What are your buy in rules for a cash game? (2 Viewers)

MrCatPants

MrCatPants

Full House
Joined
Jun 24, 2017
Messages
3,602
Reaction score
9,014
Location
Houston, Texas
What are your initial buy in rules for a cash game, in terms of BBs?

For our small stakes cash games we standardize at 80BB stacks.

Pros is we didn't drive off players as the competition got stronger, but cons we get a lot of early all in hands. It's 80BB or up to half the big stack for late arrivals/rebuys/top ups.

For my bigger stakes games it's up to 100BB. And then half the big stack for late arrivals/rebuys/top ups.

For my circus night we play deeper - standardize 160 BB for initial buy in. Half the big stack after that.


What do you do? What do you like/not like about it? I've been debating going a little deeper on starting stack amounts but worry about some players getting scared off.
 
$.25/$.50 cash game, 40bb min, 200bb max to start. Once the game is rolling, no minimum, but we cap the buy-in to roughly 1/2 the big stack at the table. there is some flexibility (if the big stack is $380 ish, we round up to the $200 max buy-in).

We haven't played bigger or smaller than $.25/$.50 yet. Once I get a 1/1 or 1/2 game going though, it will be 200bb for either. Nobody around me plays any smaller (that I have been invited to, at least).
 
Yeah, 200 bb max.
For my .25/.50 game, buyins are up to $100 and people buy in for anywhere from $50 to $100. I don’t think I’ve ever set a minimum and I don’t think anybody’s ever bought in for less than $50.
I’ll confess to being kind of loose with topoff rules. I guess we usually say half the big stack. Honestly I have one or two guys who like to be close to the big stack whenever possible and as the night gets later I’ll take their hundred dollar bills without question. In my defense I’ll say that I’ve never had anybody question or complain about how much guys top off for, and that I’ve never had anybody with a big stack going crazy and messing up the game, so I think the guys who like to top off big are good for the game.
 
@ the start there is a max buy in (7pm) then at 10pm you can match big stack and we open up the game selection as well.
 
My weekly cash game ($0.25/0.50 NLHE base game, $1 ante NL Omaha bomb pots, $1 ante NL dealer's choice after 10:00) starts off with a flat $20 buy-in. Rebuys for up to $20 more allowed when you get to $10 or less.

It's not my favorite structure, personally. I inherited it from the previous host and kept it in place because everyone's familiar and it has worked for many years.

It does keep the game small, for the most part, and that's part of the point. Most of the players get this and are happy with it.

The part some of them don't get, but that's just as important, is that obviously we're playing pretty short-stacked most of the time, especially for bomb pots (easily 75% or more of the hands we play), and this is good for game health. It makes the game a lot more gambley, and that variability translates to recreational players booking wins more often and having great nights ending in tragedy less often.

I may consider bumping the buy-in limit to $40 after 10:00 or something, but TBH there's no real push for it. People are happy with the game.
 
Initial buyin is usually 150BB and can top up / rebuy up to 60% of big stack. Stakes vary with different participants anywhere from 5¢/5¢ to 25¢/25¢ and I always encourage players to only play at stakes where their bankroll can comfortably cover 600BB
 
We play mostly 0.25/.50 or 0.50/1.00 (always NLH. Straddle is on, bomb pots every hour or so)

Initial buyin up to 200bb, rebuys and top ups to the size of the big stack.

I have wondered however in recent months if this structure might be a limiting factor in attracting more players to our game…
 
Last edited:
cpac54 said:
We play mostly 0.25/.50 or 0.50/1.00

Initial buyin up to 200bb, rebuys and top ups to the size of the big stack.

I have wondered however in recent months if this structure might be a limiting factor in attracting more players to our game…
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree.

My "Regulars" are strong players who want deep stacks and play aggressively. They have been the impetus of a push in max BI from 150 - 250 over the last two years. This has the effect of pushing the double rebuy from 300BB to 500BB naturally.

While they all usually play 2/3 or 2/5 at the casino and underground games, my game is 1/1 and I can see how new players are scared to BI for the full amount and a losing first session usually results in the player not returning.

I think the solution will be introduction of a lower stakes game run on a different night to the 1/1. A 0.25/0.25 game with a $50 max BI could be a much more comfortable introduction game.
 
krafticus said:
$.25/$.50 cash game, 40bb min, 200bb max to start. Once the game is rolling, no minimum, but we cap the buy-in to roughly 1/2 the big stack at the table. there is some flexibility (if the big stack is $380 ish, we round up to the $200 max buy-in).

We haven't played bigger or smaller than $.25/$.50 yet. Once I get a 1/1 or 1/2 game going though, it will be 200bb for either. Nobody around me plays any smaller (that I have been invited to, at least).
Click to expand...
There's a player who used to frequent my game that would buy-in multiple times at 40bb. Like, literally buy-in, all-in, rebuy, all-in, rebuy, all-in ALL NIGHT. IT WAS EXHAUSTING as the host to keep refilling this one player.

So my rule is min 80bb, max 200bb, top off whenever you like.

Also hosted a $1/$3 game once where I didn't specify a max buy, and a player busted out for $1,000 and pulled out $5,000 for his 2nd buy. Wasn't great for half the players who literally shut down and folded the majority of the night.

So I believe in a minimum and maximum, at least for my pool of players.
 
MrRossKeys said:
There's a player who used to frequent my game that would buy-in multiple times at 40bb. Like, literally buy-in, all-in, rebuy, all-in, rebuy, all-in ALL NIGHT. IT WAS EXHAUSTING as the host to keep refilling this one player.

So my rule is min 80bb, max 200bb, top off whenever you like.

Also hosted a $1/$3 game once where I didn't specify a max buy, and a player busted out for $1,000 and pulled out $5,000 for his 2nd buy. Wasn't great for half the players who literally shut down and folded the majority of the night.

So I believe in a minimum and maximum, at least for my pool of players.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I've never ever had a player ask what the minimum buy-in is. it's ALWAYS "what's the big stack?" followed by "what's the max I can buy in for?"
 
MrRossKeys said:
There's a player who used to frequent my game that would buy-in multiple times at 40bb. Like, literally buy-in, all-in, rebuy, all-in, rebuy, all-in ALL NIGHT. IT WAS EXHAUSTING as the host to keep refilling this one player.
Click to expand...
The fun solution to this is to have a rack full of pre-counted stacks of $40, and keep it nearby with a big label on it that says "Steve's Rebuys" (adjust as necessary for actual name).
 
krafticus said:
To be fair, I've never ever had a player ask what the minimum buy-in is. it's ALWAYS "what's the big stack?" followed by "what's the max I can buy in for?"
Click to expand...
And the other one I hear is “what did everybody else buy in for?”

By the way, “what’s the max I can buy in for” reminds me of my nephew Jacob, a kid after my own heart. When he was younger and his mother was serving him, he’d ask “can I have as much mashed potatoes as you’ll let me have?”
 
krafticus said:
To be fair, I've never ever had a player ask what the minimum buy-in is. it's ALWAYS "what's the big stack?" followed by "what's the max I can buy in for?"
Click to expand...
I have had two players who do this in the entire history of my game. But only two.
 
.50/.50, 40-200bb fixed cap.

When just us degens are remaining I reserve the right to double the BB and the cap upon request with unanimous consent.

I'd like to go uncapped but my players are rolled very differently. Some show up with $60. Others bring more like a grand. I think the cap holds the game together so I keep it.
 
We play pure NLHE

.50/$1, $20 min, $300 max
$2/$5, $300 min, $1000 max

I don't allow players to buy a portion of the big stack because, IMHO, they didn't earn the right to the same big stack that somebody else has that accumulated that stack over a period of time. No free rides at Alpha Club...you gotta earn that shit!! :)
 
Game: NLHE
Blinds: $1/$2
Buy-in: $40 min / $200 max or half the biggest stack. Top ups are allowed anytime between hands.

So far I like the limits that we have set. We come from all different types of financial backgrounds so $40 works for some while $200 works for others. If I could have it my way I would prefer a minimum of 100bb buy-ins because it would prevent the inevitable shove fest that $40 stacks create in the first 2 hours of play. I've lowered the blinds before, but some people love gambling for $40 at a time.
 
I started at a 50BBmin and 100BB max. I think I'm going to do what most other chippers in the area do and allow up to a 200BB max. I feel like it allows people to play a little looser while still keeping the stakes at a friendly level.
 
We used to play $1/2 $200-300 initial buy-in with a match the stack option. But I was having trouble filling the table.

So I changed the game to $1/1 $200 buy-in (no less, or more) and still have the match the big stack option.

The game plays the same size as the $1/2 game, but it attracts more players because they think it is a smaller game. It just takes a little longer for the stacks to get deeper.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Register

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Similar threads

elemeno
Cash game with close friends - what stakes?
Replies
29
Views
1K
renegadegatorman
renegadegatorman
Taghkanic
Incentives for cash game attendance
2 3
Replies
67
Views
2K
Coyote
Coyote
jkoclanis67
Cash Game First Cash Game Setup for Buy-in and Rebuys?
Replies
20
Views
539
4SUMERZ
4SUMERZ
krafticus
NIT/Stand-up Game for NLHE/PLO rotation
Replies
10
Views
429
ChipEnvy
ChipEnvy
TheYeti
Critique my House Rules (after a year of tweaking)
Replies
22
Views
865
KingZilla
KingZilla
Back
Top Bottom