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This home game not worth it?

  
 
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DaHorror
Old 04-30-2006, 10:07 AM     Post subject: This home game not worth it? #1 (permalink)  
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Played live in a home game last night for the first time in about a year...just some friends from a workplace I used to be employed at (and they still are).

Generally we play 6-max, which is great. The following was the set-up:

180 Starting chips
Blinds schedule -
1/2, 2/4, 5/10, 10/20, 25/50, (sometimes) 50/100

The problem I had was that the blinds were bumped up every time around the table (so you basically get 6 hands apiece for the first few blind levels.
So after the first few levels it's a total crapshoot/2-card bingo game.
The players are pretty average and definitely beatable, so I placed #2 twice and netted even for the night, which I don't consider to be too bad since I played poker for about 6 hours for free.

But I'd rather have some wins in there to go with it. Just seems like there is too much luck and not enough skill involved in this game outside of the early levels to make it worth playing. I figured I'd play with the guys 1-2 times a year and just think of it as a generally for-fun type of game, but it's a little frustrating when you're a competetive guy like me and want to win

I was just wondering whether or not anyone else's home games were as much of a crapshoot as these, or if I'm playing in a particularly sucky environment.
I did suggest that we adjust the blind level timing or starting chips, but folks were concerned that if we did that, then the people who busted out early would have an unfair shake since they basically sit around shuffling while everyone else goes on with the game. The prefer to get in 'more games' than longer but more interesting games.
I can sympathize with that, but at the same time, if I wanted to play bingo I'd go to Oklahoma!

Whataya think?
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Warpe
Old 04-30-2006, 10:28 AM #2 (permalink)  
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 We play ring mostly, but when we play single table tourney we bump the blinds after each knockout. Works fine.

Schedule is 1/2, 2/4, 4/8, 8/16 etc...



 
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Seasider
Old 04-30-2006, 11:23 AM #3 (permalink)  
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We generally play ring as well and twice yearly big Tournys with slow blinds for the Trophy (yes we actually bought one!). Every so often at the start or end of a night we will throw in a few 'turbo tournies' almost exactly like you described with the blinds doubling up every revolution. We play these for a small buy in but winner takes all, mainly because they are FUN and make people try to pull moves and get laughed at when they fail. And IMHO having FUN is what home games are about, its not plesant to brutally rape your mates pay packet out of them on a Friday night! I know some disagree.

If the whole night was like these I would just go play a solid game and go with however many buy-is's you are prepared to lose to have a entertaining night. Once the blinds get silly dont call with any hand you are not prepared to take all the way, infact dont call just push!
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UG
Old 04-30-2006, 05:42 PM #4 (permalink)  
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That sounds like a horrible game to play in. It's beatable, as is any game, but not at a very high rate. If you're having fun, though, treat it as fun and don't take it so seriously.

My home game isn't *that* bad, but it does feel like a crap-shoot at times because the blinds increase so fast. If you don't get a quick double-up you're very, very shortstacked when hour number two starts. Then it becomes a shove-fest between all of the short-stacks.


 
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azureXsmurF
Old 05-01-2006, 03:27 AM #5 (permalink)  
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Just suggest that the blinds not be raised so aggressively. You can still do it every orbit... but for example, suggest going from 10/20 to 15/20 instead of 25/50 (that's over a 200% increase, and is totally absurd, even for the least serious home games)
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AHiltz
Old 05-01-2006, 02:29 PM #6 (permalink)  
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Bad players love it when the blinds go up quickly cause it adds "excitement". I would stay away from that game if you're playing to make money.
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geoffm33
Old 05-01-2006, 02:42 PM #7 (permalink)  
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We play with 1000 in chips and a schedule as so:

10/20, 20/40, 40/80, 80/160, 160/320 (never got further than this)

We increase the blinds every 10 minutes and the game lasts anywhere from :45 to 1:15 so we'll play 4 of them. It works out pretty well, after some adjusting. We did 800 in chips with the same blind sched, and 1000 with 15 min blinds. The above seems to be working good for us at the moment.

My problem is that it's a winner-take-all game. I keep pushing for a 1st/2nd place game but since I finish 2nd with some regularity, they think it's a suspect request. My feeling is that you have to win 2 in a night to show any real profit (the $20 you win when you go 1 for 4 is blown on beer and pizza!).
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DaHorror
Old 05-01-2006, 04:10 PM #8 (permalink)  
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Thanks for the replies. I figured that my attitude on the matter wasn't so far off, but I was curious how other people address the thumb-twiddlers issue (maniacs who bust out early), but still allow some time for post-flop skill. I've seen a couple good posts in this thread for suggestions - so thanks!

I felt like I played reasonably well, and it helped that a few people thought I was 'good' and wouldn't mess with me unless their hands were fairly strong, and the others just couldn't get a read on me...this allowed me to bluff/semi-bluff and take down pots more than I would normally do in an online tourney.

What bothered me was (and this is probably sheer cockiness) that I know I'm more experienced, and generally better, than any of the other players, but there is little room for that to be exercised. Comon once you get 3 handed the blind levels are gonna be maxed out within 6-9 hands!? That was a bit ridiculous.

Also I do understand that if we changed things up much, and I won too consistently that I probably wouldn't be invited back too often.
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DaHorror
Old 05-01-2006, 08:34 PM #9 (permalink)  
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Oh and btw - I posted a few hands (that I was involved in) that stood out from the games in the SNG forum.

There were other crazy ones
(a) guy limping QQ preflop then betting it postflop, on an A8J board - reraised allin and calls against A8 - river is a Q.
(b) guy open pushing his midstack against me - I hold QJ pair of Jacks vs. his J5 pair of Jacks on a J67 board - river Q and my hand holds up
(c) Table idiot weak bets so I have odds to chase a flush vs. his made straight - and he pays off on the end as well
(d) Table idiot bets into me on a J high board - I raise - he calls - checks turn K and I push - he gets up and goes outside steaming...I will never know why - I think he was pissed that he couldn't bluff me off a hand that, while not great, I knew to be the best...

Anyhow, it was a fun time...and playing live is such a different game than playing online solely (which is where I've been for the last ~ year now), that was the coolest part of the whole deal for sure!
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