Cash Game What comes before a .25/.50 game? (1 Viewer)

[200 Motels]

I'd start with 5c / 10c.

We play a 25c / 25c home game and it's not uncommon for someone to be up or down $100. Usually lost of straddle and lots of other games but even on days where we just play hold'em, you better bring more than $40.

I say start with 5c / 10c.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I run a regular two-bit poker game. For reference, a bit is 1/8 of a of a dollar, so a quarter is two bits. We actually use a 1 bit 2 bit blind structure for no limit, so we have a third chip denomination in play, which is only used for the small blind.

People buying generally buy in for $20- $40 but sometimes less, especially for rebuys. The most anyone has ever been down is $100 even. I like the one bit two bit blinds better than quarter-quarter, because the standard raise of double the blinds goes all the way to a dollar in your quarter game when the blinds are two quarters. It seems like a small difference, but with one bit to bit, the game is playing the way I like.Raising to $. 75 gets some callers, but raising to $1 knocks people down, especially if they only bought in for $20.

You can also consider just having a single blind of a quarter - you don't NEED to have two blinds.

That being said, you need to have more dollars in play than quarters. That means I have three denominations in play at the start of the game. I have plenty of chips, so that's not an issue. And the players seem to like having the bits around. Every now and then they confuse things on an all in pot, but otherwise the players enjoy having the bits as an option, and every now and then someone will actually bet with a bit and everybody else will be frustrated and laugh and make change. Sometimes someone tries to hoard all the bits, and it can be pretty funny to figure out how little they actually have in that staff.

 

[hod]

I run a regular two-bit poker game. For reference, a bit is 1/8 of a of a dollar, so a quarter is two bits. We actually use a 1 bit 2 bit blind structure for no limit, so we have a third chip denomination in play, which is only used for the small blind.

Is there a reason for the bits?

 

[Mental Nomad]

Because a 25¢ game is the right stakes for this crowd, and we like a small blind at half the big, and I like the historical reference.

"Shave and a hair cut..."
"Two bits."

That meant twenty -five cents.

When I was in school, I thought a Byte was eight Bits because computer guys made up the terms. Turns out it was the other way around... Because the binary digits were one eighth of a character, it made sense to call them bits! (Although I think the computer guys did make up Bytes... And Nibbles.)

 

[AdamAAAA]

Played with the neighbours last night in a .5/.10 cash game. It got interesting as the alcohol flowed and a couple of all in shouts. Entered with £10 and walked away with £30 so did okay.

If I'm honest the .5/.10 game was a little too low as everyone limped in with any hand as there was nothing at stake.

Looking forward to the cash game next Friday with work colleagues now. I'll definitely go with a .25 big blind, just need to agree on the small, which at this stage I think I'll keep at .25 as well.

 

[MillyS]

We usually play 5p/10p with a £10 or £20 buy in. We also increase the blinds progressively to keep the game flowing every 30/45mins.

Usually just a bunch of 6-7 friends that hang out so our games usually last 3-5 hours (breaks, banter and booze).

 

[AdamAAAA]

Send me an invite to that game

Had a game at the weekend and did 5/10 blinds. Worked out okay but because it was so low I was getting involved in every hand.

This weekend we've decided to keep to a tournament with no rebuys. I wish they could make up their minds. But as long as I get a game out of it I don't mind.

Starting to think I won't be able to get a regular home game down and so I'm just sticking to the casinos here at the minute.

 

[MillyS]

gotta have re-buys, there is always a few guys in our group that get heroic with their all in shouts and loose their chips.

 

[AdamAAAA]

gotta have re-buys, there is always a few guys in our group that get heroic with their all in shouts and loose their chips.

It's not at my house so I've not made the rules. Otherwise I'd allow it. I think host wants to get a couple of games in so lowering stacks and removing rebuys.

FWIW I don't agree but just wanna play some pokah.

 

[Blaster]

"Afternoon all.
We have some nice blank clay chips (someone bought them in Vegas a few years ago, feel nice and weighty), so we can...... "
Adam

Uh-Oh ....

 

[200 Motels]

Uh-Oh ....

Sounds like official casino weight. Clay filled.

 

[MillyS]

It's not at my house so I've not made the rules. Otherwise I'd allow it. I think host wants to get a couple of games in so lowering stacks and removing rebuys.

FWIW I don't agree but just wanna play some pokah.

How did your game go in the end? What did you guys choose for SB/BB etc?

 

[doakwolf]

I'm also in the 25c/25c boat. Works best for our stakes with $20 buy-in and usually 1-2 re-buys for the looser players.

I tried 10c/25c early on and it lasted two games. Everyone disliked the 5c chips on the table. Keen to hear how your game went.

 

[AdamAAAA]

I went to two home games. One was a cash game and we went with .5/.10 in the end.

It was okay, and whilst the people there were only interested in the small stakes and didn't really want to go any higher, for me it felt... boring. I don't know if that's the right word. The stakes were too low for my liking so I limped in with literally every hand I had as it was only costing 10p to go in with 7 deuce, for example. I tripled up on the night, but I only went from £10 to £30 such is the stakes involved.

The tournament night (different group) we played super quick turbo rounds, 1.5k chips, 20m blinds starting at 25/50 and most games were over within an hour to 90 minutes.

It was actually okay for what it was. Personally, I prefer it to be a longer game with rebuys but again it's a group of amateur and new players so they were more about more shorter games.

I think unless I manage to find a regular group here who actually play, I'll be playing these sorts of games just to get a fix. All in it was a good social night but no enough gambol.

 

[Wils]

I had the same issue with people busting out early in tournaments, so I run a 'double chance' tournament. You get half your chips at the start, the other half when you bust out or after 90 minutes, whichever is sooner. No-one can bust out too early that way.

I can't tell whether this is a great idea or you're just joking us... F'rinstance, if you only get half the chips at the beginning, instead of 100 big blinds (or whatever) you effectively only have 50 big blinds. If you reduce the blinds so that half the stack = 100 blinds (i.e. compensate for the reduced chips), then anyone who hasn't busted out after 90 minutes gets their other half, and they're suddenly deep-stacked versus the current blind structure.

 

[Whiteside]

My tournaments are normally 200 x BB, so with the double chance element starting stacks are 100 x BB. There is admittedly a tactical shift close to the 90 minute mark when the short stacks start playing aggressively knowing that they'll get more chips regardless but overall it works for us. I suppose it's very similar to a 100 x BB tournament where everyone is allowed one rebuy (or add-on) before 90 minutes.

It suits my game mainly because we only play about every 6 weeks. There would be nothing worse for my game than having a player bust out within an hour and having them sit and watch the rest of us play for 3-4 more hours, knowing that his next game is 6 weeks away. A cash game would be better but my players are simply not up for that.

 

[Chicken Rob]

I went to two home games. One was a cash game and we went with .5/.10 in the end.

It was okay, and whilst the people there were only interested in the small stakes and didn't really want to go any higher, for me it felt... boring. I don't know if that's the right word. The stakes were too low for my liking so I limped in with literally every hand I had as it was only costing 10p to go in with 7 deuce, for example. I tripled up on the night, but I only went from £10 to £30 such is the stakes involved.

The tournament night (different group) we played super quick turbo rounds, 1.5k chips, 20m blinds starting at 25/50 and most games were over within an hour to 90 minutes.

It was actually okay for what it was. Personally, I prefer it to be a longer game with rebuys but again it's a group of amateur and new players so they were more about more shorter games.

I think unless I manage to find a regular group here who actually play, I'll be playing these sorts of games just to get a fix. All in it was a good social night but no enough gambol.

In the .05/.10 game, start a session by raising every hand for 3 orbits. Since it's such low stakes, the risk is minimal, and if you can outplay the field, you should do ok. Do this for a few sessions and the tone of the game will change. It will become more fun.

 

[MillyS]

In the .05/.10 game, start a session by raising every hand for 3 orbits. Since it's such low stakes, the risk is minimal, and if you can outplay the field, you should do ok. Do this for a few sessions and the tone of the game will change. It will become more fun.

I agree with Chicken Rob. It is really difficult to play .05/.10 for the whole session. We normally raise the blinds every 3/4 orbits and still get 3/4 hours for the game, sometimes longer. we have rebuys for the first 90 mins or so.

 

[doakwolf]

for me it felt... boring.

Yeah, I'd feel the same. I also agree with Chicken Rob. You can train the players to get used to higher stakes and eventually they will prefer it I reckon. If the stakes are too low, it almost isn't even poker because as you said, you (and anyone else) can just play every hand. It needs to be at a level to keep things real and honest.

 

[hod]

I can't tell whether this is a great idea or you're just joking us... F'rinstance, if you only get half the chips at the beginning, instead of 100 big blinds (or whatever) you effectively only have 50 big blinds. If you reduce the blinds so that half the stack = 100 blinds (i.e. compensate for the reduced chips), then anyone who hasn't busted out after 90 minutes gets their other half, and they're suddenly deep-stacked versus the current blind structure.

The few casino tournaments I've played here in the UK have used this format. I think it's weird, although I'm sure at least one (maybe all) allowed you to just have all your chips at the start, which I chose.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I generally find that if a 100-unit buy-in is less than the cost of a modest dinner out at a sit-down restaurant, people will act like the chips are too cheap and the game doesn't play well.

 

[abby99]

I've played .05/.10 poker with a $5 buy-in and found those particular games to be just as competitive as those on the meat-up circuit. Heck, I'd play for M&M's if I could resist eating my bankroll.

 

[justsomedude]

We did .05/.10 when my group was just starting out, and it was also the last time. At those stakes people threw chips around a little too wildly, and just didn't care much about strategy. People were chasing silly straights, praying for runner-runner full houses, sh*t like that. Really... what's 15 bux among friends?

When we bumped it to .25/.50 with $80 max buyins, everyone tightened up a bit and played a little more "strategically," so to say. Granted, everything is relative in poker, based on bankroll, how much you're willing to lose, etc. But the .05/.10 stakes just didn't mean much to anyone when we started. For some reason .25/.50 and the occasional $60 pots got everyone to think about the game aspect more seriously. If that makes any sense.

Also, as a lot of folks mentioned, you could also just do a tournament and start with low blinds to make the game long. We run a 10k $25 buy-in tourney and start with 25/50 blinds. The game doesn't really tighten up until the 150-300 level, which gives everyone three to four solid levels of poker fun before having to wise-up with their strategy/play.

That's my 2-cents.

 

[AdamAAAA]

We did .05/.10 when my group was just starting out, and it was also the last time. At those stakes people threw chips around a little too wildly, and just didn't care much about strategy. People were chasing silly straights, praying for runner-runner full houses, sh*t like that. Really... what's 15 bux among friends?

When we bumped it to .25/.50 with $80 max buyins, everyone tightened up a bit and played a little more "strategically," so to say. Granted, everything is relative in poker, based on bankroll, how much you're willing to lose, etc. But the .05/.10 stakes just didn't mean much to anyone when we started. For some reason .25/.50 and the occasional $60 pots got everyone to think about the game aspect more seriously. If that makes any sense.

Also, as a lot of folks mentioned, you could also just do a tournament and start with low blinds to make the game long. We run a 10k $25 buy-in tourney and start with 25/50 blinds. The game doesn't really tighten up until the 150-300 level, which gives everyone three to four solid levels of poker fun before having to wise-up with their strategy/play.

That's my 2-cents.

Exactly my experience.

I think in all honesty, I'm going to have to try find a solid group--perhaps at the casino or something--and see if any of them run a home game.

 

[Chicken Rob]

I play in a weekly .05/.10 game that people take seriously. There's plenty of gamble, and plenty of rebuys, but it's real poker. The people care if they win or lose because 4 buy ins is a meaningful loss for many in this group.

The second time I played with this group, I managed to win every penny in play that night. They have gotten much better over the years.