Best game to deal in home game (dealer's choice)?

[manku]

I play in a regular home game...there is a single $5 dealer ante, and then the bets are spread limit 5-25/5-50. Three raises max. Most games are hilo (5 card omaha, 7 stud hilo 8ob), some high like pineapple or omaha, and some stupid board games. no wild cards.

The game is pretty tight and passive. There is one very aggressive, semi-maniac player. Most players LOVE to slow play. Many won't bet or raise without the nuts. They will call, however.

We also play a couple of draw/board type games. One of these is 5 card omaha where you can also play your hand. Of course, this creates a situation where you can have a monster (wheel, ie) and no one is aware of it. Many players will slowplay and only raise on river with this.

I am clearly one of the more aggressive players, one of the few that will bluff and bet for EV. I am also a consistent winner. I used to be considered very tight, but a couple players in the game plus my more aggressive play recently make me seem like Gus Hansen.

Question: What game do you think would be the most profitable? Holdem is out, BTW. Also, you can play declare hilo games.

Thanks.

Manku

[thirddan]

i would stick to games with a positional advantage, so no stud as you can't depend on being last to act. I would choose Omaha then. Might as well play a game that you can give yourself a legal advantage over the rest of the field.

[Q8offsuit]

I would go with either Pineapple or Omaha high; these are both games that give a positional advantage to the dealer and also tend to punish weak/passive play and slowplaying.

[Andy B]

The advantage that a good player has in high-low stud with a declaration is so great that it is probably most advantageous for him to deal it, in spite of the positional advantage that one gets in dealing flop games. Also, if the game is such that a round of everything gets dealt, then there is no positional advantage to be gained.

Now if you stink at high-low split....

[Duke]

Badugi.

~D

[Phat Mack]

Question: What game do you think would be the most profitable? Holdem is out, BTW. Also, you can play declare hilo games.

Shuck Two, basically 6-card stud [(2)1-1-1-1] hi-lo. After the final card and its betting round, each player has the option of discarding exactly two cards and receiving repacements, up for up, down for down. The replacement is accomplished as follows: beginning at the dealer's left, each player announces whether they will replace or stand pat. After this announcement, each player in turn, again starting from the dealer's left, discards two and receives his replacements. Acting last in both the announcement round and the replacement round gives the dealer an enormous advantage. In fact, it has the greatest dealer advantage of any hi-lo game I've come across.

This was originally played with a declare, but now seems to be played with two qualifiers: eight for low, and either two pair or a pair of jacks for high. It can also be dealt with standard variations, roll your own door card, or better for promoting action, receive four and roll one - discard one.

GL

[timmer]

5 card Draw is widly excepted to be the standard poker game where positional advantage is the greatest.

Just my few cents

timmer

[PokerSlut]

If you can play hi-lo declare by all means do that. Of course this assumes you are familiar with how to make money at it.

[emp1346]

i like hi/lo personally...

also, i'm laughing as just tonight i posted a very similar thred (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1033344&page=0&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1#1033344) in Home Poker... check it out...

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]

Question: What game do you think would be the most profitable? Holdem is out, BTW. Also, you can play declare hilo games.


[/ QUOTE ]

This topic is covered extensively in John Fox's book, How to Hustle Home poker.

Some thoughts on what a hustler wants to play.

1. Games that are very positional.

The most positional game bar none, is "Little Poison". 5 card stud, hi/lo declare, with a twist. Played properly, the dealer can scoop or split 20-50% of the time, pretty much independant of his hole cards.

The down side to selecting this game, is that every else will start playing it as well, causing the home game to grind to a halt or it will get banned. Broadly speaking, hi/lo declare games with a twist give the dealer a huge advantage.

Suggested varient. "Big Poison" 6 card stud (1)-1-1-1-1-(1) hi/lo declare with a twist. This is bit more sustainable.

2. Games that put a high premium on skill.

Stud games, Draw games, many flop games. Basicly as a hustler you should always try to play the most complex and analyitcal games and varients possible.

Example: Draw high with a Joker.

3. Hi/lo or Lowball.

The concepts in these games are different than those for High poker. Nuff said. Hi/lo tends to be much looser than striaght low or straight high games.

Sugested game. Omaha/8

4. Games with a "trap"

Hi/lo stud without a qualifier. (freeroll city, read supersystem)
High/low spade in hole. (Don't play without it)
Penalty cards (wild cards in stud where you have to match the pot or drop)
Shotgun draw. (It's very hard to improve)

5. Games that tend to raise the stakes.

Down-the-river (Extra betting rounds)
Multi-draw lowball ( see above )
Double bet on the end (Lots of expensive river action)
1-2-3-4-5 (Ever increasing limits give big implied odds to draws)
Limit --> Pot limit. (In draw games, this really changes the game)

[muck_nutz]

You might consider introducing the concept of having a player (either based upon a rotating button or a random draw) choose the game for a whole orbit. Now you be more comfortable not choseing games where the button is given position advantage. Hi/lo games tend to be more technical but will often create a lot of action. I think you want to leave qualifiers at the door as they often makes people play better. Declares are good. One thing I will do in a PL dealer's choice game I play in is to call more standard games earlier in the evening. Often PL Miss 7cs high/low or some variant. As the evening progresses I'll based my game choices on who is bleeding.