DrStrange
4 of a Kind
I have never played circus games, never even seen a table in play. But that likely doesn't matter. I know the weak players get slaughtered there and I know why.
1. The more decisions that get made, the more chances a skilled player has to influence the results in their favor.
200 years ago, poker was played with no draws, no flops and one round of beting. You got dealt a hand and wagered who's was best. Not much more than flipping a coin (unless you cheated). In a hold'em game you get four chances to bet and see how the other players bet. In a circus game, there might be more than four rounds of beting and some choices in how to split your hand(s) and multiple games happening at the same time. Yikes!
2. Everything you think you know is wrong.
Weak players fall back on what they "know" about other games. But that is a deadly trap - think how hold'em players get in trouble playing Omaha because they don't understand how the relative hand values change. So we get a few players who don't know the games (and it sounds like some are remarkably complex). They fall back on what they know about hold'em or Omaha, but its wrong. The suckers make decisions based on an inaccurate understanding of the game and take the short end of bet time after time.
3. Variance is going to overwhelm skill more than people expect.
Truth is, the circus tables would die without this. Imagine playing a round of bridge with the Dr and his regular partner. Anyone who isn't a skilled bridge player is going to lose essentially 100% of the time. The level of variation in the results gets overwhelmed by the skill edge. I doubt most people would even play a single rubber. Now consider some multi board, hand splitting high/low game. Chaos ensues. Even when you lose you win money (kind of like penny slots) - put in 25% of the money but only get back a 1/16th. On a lucky night, you'll book a $1,000 win and you don't have enough of a sample to know that over time you are losing $50/hr sitting in the game.
4. Aggression will further degrade the results of a weak player.
Switch the game to small stakes limit rather than big bet poker and the weaker players will start doing better in most cases - still losing in a big way though. But a weak player, facing a "big" bet {meaning the loss of the bet hurts} is going to make errors and fold too often because they can't judge the situation - hell they often don't even understand the situtaion. (and no doubt call when they shouldn't frusterated at being pushed off profitable hands.)
5. Analitical players are going to be at a serious disadvantage.
The math in many circus games is so complex that most people couldn't do it with a note pad and calculator with unlimited time. The better players have a "feel" for the right play based on expereince and competence. High level chess plays do this too - make the best moves not because they can completely think through the situtation but based on "it feels right". The weaker, novice players don't have useful feelings about which play is best, and certainly don't have the nerve to bet serious money to back up such feelings. In the end, even solid players are going to fall back on basic donkey poker and hope the Poker Gods shower the luck on them.
6. But it is only one or two sessions and the circus table sounds like FUN!
So in the end the weak players spew money in a way they mostly wouldn't if we played every week. Not that there aren't plenty of fish who do come back again and again. The worst players in my games love mixed games night even though they get hammered. Their judgement is so bad, they actually think mixed games are to their advantage.
So there you go. I'd love responses from the crowd that plays these games, but I'd be seriously surprised if I got this totally wrong.
DrStrange
1. The more decisions that get made, the more chances a skilled player has to influence the results in their favor.
200 years ago, poker was played with no draws, no flops and one round of beting. You got dealt a hand and wagered who's was best. Not much more than flipping a coin (unless you cheated). In a hold'em game you get four chances to bet and see how the other players bet. In a circus game, there might be more than four rounds of beting and some choices in how to split your hand(s) and multiple games happening at the same time. Yikes!
2. Everything you think you know is wrong.
Weak players fall back on what they "know" about other games. But that is a deadly trap - think how hold'em players get in trouble playing Omaha because they don't understand how the relative hand values change. So we get a few players who don't know the games (and it sounds like some are remarkably complex). They fall back on what they know about hold'em or Omaha, but its wrong. The suckers make decisions based on an inaccurate understanding of the game and take the short end of bet time after time.
3. Variance is going to overwhelm skill more than people expect.
Truth is, the circus tables would die without this. Imagine playing a round of bridge with the Dr and his regular partner. Anyone who isn't a skilled bridge player is going to lose essentially 100% of the time. The level of variation in the results gets overwhelmed by the skill edge. I doubt most people would even play a single rubber. Now consider some multi board, hand splitting high/low game. Chaos ensues. Even when you lose you win money (kind of like penny slots) - put in 25% of the money but only get back a 1/16th. On a lucky night, you'll book a $1,000 win and you don't have enough of a sample to know that over time you are losing $50/hr sitting in the game.
4. Aggression will further degrade the results of a weak player.
Switch the game to small stakes limit rather than big bet poker and the weaker players will start doing better in most cases - still losing in a big way though. But a weak player, facing a "big" bet {meaning the loss of the bet hurts} is going to make errors and fold too often because they can't judge the situation - hell they often don't even understand the situtaion. (and no doubt call when they shouldn't frusterated at being pushed off profitable hands.)
5. Analitical players are going to be at a serious disadvantage.
The math in many circus games is so complex that most people couldn't do it with a note pad and calculator with unlimited time. The better players have a "feel" for the right play based on expereince and competence. High level chess plays do this too - make the best moves not because they can completely think through the situtation but based on "it feels right". The weaker, novice players don't have useful feelings about which play is best, and certainly don't have the nerve to bet serious money to back up such feelings. In the end, even solid players are going to fall back on basic donkey poker and hope the Poker Gods shower the luck on them.
6. But it is only one or two sessions and the circus table sounds like FUN!
So in the end the weak players spew money in a way they mostly wouldn't if we played every week. Not that there aren't plenty of fish who do come back again and again. The worst players in my games love mixed games night even though they get hammered. Their judgement is so bad, they actually think mixed games are to their advantage.
So there you go. I'd love responses from the crowd that plays these games, but I'd be seriously surprised if I got this totally wrong.
DrStrange