What are your favorite Circus (bingo) games/variations? (1 Viewer)

[BarrieJ3]

Serious answers please. What's your favorite ridiculousness to play?

 

[BarrieJ3]

My personal favorite game overall/more mainstream has been Big O since they day I played it. My absolute favorite circus game is Scarney since the day I played it.

When called, it's often lauded as "Bingo", cries of "How do you know what a good starting hand is", and general gnashing of teeth and torn clothes follows. But then...there's action every hand, many family pots, those out of the hand are still entertained/watching the hand, and the players enjoy it.

At the primary home game I play at now, more often than not the loudest screaming/yelling/most boisterous or wow or annoying or wtf hand is from Scarney.

Several variations were brought up, most of which I think can't actually be utilized. But Scarney with split pot to high hand and MOST number of pips was the one that most caught my eye.

 

[BarrieJ3]

In a different question, does anyone have a game regularly called that is split into 3 pots?

With 7 people on a bingo game, it seems that it wouldn't be too inconducive to have? I assumed it's a flat and hard no, but I've heard whispers from 3 different groups now that they wouldn't find it atrocious.

Last home game we played Omaharney, and that actually really helped. It left a lot less speculation out there for high hand and kept people more comfortable calling down to see additional streets.

Thoughts have been expressed about SoHeHarney, lovingly referred to as MeSoHarrrrrrney. Would you stomach a round of that at Dealer's Choice, or sit out with a frown?

The other issue is burn cards. Based on players present and the DC games being called, are you okay with ever not burning a card? Or do you bake those in as absolutely necessary when choosing games?

Edit - I've bolded the actual questions I have. I know I'm longwinded, and I do have real questions that I'm interested in seeing answers to, so hopefully that helps.

 

[Ben8257]

For me it's Sviten which is a variation of Drawmaha. Also love Drawmaha 21, 49. Canadian Scarney with the kill, Derailment (sadness) introduced to me by the great @bergs !

Also from my German brother Chris @cosmokramer "shemahaw" combination Super Holdem and Omaha (we played it at the Mauller In The Baller last weekend) much better that SheShe but it is 7 cards so 6 players max is the only drawback.

 

[Marius L]

For me it's Sviten which is a variation of Drawmaha. Also love Drawmaha 21, 49. Canadian Scarney with the kill, Derailment (sadness) introduced to me by the great @bergs !

Also from my German brother Chris @cosmokramer "shemahaw" combination Super Holdem and Omaha (we played it at the Mauller In The Baller last weekend) much better that SheShe but it is 7 cards so 6 players max is the only drawback.

What's the difference between dramaha and sviten? I thought it was simply two different names for the same game. (Swedish and english name)

 

[Ben8257]

What's the difference between dramaha and sviten? I thought it was simply two different names for the same game. (Swedish and english name)

The only difference is that if you take a single card on your draw it comes face up, if you keep it, it remains face up the entire hand. But you can also discard it and have a second draw (redraw) that comes face down. 2 chances for your straigh/flush/boat. You can draw up to 5 and the face up rule only applies to single card draws.

Most that have played both are calling sviten now over Drawmaha that we know. We learned the game from @DarkHelmet55 crew and we play it spread limit of $20 max raise capped at 4 raises as opposed to pot limit. Once this game is called that's all we play for the next 6 hours straight! Lol

 

[Rhodeman77]

In a different question, does anyone have a game regularly called that is split into 3 pots?

With 7 people on a bingo game, it seems that it wouldn't be too inconducive to have? I assumed it's a flat and hard no, but I've heard whispers from 3 different groups now that they wouldn't find it atrocious.

Last home game we played Omaharney, and that actually really helped. It left a lot less speculation out there for high hand and kept people more comfortable calling down to see additional streets.

Thoughts have been expressed about SoHeHarney, lovingly referred to as MeSoHarrrrrrney. Would you stomach a round of that at Dealer's Choice, or sit out with a frown?

The other issue is burn cards. Based on players present and the DC games being called, are you okay with ever not burning a card? Or do you bake those in as absolutely necessary when choosing games?

Edit - I've bolded the actual questions I have. I know I'm longwinded, and I do have real questions that I'm interested in seeing answers to, so hopefully that helps.

I could see a 3 way pot in a double board Drawmaha type game.

Best draw hand (Whatever version hi/lo,pips,etc), Omaha HI best, Omaha Low either board. Each worth 1/3 pot. Not something I’d want to play often, but would try once.

 

[Ben8257]

I could see a 3 way pot in a double board Drawmaha type game.

Best draw hand (Whatever version hi/lo,pips,etc), Omaha HI best, Omaha Low either board. Each worth 1/3 pot. Not something I’d want to play often, but would try once.

Don't even get us started on the games that @k9dr Comes up with after he has been drinking a while... what was that one Mark. Doubleboarddrawimploceadugi? Lmao

For the record... down for whatever folks come up with... as long as it's not 2 card poker! Lol

 

[BarrieJ3]

The only difference is that if you take a single card on your draw it comes face up, if you keep it, it remains face up the entire hand. But you can also discard it and have a second draw (redraw) that comes face down. 2 chances for your straigh/flush/boat. You can draw up to 5 and the face up rule only applies to single card draws.

Most that have played both are calling sviten now over Drawmaha that we know. We learned the game from @DarkHelmet55 crew and we play it spread limit of $20 max raise capped at 4 raises as opposed to pot limit. Once this game is called that's all we play for the next 6 hours straight! Lol

No hate here, but I'm a bit surprised at that being so popular. Going back in forth in my head, I like variation (anything for more cards), and maybe I don't play enough draw, but I feel like it's pretty rare that I run into 2 pair or 4 to a straight/flush. For the face up, I can see that affecting draws dependent on position, and maybe there's some consideration for blockers and such, but it would appear that the majority of value there for others would be what the 2nd card is if someone draws 1 twice.

Would it be too insane to allow everyone a 2nd draw? One post flop one post turn?

As someone who loses the majority of my money on Drawmaha compared to any other game, and you as a great person to ask as it's a mainstay for your game, would you or your crew be open to more chicanery? I was looking through the cards and noted Route 66.

Looks to be just an extra card in hand, extra turn card. Downside of course is 6 player max.

 

[Marius L]

The only difference is that if you take a single card on your draw it comes face up, if you keep it, it remains face up the entire hand. But you can also discard it and have a second draw (redraw) that comes face down. 2 chances for your straigh/flush/boat. You can draw up to 5 and the face up rule only applies to single card draws.

Most that have played both are calling sviten now over Drawmaha that we know. We learned the game from @DarkHelmet55 crew and we play it spread limit of $20 max raise capped at 4 raises as opposed to pot limit. Once this game is called that's all we play for the next 6 hours straight! Lol

Right, was not aware there was a difference. Thanks.

That's the way we've been playing it, with the sviten rules i guess. Although we dont keep the face up card face up for the rest of the hand, everyone will see it and obviously remember what it is. More importantly like you say, it gives two chances for those 4 card draw hands which is fun!

Sviten, big08 and sohe has been our groups favorites lately.

 

[Ben8257]

No hate here, but I'm a bit surprised at that being so popular. Going back in forth in my head, I like variation (anything for more cards), and maybe I don't play enough draw, but I feel like it's pretty rare that I run into 2 pair or 4 to a straight/flush. For the face up, I can see that affecting draws dependent on position, and maybe there's some consideration for blockers and such, but it would appear that the majority of value there for others would be what the 2nd card is if someone draws 1 twice.

Would it be too insane to allow everyone a 2nd draw? One post flop one post turn?

As someone who loses the majority of my money on Drawmaha compared to any other game, and you as a great person to ask as it's a mainstay for your game, would you or your crew be open to more chicanery? I was looking through the cards and noted Route 66.

Looks to be just an extra card in hand, extra turn card. Downside of course is 6 player max.

View attachment 935930

I have looked at that card many times... but never actually played that game, careful. That one is definitely going to be a bank roll buster!!

Of course the second card would give us additional info, but you are definitely getting some... say you draw a Q on a Q high flop and discard that card. Hmm something fishy going on with that MIT hand... careful.

It is actually quite often that 4 card flushes or 2 pair/set is dealt in the MIT hand. So often that I have multiple times lost my stack to a flush in hand to a Boat in hand... again ask @k9dr he has done it two me twice! Also @ekricket has got me twice, and happened to @Machine this past weekend in the suite! It happens a lot! That single redraw definitely changes the game as opposed to single draws. You will run into more monster MIT hands.

Would I like a second draw after the turn? Hmm... well quickly we will run out of cards in the deck unless we made both streets single or possibly (up to 2 post flop)/ (up to 1 post turn) interesting concept and I would run it if I find ourselves 6 handed sometime in the future. As Sviten has nothing to do with the word Drawmaha... I guess we could call it Butterysingletspecial or go with the boring Redrawmaha. Lol

 

[bergs]

Stick It In My Bum Bum.

5 card Tahoe* hi/lo with a draw. Great game. Broooooootal swings.

* - Tahoe is play all 5 cards in your hand or 2 in your hand and 3 on the board like traditional Omaha.

 

[JRald07]

My group's favorite "ridiculousness" game is what we call "Tip Toe":

4+ card Omaha Hi/Lo with 2 flops, 4 turns, and 4 rivers, assembled in a cross or "plus sign" working your way inside out. You essentially have 6 boards, with the turns and rivers on the sides to be used with either flop.

I will use the cards in the picture above to map out all the boards in a flop | turn | river format

1. | |
   
2. | |
   
3. | |
   
4. | |
5. | |
   
6. | |

It's just ridiculous this gets called so often in my game lol.

 

[BarrieJ3]

My group's favorite "ridiculousness" game is what we call "Tip Toe":

4+ card Omaha Hi/Lo with 2 flops, 4 turns, and 4 rivers, assembled in a cross or "plus sign" working your way inside out. You essentially have 6 boards, with the turns and rivers on the sides to be used with either flop.

View attachment 936096

I will use the cards in the picture above to map out all the boards in a flop | turn | river format

1. | |
   
2. | |
   
3. | |
   
4. | |
5. | |
   
6. | |

It's just ridiculous this gets called so often in my game lol.

I like it! We had something like this recently. Double board, and you could either play Hold ‘em across either board, or 3 from your hand and the any of the five 2 card vertical “boards”.

I like your home game

 

[Samuel]

I like it! We had something like this recently. Double board, and you could either play Hold ‘em across either board, or 3 from your hand and the any of the five 2 card vertical “boards”.

Sounds fun! How many cards dealt to each player - 4? Do you have a name? If not, I'm thinking maybe something like "chef's special" or "chop it up"...

ETA - have you tried reversing the flop/turn/river order of each board (maybe to prolong the suspense?) - e.g. top board L to R and bottom board R to L (so the flop only reveals one vertical pair, in the middle)?

 

[Mike Wells]

There's a game that's low-key popular around Dayton called 6-3-2
Deal 6 cards.
Players set 3 holdem hands from their 6 cards and set a chip on each one.
round of betting NL
2 flops
each player discards one of their 3 hands
round of betting NL
2 turns
each player discards one of their 2 remaining hands
round of betting NL
2 rivers
final round of betting NL
Pot is split between best hand on each board (or scooped)

 

[JRald07]

There's a game that's low-key popular around Dayton called 6-3-2
Deal 6 cards.
Players set 3 holdem hands from their 6 cards and set a chip on each one.
round of betting NL
2 flops
each player discards one of their 3 hands
round of betting NL
2 turns
each player discards one of their 2 remaining hands
round of betting NL
2 rivers
final round of betting NL
Pot is split between best hand on each board (or scooped)

Sounds like 3-handed Hold em from the mixed game cards, just with two boards. Must try it!

 

[BarrieJ3]

There's a game that's low-key popular around Dayton called 6-3-2
Deal 6 cards.
Players set 3 holdem hands from their 6 cards and set a chip on each one.
round of betting NL
2 flops
each player discards one of their 3 hands
round of betting NL
2 turns
each player discards one of their 2 remaining hands
round of betting NL
2 rivers
final round of betting NL
Pot is split between best hand on each board (or scooped)

Sounds like 3-handed Hold em from the mixed game cards, just with two boards. Must try it!

Big big fan of 3 handed holdem, hadn’t played it double board before.

I like it because it’s super simple, and for the lifetime holdem only players, this is an easy transition.

 

[Mike Wells]

Sounds like 3-handed Hold em from the mixed game cards, just with two boards. Must try it!

Fun part is you get some tricky decisions, since you have to get rid of 2 hands. Like do you keep your made hand...or your big draw that has scoopertunities.
I actually flopped quads in this game once and got scooped. Board ran out TTJQK with 4 spades. He had aces with As.

 

[ekricket]

I like it because it’s super simple, and for the lifetime holdem only players, this is an easy transition.

Fun part is you get some tricky decisions, since you have to get rid of 2 hands. Like do you keep your made hand...or your big draw that has scoopertunities.

I think this game is an excellent game for beginner holdem players. It teaches - and shows you - what hands are really good to play and continue on with vs hands that are just pretty. You can start to see light bulbs turn on over beginner players heads after playing a few rounds of this.
But because it has six cards to start it’s looks “complicated and very hard” which are just other words for “I have to think about this and not just flip a coin”

 

[bsdunbar1]

When you play split pot games, we'll say Scrotum for example, and two people have the exact same 5 card flush, do you split the pot between them or do you go by the ranking of suits?
Example a Spade flush beats a heart flush

 

[JRald07]

When you play split pot games, we'll say Scrotum for example, and two people have the exact same 5 card flush, do you split the pot between them or do you go by the ranking of suits?
Example a Spade flush beats a heart flush

I would split the pot between them. No different if the players both had broadway. Ranking of suits should only matter in stud.

 

[CraigT78]

When you play split pot games, we'll say Scrotum for example, and two people have the exact same 5 card flush, do you split the pot between them or do you go by the ranking of suits?
Example a Spade flush beats a heart flush

Chop it up.

 

[raynmanas]

Last week I really enjoyed Drawmaha 2-7 and I don't even know if had a name, but it was Drawmaha where the hole hand was Badugi.

 

[CrazyEddie]

For the record... down for whatever folks come up with... as long as it's not 2 card poker! Lol

You should try literal two-card poker. A game popular during World War II, called "Hurricane". Two-card draw, deuces wild. It actually plays a lot like 2-7 single draw aka Kansas City Lowball; there's a lot of guessing and bluffing, and it's much more about the betting than the cards. Also plays well as high-low (for low: no declare, no qualifier, no wild, aces are low, best hand is ace-deuce) so you get people staying in with garbage hands trying for half the pot.

It also plays well as two-card stud: one down, bet, one up, bet.

Whether draw or stud, you have to play no-limit so you can put huge pressure on people with naked bluffs.

 

[CrazyEddie]

When you play split pot games, we'll say Scrotum for example, and two people have the exact same 5 card flush, do you split the pot between them or do you go by the ranking of suits?
Example a Spade flush beats a heart flush

For awarding pots, poker never prefers one suit over another. Hands that are equal in rank but different in suit are equal, and will split any pots they contend for. Odd chips go to the earliest position, not the higher suit.

For certain administrative matters, suits break ties, in alphabetical order from low to high: clubs diamonds hearts spades. This is used in chip races in tournaments for awarding odd chips during color-ups, and for determining who starts the betting during a betting round in stud games (in the first betting round the worst hand has to make a forced bring-in bet, and in subsequent betting rounds the best hand gets to lead the betting).

 

[DoubleEagle]

Stick It In My Bum Bum.

5 card Tahoe* hi/lo with a draw. Great game. Broooooootal swings.

* - Tahoe is play all 5 cards in your hand or 2 in your hand and 3 on the board like traditional Omaha.

When does the draw come?

 

[ekricket]

When does the draw come?

My draws never hit

 

[JRald07]

For awarding pots, poker never prefers one suit over another.

Unless you play at our game...check out this post for the rules at our game

 

[bergs]

When does the draw come?

After the flop betting before the turn card is revealed.