Heriot-Watt Poker :: Low Stakes Poker

Alex · Five of a Kind

Home game at mine tonight. If you're up for it, be at mine for 8pm.

By the way, I've mentioned it a couple of times, but what do you think about increasing the stakes for our home games to 25p/50p?

As much fun as it is to see every flop, our games aren't as serious in a poker sense as they used to be. It's impossible to raise Accie off his blind, Marcus bluffs (!), and there is a straddle almost every single hand (which effectively doubles the stakes anyway).

My goal at a home game isn't to take all my friends' money, but it's not poker if it doesn't hurt a little when you lose your stack.

BTW, home game tonight will be usual stakes unless everyone agrees otherwise, so don't let these thoughts put you off playing.

Guest

Whenever you agree to draw for seats Ill agree to up the stakes, I understand that in cash games you can choose the seat you want, but those are vegas cash games where the game lasts for days and days, in a homegame where its only 4/5 hours I think its better to draw.

I cant make it tonight, but ill be up for a cash game on saturday if anyone wants one as its just before I go home.

BigD · HW Legend

I think once every while is ok, I dont think every couple of weeks would be that great mainly due to the fact that being stung for 2buy ins is the 100 quid and Im not sure how many of us in the game can honestly say the can afford 1 or 2 bad nights in a row. And a few people may buy in for less than £50 anyway.

I actually find the games with and enforced third blind really enjoyable, so I would suggest maybe 10p/20p/40p and let people buy in for £40/£50 if they want while still allowing those who want to sit with £20 to do so.

Stuart · Royal Flush

shnarf · Full House

i am in tonight. would be up for raising the stakes too it might make me play "more sensibly" and less likely to get bored and just start going allin all the time. we'll see tho.

shnarf · Full House

on second thoughts, lets play 5/10 with a min buyin of 400

PS: Can i borrow 400?

Alex · Five of a Kind

Guest

The drawing for seats is purely for positional reasons, although I did hurt my back trying to deal from a chair in alex's.
Certain player who shall be known only as J. Cardle... hmmm may be a bit obvious... ill make it John C, decides to make it his lifes mission to sit on my left, and I think that some players have an advantage, so why not make it random?
Id also like to point out that the straddle is not put on by all players, myself and accie usually get robbed of about 5quid a night due to straddle/re straddle, so I think maybe making a 3rd blind like David said of 10/20/40 would be a good idea.
At the end of the day alex its your game, so you can run it how you like.

Card Rack · Royal Flush

I don't particularly mind the stakes we play (within reason) as long as the game goes ahead, rather than pricing people out of it. As long as it is fun and nobody eats beans on toast for a month after they get felted, I'm happy really.

On a seperate note, I did try to avoid being in the blinds when a certain player is in the straddle positions (let's call him JP, then lo and behold £2 blind pre flop raise utg+1 lol). Oh and cheers for the compliment Alex, I'll try to be on your left tonight then

Guest

Choosing a seat may be the skill of a poker player alex, but your seat is set in stone, does anyone have the choice to sit there???

Most people would have preferences as to who they would like on their left/right, I just think that drawing seats would give the game a better balance, even if you dont like playing out of position against marcus it's slightly unfair on him that you always sit on his left, even though he gets a nice cosy seat himself.

I think its pretty obvious that people are choosing their seats due to more than just comfort, so why not just draw for it and make it even

Stephen · Royal Flush

Well I'm definately in the dont care camp for seating - always choosing 'comfiest empty seat' when I arive - although I have some thoughts that I thought I would post on the matter anyway.

I think your logic is slightly flawed in the choosing the correct seat is an important poker skill arguement Alex. Which is not that its not an important skill but I think in the case of a regular game with the same players all the time then all of us could easily work out where we would like everyone to be relative to ourselves for the playing of said game. The 'poker skill' would be in watching a table full of strangers (online/casino) for 5 minutes then working it out surely!

Also Marcus I think its wrong to try to avoid being in the blinds when the 'straddler' is UTG. My reasoning on this is to imagine the effect on your expected return from each hand in the blinds - if (a) everyone on the table straddled around to the button or (b) no straddle at all. I know which I'd prefer.

Stuart · Royal Flush

Maybe you should either make live straddles illegal, or make it compulsory (if everyone agrees, like on HSP).

Grunter · HW Legend

Not that i play this game any more but i tend to agree with PJ on the drawing for seat thing.

Its your house you tend to sit where you like (which is fair enough) I was beginning to notice you always sitting on my left when I was down in ed too - probably for different reasons to why you sit to the left on marcus tho.

Anywho probably more importantly - not everyone can pick and choose their seat when there is only one game/table which is a tad unfair to the less vociferous or easy going players in the group who just make up the empty seats.

PJ, Id just wait till marcus sits down then sit on his right that way you know alex will be to the left of him so john is screwed.

Game stakes would depend on the ratio of students to working people if I was to give an opinion on that. Suppose it just dependes on the numbers you could generate. Agree with alex tho its got to mean something or it gets a little rediculous.

Scott · Full House

Card Rack · Royal Flush

Stephen · Royal Flush

Hmm actually with my comments about the straddler if theres one person straddling every round then you will expect to make more in that hand wherever you are sitting so it doesn't really matter just the more straddles the better - unless your straddling

. Guess I should have thought that one all the way through!

Guest

Card Rack · Royal Flush

Guest

Alex · Five of a Kind

I don't agree with you PJ, but I can see your points. I don't think it's unfair for players to be able to choose and change their seats.

Anyway, the fairest way to decide is to be democratic about it. I can run my game however I like, but there's no point in having a game if nobody turns up. To be honest, despite our silly fight of last year I have enjoyed having both you and John at my games recently, and I'd be disappointed if you stopped attending.

http://hwpoker.myfreeforum.org/about763.html

I'm willing to go with whatever the poll suggests.

Stuart · Royal Flush

Guest

I was never going to abandon the game if we maintained the house rule of sit anywhere u want, but if the stakes are going up then I think its only fair that there is no advantage to any player, and IMO drawing for seats is the only way to be sure of it.
Again its your game and you can run it how you like, it's only a suggestion.

Jonathan Antonius · Straight

"Certain player who shall be known only as J. Cardle... hmmm may be a bit obvious... ill make it John C, decides to make it his lifes mission to sit on my left, and I think that some players have an advantage, so why not make it random?"

Sorry this is late but i should point this out:
1. PJ get over your self, your convinced the reason that I want you and Mike Kelly to my left is for different reasons... believe me it isnt. I know how you play, and I know how you bet in certain positions etc.

2. I sat in that seat at alex's twice cause i had no choice... and i am in full support of randomly selecting seats.

3. I had Marcus and Alex to my Left!! Do you honestly think I chose to be there. Do u think I would do anything to be on your left, to the extent that I would want to be out of position against the two strongest players at the table??? I would have happily taken any other seat at that table.

Alex · Five of a Kind

Jonathan Antonius · Straight

oh yeah... the stakes. increase them.