Hey guys,
Looking for some advice (trying to resist the urge to just buy ALL the chips). Once I can host again, our group (generally one 9h table but can have up to two 8 handed tables) plays lots of different games from 2/4 to 4/8 limit and single .25 or $1 blind NL/PLO.
This is what I have so far:
800x $1 HSI 1a
200x $5 IOC
Thinking about adding these:
+100 .25
+200 $1
+200 $5
+80 $25 (may relabel to $20)
+20 $100
Is this reasonable? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
For limit, it does vary a little depending on if you are playing a 1 chip, 2 chip, 3 chip or a 4 chip game. Just to be clear in limit there are small bets, (pre-flop and flop bets) and Big Bets (Turn and River Bets) A 1 chip game would be where the game has 1 chip for the small bets. Normally (in a Card Room) they NEVER spread a 1 chip game as this would require them to have a different chip for the small blinds. I see a lot of guys here at PCF say they play 1 chip limit games in their home games. They have 2 big blinds or idk what ever and they say it works, but like I said this is NEVER done in a Casino or Card Room and there is a reason for this. I get it that people are trying to play games and limit the number of chips they buy so there is that... Anyway, a 2 chip game has 1 chip for the small blind, 2 chips for the big blind and the small bets are 2 chips and the big bets are 4 chips. 2 Chip games are rare in a card room. Games like 2/4 limit do exist, but are not common. 2 Chip games tend to play extremely small and neither players or Card Rooms tend to like these games. 3 and 4 chip games are what are most commonly seen in card rooms. Examples of 3 chip games that are relatively common in Card Rooms are like 3/6 limit with $1 chips or 6/12 limit with $2 chips or $15/30 with $5 chips and Examples of 4 chip games are 4/8 limit with $1 chips, $8/16 with $2 chips and $20/40 with $5 chips. Games can get much bigger too and usually they will be 3 or 4 chip games.
Rational behind why Card Rooms generally do not spread 1 & 2 chip games: (and why you shouldn't either)
There is actually a reason that Card Rooms don't do this much and once again it is that it just doesn't work all that well. Players like lots of chips on the table and so do Card Rooms. It makes for a better game for both good players, weaker players and for the Card Room too. More chips = more players see a flop = more bad play = more fun for everyone and = a better game for everyone. Think about it: You are a bad player: Do you want bigger pots and more people making mistakes by calling more frequently on multiple streets or would you rather have a tight tough game with every pot 3 bet preflop and only 2 people typically seeing a flop almost every flop? Now you are a good player: Ask yourself those same questions. How about the Card Room. Do they want lots of people coming and having a good time or do they want only a few people having any chance of winning and everyone else just quitting?
There was a reason for all that....
1 chip game - No way in hell I am ever spreading this game, but if you really gotta do it, I guess go for it and then after a while you can come back to me and tell me that I was right and that the game didn't really work all that well and your players didn't like it etc, etc...
2 chip games - Once again I wouldn't ever do it, but that is just me. If you are really on a budget and can only afford a minimum # of chips I could see the game working with 1 rack/player or maybe even less. For an 8 handed limit game you already have 800 $1 chips so even though I don't like it, it would work.
3 Chip games - Here I think you really need more than 1 rack per player. Probably not 2, but more than 1 so lets say 1.5 racks/player. For your 8 handed game 12 racks would likely work ok. More is always better, but with 12 racks you will be able to keep the game moving
4 Chip games - Here you really need at least 2 racks per player. I know this is a lot of chips, but if you don't have that many chips your game is going to go slow and people are going to be forced to be exchanging chip frequently - like after each hand. That is not something you want at all. I agree with Ben that if you are going to be playing 4/8 limit with $1 chips (which is the way it should be played) you really should have 1600 $1chips for your 8 handed game
The other games you are going to be playing require far less chips so there is really nothing to discuss about those games...