OK, we do play for "big" money (3 Viewers)

[Poker Zombie]

Personally, I think NL is an awful game in a home game setting (unless it's a tourney, obviously).

Elaborate, please.

 

[ohio3302016]

Elaborate, please.

I think NL cash is terrible in a home game setting. A guy can go broke in one hand and be done for the night.

 

[bentax1978]

I think NL cash is terrible in a home game setting. A guy can go broke in one hand and be done for the night.

That presumes that the player had everything he/she was willing to lose out on the table at once, which would be an enormous mistake in any NL game.

 

[ohio3302016]

That presumes that the player had everything he/she was willing to lose out on the table at once, which would be an enormous mistake in any NL game.

No doubt.

But the point remains, you can lose everything you have on the table in one hand. Fine in a casino setting but not great for a home game setting.

Again, this is my personal feeling.

 

[liftapint]

Given how incredibly different my game is than the one described in the OP (we play $0.50/$0.50, but nobody ever raises or plays more than the BB -- a $2 bet would be considered pretty big, and $5 chips are completely unnecessary on my table) -- given how different my game is from those you guys play in:
a) I imagine the deli counter guys were looking for a game more like mine.
b) WHY aren't fracs and $1 chips easier and cheaper to come by??? You guys don't need many of them! (I know...casinos don't need many of them either = tough to come by).

 

[Chicken Rob]

No doubt.

But the point remains, you can lose everything you have on the table in one hand. Fine in a casino setting but not great for a home game setting.

Again, this is my personal feeling.

Not sure how tournaments make this any better. You still lose your whole buy in in one hand.

 

[bentax1978]

Not sure how tournaments make this any better. You still lose your whole buy in in one hand.

And worse, if it's not a rebuy tournament, you're potentially done for the night. At least in a cash game, you can just pull out another buy-in and get back to poker.

 

[brains613]

Not sure how tournaments make this any better. You still lose your whole buy in in one hand.

Also, typically winnings are spread among fewer of the players...

 

[ohio3302016]

Not sure how tournaments make this any better. You still lose your whole buy in in one hand.

Well, for one, it would be difficult for the tournament to end if played any other way.

Put another way, cash games are inherently different.

 

[bentax1978]

Well, for one, it would be difficult for the tournament to end if played any other way.

Put another way, cash games are inherently different.

Night and day in many respects.

But I believe what @Chicken Rob was getting at is that in both cases, your entire buy-in is at risk on any given hand, whether you're playing cash NLHE or tournament NLHE.

 

[ohio3302016]

Night and day in many respects.

But I believe what @Chicken Rob was getting at is that in both cases, your entire buy-in is at risk on any given hand, whether you're playing cash NLHE or tournament NLHE.

Yes. This is a true fact.

 

[abby99]

Another way to look at it is that in a tournament, approximately 80% of the players (100% minus the percent paid) will walk away with nothing.

 

[ohio3302016]

Another way to look at it is that in a tournament, approximately 80% of the players (100% minus the percent paid) will walk away with nothing.

And they know this going into it.

I'm not saying my logic is sound by any means in regard to NL cash. It isn't. It's just kind of how I feel about it.

 

[Strike1st]

Income is what you bring in. Disposable income is what your wife lets you spend.

Amen! My wife was homeless when she was 9 or 10...lived in the back of a pickup...it is very hard for her to see money spent on things like gambool.

 

[Poker Zombie]

And they know this going into it.

I'm not saying my logic is sound by any means in regard to NL cash. It isn't. It's just kind of how I feel about it.

I agree that tournaments feel friendlier. You can get a massive stack of chips early on, for a price of a movie and popcorn. Cash games typically don't afford a deep stack buy-in without substantial amounts of cash on the table.

 

[Chicken Rob]

I agree that tournaments feel friendlier. You can get a massive stack of chips early on, for a price of a movie and popcorn. Cash games typically don't afford a deep stack buy-in without substantial amounts of cash on the table.

I play in a .05/.10 game with $20 typical buy ins. That's 200 bb starting stacks. A couple rebuys and we're deep for small money.

 

[ohio3302016]

I play in a .05/.10 game with $20 typical buy ins. That's 200 bb starting stacks. A couple rebuys and we're deep for small money.

I'd definitely consider that fine for a home game.

 

[courage]

^^ This was my first thought when I read Courage's post above about letting the Jimmy Johns delivery guy enter the basement. Whether or not you have crazy money on the tables at your poker game; you don't want people you don't know thinking you have crazy money on the tables.

Nah, he wasn't in basement. Just delivering to back door like he'd done before. I hadn't mentioned the game but it was pretty obv it was going. I try to be careful and have turned away player "opportunities" like this.