightly off more than it should have been. I played in a different game one night and they played .25/.25 and it was so much simpler. I mentioned it to the main crew about trying it out and its been that way ever since. Starting stacks, payouts, initial raises, etc.. are all easier to deal with as a result.

I feel the exact same way! My group has been very thankful for the switch.

 

[rjbf65]

I feel the exact same way! My group has been very thankful for the switch.

At one point we moved to .25/.50 while we were all in college but decided that was too big for us poor college kids and made the move back to .10/.25. No clue why we thought it wasn't possible to have the small and big blind be the same amount.

 

[TheLemursReturn]

We're considering the opposite - dropping from 25/25 to something like 5c/10c.

We tried the smaller stakes online and it made it game feel a whole lot looser (and thus, more exciting imo). Deeper stacks, more "big" bets (in BB terms), and easier rebuys made it fun. And we still ended up with nearly the same amount on the table after a few rebuys.

Depends on your crew, of course. Will report back.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

We're considering the opposite - dropping from 25/25 to something like 5c/10c.

We tried the smaller stakes online and it made it game feel a whole lot looser (and thus, more exciting imo). Deeper stacks, more "big" bets (in BB terms), and easier rebuys made it fun. And we still ended up with nearly the same amount on the table after a few rebuys.

Depends on your crew, of course. Will report back.

We have a blast with 5/10c, lot more fun and splashy like you said. NL has got big swings, we prefer those swings to be smaller when surrounded by beginners and social players.

 

[4SUMERZ]

My home game has been using.25/.25 for the blinds.
Everything around, we have to ask 2 people if they are checking or raising when it comes around to them before the flop.
I'm going yo try .10/25 at my next game to see if at least makes the small blind act. Likely will still have to ask the BB...lol
The .05 chips can't be used for betting during the game, only to complete the SB into the BB.
Each player will only have 10- $0.05 chips.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

My home game has been using.25/.25 for the blinds.
Everything around, we have to ask 2 people if they are checking or raising when it comes around to them before the flop.
I'm going yo try .10/25 at my next game to see if at least makes the small blind act. Likely will still have to ask the BB...lol
The .05 chips can't be used for betting during the game, only to complete the SB into the BB.
Each player will only have 10- $0.05 chips.

Lol, the look they give you after 3 hours of playing and 30+ reminders, STILL not realizing that the blinds can still act. Priceless.

 

[4SUMERZ]

Lol, the look they give you after 3 hours of playing and 30+ reminders, STILL not realizing that the blinds can still act. Priceless.

It is hard to imagine, but most at my table are too busy chatting...we do have a great time regardless...
Well see how it goes...if I have to remind the small blind to add the extra 0.15 in, then we go back to 25/25..lol

 

[TonZaga]

My home game has been using.25/.25 for the blinds.
Everything around, we have to ask 2 people if they are checking or raising when it comes around to them before the flop.
I'm going yo try .10/25 at my next game to see if at least makes the small blind act. Likely will still have to ask the BB...lol
The .05 chips can't be used for betting during the game, only to complete the SB into the BB.
Each player will only have 10- $0.05 chips.

It's a great idea until someone wins majority of the 5c chips and everyone is posting SB with 25c chips anyway lol

 

[4SUMERZ]

It's a great idea until someone wins majority of the 5c chips and everyone is posting SB with 25c chips anyway lol

Easy to get change from others at the table.

 

[TonZaga]

Easy to get change from others at the table.

We have some pricks that like to horde the fracs and not give them up. *Cough cough @ParrotheadMZ cough cough *