Using Time Bank Chips or cards. (1 Viewer)

[4SUMERZ]

I'm curious to know how many use time bank chips or cards at their home games.
My players are quick decision makers, but a few like to stretch it out a bit too often. I introduced 2 time bank cards per player for the session. That way if they need more time on an important hand, this gives them 30 seconds to decide. Does this make any sense?

 

[swana]

We don't use time bank cards/chips. Thank God pretty much everyone plays at an appropriate speed for the situation.

Years ago when players got out of line with taking too long, we just used good old fashioned ridicule to speed things up.

 

[dmoney]

Following. I have wondered if HAVING time cards reduces the need for them by the mere fact of their existence.

Like people get the point that time should not be wasted, so the game just moves along better without ever actually having to use the cards.

 

[4SUMERZ]

Following. I have wondered if HAVING time cards reduces the need for them by the mere fact of their existence.

Like people get the point that time should not be wasted, so the game just moves along better without ever actually having to use the cards.

Great point. After introducing these cards, I find they are seldom used, and if someone takes a few seconds longer than anticipated, the other players will let the person know, and ask them to throw in a card if they don't want to act. That usually spurs the player to act without using a card.
The time cards can also be used for betting benefit as well in a big pot.

 

[swana]

I remember hearing about some study of a day care introducing a "late fee" if you picked up your kids late to encourage "on time" pick up.... However it had the opposite effect. Since parents were "paying" for being late they used it more often.

So maybe having a time bank is not going to save time and will actually slow the game down because they are "paying" for the extra time?

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

I remember hearing about some study of a day care introducing a "late fee" if you picked up your kids late to encourage "on time" pick up.... However it had the opposite effect. Since parents were "paying" for being late they used it more often.

So maybe having a time bank is not going to save time and will actually slow the game down because they are "paying" for the extra time?

100%, psychological effect. Felt like instead of a fine it was a fee; they weren't being punished, they were paying for a service. Good connection.


EDIT: And my God, fantastic avatar. One of my favorite's of all time....what a name...YOSSARIAN.

 

[4SUMERZ]

I remember hearing about some study of a day care introducing a "late fee" if you picked up your kids late to encourage "on time" pick up.... However it had the opposite effect. Since parents were "paying" for being late they used it more often.

So maybe having a time bank is not going to save time and will actually slow the game down because they are "paying" for the extra time?

Thus why each player onl;y has 2 cards for the entire session. One particular player would drag on his decision pre flop...2 cards, comon...it's a fairly easy decision. With the Time cards, this has not been an issue with that player. Most guys act within a second or 2 as soon as it's their turn. Everyone looks at their hole cards way prior to their turn to act. This is not TV poker lol

 

[swana]

If it works for your game, that's great!

 

[upNdown]

100%, psychological effect. Felt like instead of a fine it was a fee; they weren't being punished, they were paying for a service. Good connection.


EDIT: And my God, fantastic avatar. One of my favorite's of all time....what a name...YOSSARIAN.

I suggested the same in a recent discussion about shot clocks. Shot clocks’ overalls effect may be to speed up the game (if you have a lot of people routinely taking a long time,) but I’m pretty sure they will also serve to slow down quick decisions - if you give people 30 seconds, they may often take it.

 

[swana]

EDIT: And my God, fantastic avatar. One of my favorite's of all time....what a name...YOSSARIAN.

YOSSARIAN LIVES!!! I think you are the first person to make that connection (or at least mention it).

 

[4SUMERZ]

I suggested the same in a recent discussion about shot clocks. Shot clocks’ overalls effect may be to speed up the game (if you have a lot of people routinely taking a long time,) but I’m pretty sure they will also serve to slow down quick decisions - if you give people 30 seconds, they may often take it.

I hear what you are saying, but in my home game, it has had the effect to speed up the 2 players that were previously slo to act on any decision.
The last sesiion we played, the card got used 1 time, and it was an all in decision on the final hand of the evening. The guy that used it decided to call, and lost all his chips to a full house to his flush. He had 10 seconds left when he made his decision to call.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

YOSSARIAN LIVES!!! I think you are the first person to make that connection (or at least mention it).

Absolutely hilarious. My wife hates it.

Signed,

Washington Irving
Irving Washington

 

[BGinGA]

Following. I have wondered if HAVING time cards reduces the need for them by the mere fact of their existence.

Like people get the point that time should not be wasted, so the game just moves along better without ever actually having to use the cards.

^This is exactly what happened in our group when time chips were introduced. The two players that would frequently 'hollywood' suddenly seemed to take far less time to act.

Our rules dictate that a hand cannot be killed for running out of time chips, but that rail time penalties are instead applied. We've never had to assign a single penalty, and it's pretty rare that more than a single time chip is used in a typical 4 hour tournament.

 

[Eriks]

Is there a normal time limit for decisions which you may add to by using a time card i.e shot clock? If not, how do you determine when a time card has to be used? I wonder if ”reverse” time cards would be better. Like a card for putting the clock on someone without it being considered a dick move (sorta feels like it is otherwise, unless a loong time has gone by).

My biggest problem isn’t with people taking a few minutes on difficult decisions in big pots, though. I sometimes get someone playing that has to make a deal about any action they make. Like they’ll regularily hollywood and ”wonder what he’s got” for 15 seconds before folding to a single raise preflop. Nobody cares, just fold your shitty hand and let us get on with the hand!

 

[Machine]

^This is exactly what happened in our group when time chips were introduced. The two players that would frequently 'hollywood' suddenly seemed to take far less time to act.

Our rules dictate that a hand cannot be killed for running out of time chips, but that rail time penalties are instead applied. We've never had to assign a single penalty, and it's pretty rare that more than a single time chip is used in a typical 4 hour tournament.

What are some rail penalties you would apply? And this is tournament play?

 

[ekricket]

I remember hearing about some study of a day care introducing a "late fee" if you picked up your kids late to encourage "on time" pick up.... However it had the opposite effect. Since parents were "paying" for being late they used it more often.

So maybe having a time bank is not going to save time and will actually slow the game down because they are "paying" for the extra time?

I worked for a company once that gave away a free pickup to one employee. The drawing was only open to those that had not had a safety incident or report. So naturally tons of “incidents” and reported small accidents occurred - just to eliminate people from the drawing pool. People caused accidents and reported bullshit just to get a leg up for a free truck.


They never did that again.

 

[BGinGA]

What are some rail penalties you would apply? And this is tournament play?

Yes, tourney play with dedicated dealers.

Players are issued one 30-second time chip per hour of estimated tournament length (4 chips or two minutes of extra time for a 4-hour event, for example). Players always get up to 59 seconds to act before they are requied to forfeit a time chip.

Players get 30 seconds to act before dealer announces "Time", at which point the dealer starts clocking the player and tracking 'owed' time chips. After 30 more seconds, dealer announces "Chip #1", and continues timing and making subsequent "Chip #X" announcements until the player acts (verbally or physically).

Once the player acts, dealer requests that the number of time chips used be surrendered by the player. If the player has insufficient time chips to cover his time usage, he is penalized 3 minutes rail time for every 30 seconds of excess time used, effective at the start of the next hand. A player's hand is never ruled dead for excessive use of time.

In 15 years of using time chips in two 4+ hour events/month, we have never issued a rail penalty, and the number of time chips that have been forfeited is very low (usually one or two total per event, at most).

But play certainly is much quicker than it was prior to time chip implementation, and dealers very rarely even need to start the "Time" process at all. It works well as a time-wasting deterrent, while still allowing players the freedom of extra time for the occasional tough decision.