Cash Game Seating players as they arrived at cash game table.... (3 Viewers)

Señor Tony

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I host a weekly cash game with a core group of six players along with one or two rotating extras out of a pool of about twelve.

One of the core regulars (who is arguably the strongest player in the group) frequently arrives an hour or two after we start playing. Like all other players joining the game, he will pick a seat and either waits for or posts a big blind to join the action.

After last nights game, I received a call from one of the other core players (probably the weakest player in the group) questioning the strong players tendency to always sits to his left and he asked me if he is allowed to sit wherever he wants when he arrives. He also asked for the rules on whether he can move to another position if the player keeps sitting to his left?

For tournaments we deal for seats but with cash games were normally start short handed with four players and players join in to open seats as they arrive. I have never had something like this come up before as it is a social game with no one losing more than a couple of hundred in a night.

Any thoughts or advice are appreciated!
 
Aha! Simple solutions! Thanks for the input.

If I have six or less confirmed we start playing with four player on a six person round table. If I have more than six are confirmed we use a 10 person oval table and tend to space ourselves out more than the round table. I think this is mainly where the problems are coming from as the strong player can generally find an open seat next to the weaker one when we use the bigger table. I will suggest that he thinks about his position before taking a seat when we use the bigger table and let him know that he can move to an open seat in the future.
 
We draw cards for seats A - 6 prior to the start. If a confirmed player is not on time they get the remaining seats drawn for them. I'd ask your main group see if they have any suggestions.
 
I use tournament seating chips. Put 10 face down on a side table. Players draw one when they arrive. If there are empty seats or someone is busto, another player may move .
 
Tough problem, but I would recommend him just taking a seat with another player already to his left.

Personally, we do not use seating requirements for cash games. The regulars have their "usual" seats, but its not a specific seat, but more of an area of seats. Nobody has ever complained about cash seating although we don't have an issue of players trying to sit on each other's left. We had one host in the group that drew for seating and everyone, myself included, hated it. We had people actually avoiding his game they disliked the rule so much. Not to mention it goes against RROP which states players can choose any open seat upon arrival.
 
I got this regular who is a bit annoying. He is ok, I just don't like him next to me. I know he tries to sit to my left often. I just wait for him to sit or do as post 8 suggests, sit to the right of a current player.
 
I include in the rules that we draw for seating initially but a re-draw for seating approx every hour can be made if requested. The re-draw rarely happens though.
 
I've recently started having players draw seating chips for our cash games as well as tourneys. I've had a few players say they like it better than choosing your seating


This is what we do at our game. Pick out A-9 and pick cards. When late players get there, their seat is already designated. Always glad to see my nemesis on my right, but at least its a fair way of seating. @detroitdad --happy belated anniversary !
 
It was always open seating at my hosted cash games. A few of the regulars had particular seats they each liked, but it had nothing to do with relative position to other players. Also, preference was sometimes given to certain players to have a better view of the big screen if they specifically requested it for a particular game (on TV). Never had any issues with seating, so there was really no reason to rock the boat and institute a more rigid seating procedure.
 
I use random seating order. If I have two cash game tables I use random in beginning of the evening and then other house rules take care of the rest ;)
 
I have more than six are confirmed we use a 10 person oval table and tend to space ourselves out more than the round table.

Position, and sometimes position on certain players, is a big part of a poker strategy. So I see how this can be an issue if you're spacing out equally among a 10 person table. It would not surprise me if your stronger player shows up late on purpose to always squeeze in to the left of the weaker player (as you indicated.)

My solution for you would be to set the exact number and position of seats at your table. For example, if you ever play 10 handed, then it's a 10 seat table - identify which is seat 1 and go clockwise from there. (At tables with a dealer tray, seat 1 is to the left of the dealer). Then just have players select/announce the seat number they are taking. You can still space yourselves out when it's short handed, and just reposition when a new player shows up. For example, if 5 players are in seats 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10, then a new player could not sit directly to the left of players 3, 4, or 10, because those seat positions are already filled.

I don't know if some might think this is too much to implement for a home game, but if one player is taking advantage of (or perceived to be taking advantage of) position on another player, you don't want that to affect your game. If players object, just tell them this is how other games are run, and you're just trying it. They'll get used to it.
 
I would do like the others have mentioned. Tell the player to make sure he sits directly to the right side of a player already.

Also as the host you may want to get some some seat change buttons. And if he is early have him ask for it right away. Then when the late player shows up he can move first if he wants.

Also as host have the seats set up for a full table, and don't let players move the seats. I have been at games where a player tries to take a chair and move it to the spot he wants to sit forcing his way between 2 players.
 
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The weaker player should try to capitalize on tendencies the other guy is obviously showing by playing him the same way all the time. Accept the challenge and teach him a lesson by learning his game and taking advantage of it.
 
The weaker player should try to capitalize on tendencies the other guy is obviously showing by playing him the same way all the time. Accept the challenge and teach him a lesson by learning his game and taking advantage of it.

The problem here is that we're talking about a weaker player who is facing a better player in better position.

It would already be difficult for the weaker player to magically turn the tables by becoming more brilliant even if the positions were equal, but giving the better player the advantage of position makes this pretty much impossible. There's a reason the chips tend to flow clockwise at a poker table.
 
I know about position, I also know about exploiting someone's tendencies when they have position on me.
 
I always take the same seat so I am close to the chips and cash. All the other seats are drawn from a Crown Royal bag as players arrive.

Also why do you make people post before they receive cards? Take a tip from all Vegas cardrooms...don't bother.
 
My understanding is this:

Any player can request a seat change at any time for any reason.

They might have to wait but if they call next seat change then thats is that.

If the table is short handed and there are multiple seats open, they can request any spot as long as they pay the blinds respectively.
 
We have a wide skill range of players. We redraw seats at each scheduled break (every 90 minutes) so no one gets beat up all night.
 
I host a weekly cash game with a core group of six players along with one or two rotating extras out of a pool of about twelve.

One of the core regulars (who is arguably the strongest player in the group) frequently arrives an hour or two after we start playing. Like all other players joining the game, he will pick a seat and either waits for or posts a big blind to join the action.

After last nights game, I received a call from one of the other core players (probably the weakest player in the group) questioning the strong players tendency to always sits to his left and he asked me if he is allowed to sit wherever he wants when he arrives. He also asked for the rules on whether he can move to another position if the player keeps sitting to his left?

For tournaments we deal for seats but with cash games were normally start short handed with four players and players join in to open seats as they arrive. I have never had something like this come up before as it is a social game with no one losing more than a couple of hundred in a night.

Any thoughts or advice are appreciated!

I draw seats for cash games as well as tourneys
 
In my weekly cash game, we start with randomly selecting seating chips (i.e. 1-6 for the 6 players currently present) and everyone sits around the table accordingly. As a late player arrives, they also randomly select a seating chip from the same 1-6 and whichever seat he selects, lets say seat 6, he will sit to the right of the person who originally selected seat 6. If the next person also selects seat 6, he will sit to the right of the last person to select that seat, and so on. This way it’s all completely random and no one can angle shoot to get an edge over weaker players.
 
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In my weekly cash game, we start with randomly selecting seating chips (i.e. 1-6 for the 6 players currently present) and everyone sits around the table accordingly. As a late player arrives, they also randomly select a seating chip from the same 1-6 and whichever seat he selects, lets say seat 6, he will sit to the right of the person who originally selected seat 6. If the next person also selects seat 6, he will sit to the right of the last person to select that seat. This way it’s all completely random and no one can angle shoot to get an edge over weaker players.

I do something similar, pulling 10 cards, the Ace of spades to the Ten of spades, and have people draw as they arrive. There are no designated seats so people can be sit around the table at the start even if they draw consecutive seats and people shift around as the table fills up. Anyone can ask for a redraw at any time, given that it is reasonable (i.e., you can’t ask for a redraw every 15 minutes).
 
I do something similar, pulling 10 cards, the Ace of spades to the Ten of spades, and have people draw as they arrive. There are no designated seats so people can be sit around the table at the start even if they draw consecutive seats and people shift around as the table fills up. Anyone can ask for a redraw at any time, given that it is reasonable (i.e., you can’t ask for a redraw every 15 minutes).
Whoever selects seat 1 chooses where he wants to sit at the table and everyone sits accordingly. We’ve never done redaws or seat changes, however I’ve thought about one redraw 1/2 way through the night. I don’t think my players will like it, except whoever is down. I’ll bring it up my next game and see how they feel.
 
I usually deal the whole game so I am always the Ace and sit in the middle of the table.

Superstitions aside, redraw(s) are good to change the dynamics of the table, shifting the positions of aggressive/passive, tight/loose players.
 
I also don’t make people post blinds when they come in late. They just can’t take the button on their first hand.
They only have to post if they take a break and miss their blinds.
 
Draw at random first with a set of cards (A-10).
Each player joining after pick a card again and sit at the left of the choosen seat. Just reassign the first seat and add a card to the seating deck.
 

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