Table Difficulty Cards for Meetups (2 Viewers)

[MegaTon44]

Likely over-engineering this one, but wanted to float the idea out there and poll the group.

For regular meetup hosts and attendees, you've probably seen a handful of examples over the years where players (newbies, drunk veterans, etc) wander onto a table where the stakes and/or skill level are a bit out of their league. This can lead to scenarios where the unprepared player could lose quite a bit, or potentially slow down the gameplay. For the most part, people go to meetups to have fun, socialize, and casually play some cards. However, other folks play a bit deeper, prepared to drop thousands at the table.

A few options for placards that could be posted at the table.

• Green - NLHE and variants
• Yellow - Light Circus, normal stakes
• Red - Full Circus, normal stake
• Black - Big Boy Table
• [some other color] STT/MTT Turbo Tourney

This is all assuming that drunk players have enough self awareness to choose the table that aligns with their skill and budget, but that may not be an appropriate assumption.

Am I trying to solve a problem that isn't there?

 

[JMC9389]

Yes

 

[MegaTon44]

Yes

Had a bunch of caffeine and a moment of hyper focus about the Sept meetup. Wife told me I was being dumb. As always, she's right.

 

[ekricket]

Am I trying to solve a problem that isn't there?

It might not be a problem, but it is a good thought.

I like it better when they ask and talk to the players, not just see a yellow placard and not even go near.

It’s like skiiing, blues aren’t that hard but some people are terrified of anything that isn’t a green. So they never try them.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

I can see a case where at a larger meetup running four or five tables and a large enough group with sufficient newbies to a meetup, this might be useful. That said, in my experience at meetups, one can pretty quickly figure out the level of "difficulty" at a table or game with just a few minutes of observation before sitting down.

- Look at stack sizes and how those relate to the blinds in play at that table. If everyone is sitting with multiple-hundred dollar stacks when the blinds are 25-cent 50-cent, that's probably a more action heavy table than one with the same blinds but stacks are sub-$200.

- See who is playing at any particular table and what you observe of them and their play. Having sat at the same table with those players in one of the tournaments that have been played at the meetup will give a lot of information that you have "pre-paid" for without losing a stack or three in a cash game.

- Rather than jumping onto a table and game you might not know what the demeanor of that table (game, stakes, skill, etc.), refresh your beverage of choice and just watch a table you might have interest in for several minutes before taking a seat. One will pretty quickly figure out if that's the right table or not.

By the time you are in the latter hours of day one of a meetup, you have a pretty good sense of what the skill level, play style and bankroll requirements are for any given table. My recent meetup experience has been at the three RIA events @bergs has hosted. At this point, I know the play style of the majority of the monkeys who attend and know who and what games are out of my league... at this time. I might sit at one of the"bigger" tables for a bit , knowing I'm likely to come out a loser for the brief session, but it gives me some practice at stakes and skill levels I might not normally get in a fairly "safe" environment.

Thankfully, a meetup is unlike a casino where you get seated where the floor puts you. There's the flexibility to sit pretty much wherever you want to (space permitting). The other nice thing about a meetup is you don't have to sit and play cards. My biggest 'mistake' at RIA-III last year was not taking enough time to be social with folks away from playing cards.


As a P.S., the only hold'em at RIA is the main event tournament, so there wouldn't be a "green" table there. It actually surprising how limited the circus game rotation is there, maybe no more than a half dozen different games. If any more beyond that number, they are all small variations on those (God's Game vs. double board PLO as an example).

 

[drdr]

Interesting what you are trying to do. As a meetup virgin I think the categories don't help me. NLHE tables vary greatly in difficulty with higher stakes not necessarily necessarily scarier if the players are soft. I've seen some tough small stakes NLHE tables where casual players would get destroyed.

Maybe it's a terminology thing. Perhaps you were looking to signal 'Variance' level? That may better encompass circus versus typical games at same time as capturing stakes and player skill.

Another fun thought. Simply putting a sign labelling variant type and stakes may work better. Clearer than colours.

 

[bergs]

We have like 6 Dramaha variants, but yeah, fundamentally it’s all either flop games or triple draw games with flop dominating, and the occasional stud variant.

The limit games bring out all the oddball games but PL is fairly straightforward.

 

[JMC9389]

Interesting what you are trying to do. As a meetup virgin I think the categories don't help me. NLHE tables vary greatly in difficulty with higher stakes not necessarily necessarily scarier if the players are soft. I've seen some tough small stakes NLHE tables where casual players would get destroyed.

Maybe it's a terminology thing. Perhaps you were looking to signal 'Variance' level? That may better encompass circus versus typical games at same time as capturing stakes and player skill.

Another fun thought. Simply putting a sign labelling variant type and stakes may work better. Clearer than colours.

In that case, just put a black placard on @CraigT78 and call it a day.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

I'm seeing this more & more & I gotta say it's lame. Black on black? Really?

Anyway to address the OP yes, I think you're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. If you really need to have a placard just have it list what game(s) & buy-in/limit that particular table is.

 

[CraigT78]

I'm seeing this more & more & I gotta say it's lame. Black on black? Really?
View attachment 1506874
Anyway to address the OP yes, I think you're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. If you really need to have a placard just have it list what game(s) & buy-in/limit that particular table is.

Why does it do that? I'm in dark mode and don't even bother trying to read that.

 

[ChipFinderSK]

What color placard would the cigar table get?

 

[RocAFella1]

What color placard would the cigar table get?

 

[ekricket]

It might be better to color code the players name tags, red for LAG, blue for TAG, brown for OMC, yellow for spewee, green for Calling station, etc….

 

[bergs]

The mandatory one drink an hour table has this placard:

 

[bergs]

It might be better to color code the players name tags, red for LAG, blue for TAG, brown for OMC, yellow for spewee, green for Calling station, etc….

This would generate so many arguments it would be amazing.

Also, I’d look like a fucking Pantone wheel at the paint shop.

 

[RocAFella1]

@MatB table

 

[Klobberer]

Any table that @kirchhausen is sitting at is too rich for me!

 

[kirchhausen]

I'm a donator. People should be clamoring to be at my table.

My placard should look like this:

 

[Irish]

It might be better to color code the players name tags, red for LAG, blue for TAG, brown for OMC, yellow for spewee, green for Calling station, etc….

Even better - give everyone a little sheet of labels and you get to apply them to other players name cards all weekend....

 

[bergs]

Even better - give everyone a little sheet of labels and you get to apply them to other players name cards all weekend....

I LOVE THIS

 

[Machine]

Any table that @kirchhausen is sitting at is too rich for me!

tbh, you've got the wrong brother.