variety is the spice of life... but what about poker?

[emp1346]

So most of the time our home games are hold 'em tourney-style with some kind of payout based on players (duh).

Sometimes, though, we play mixed-game dealer's choice where you can leave at any point (after you've called your hour).

My question is whether or not most home games are dealer's choice or hold 'em, and in mixed games what do you play (or at least what's your favorite)? For home games I personally prefer mixed games simply because I like the variety, and I like the fact that rebuys are no problem, late players are ok to go, and it's much more layed back. Just curious what y'all think.

To give an idea, here's some of the mixed games we play:

Pot Games
<ul type="square"> Hold 'Em
Omaha (Straight or 8/b)
Cincinatti 44
Good, Bad, and the Ugly
Razz
Five Card Draw
Spit in the Ocean
(Blind) Auction
2-22
7 1/2 - 27 1/2
Triple Draw
Seven Stud variations
- straight
- follow the b*tch
- baseball
- chicago
- blind
- midnight
- low-card wild
Five Stud variations
- straight
- low-card wild
- chicago
[/list]

Progressive Games
<ul type="square"> Razzle Dazzle
Iron Cross
3-5-7
Kings and Little People
Draino
Ratf*ck
[/list]

[invinceible]

hi im new here, and also pretty new to poker...the only poker games i know how to play are hold em' and 7 card stud ... could someone please post up some like on how to play some of the games listed above.


-vince-

[bdypdx]

There are a ton of various poker games on this site.

http://www.homepoker.com/cookbook.html

[Nate Finch]

NL Hold'em Tourney is what we almost always play. We've just started doing some ring games, and those are usually dealer choice. I'm trying to keep the skill level up (it's always played at my place), so I discourage the more random, luck based games (multiple wilds etc).

So far, we like PL Omaha Hi/Lo and 7 card stud, and decidedly do *not* like 5 card draw. Omaha is a little crazy, since you see so many better hands, and just having A2 can get you half a pot at least half the time.

We're still looking for more good choices to add in, ones that are skill based and allow for reasonable bluffs (which generally means some cards face up).

Suggestions welcome.

-Nate

[Mojo Tooth]

[ QUOTE ]

My question is whether or not most home games are dealer's choice or hold 'em, and in mixed games what do you play (or at least what's your favorite)?

[/ QUOTE ]

Most non-tournament home games that I've ever been to were DC. I've only been to one "home" game that was strictly holdem, and it was probably borderline illegal due to the way it was set up, with a dealer who took tips etc.

Nowadays my home game starts with a few hours of dealer's choice, followed at a set time by a NLHE freezeout or two. That seems to satsify most of the people coming. The folks that get bored playing one game the whole time can get their rocks off calling Lo Chicago early in the evening, then the hardcore no-limit junkies can get their rush later.

As for what DC games are played, it's fairly limited. Chicago, Follow the B!tch, Omaha, Holdem, 7Stud, 5Stud. Very few wilds in general. Sometimes a non-poker game like "pass the trash" or "between the sheets" is called but it gets some grumbles so it usually only happens once a night. I personally would rather do without those two games but don't want to bring the goodwill level down by bitching about it.

[emp1346]

I hate hate hate pass the trash... that game is utterly worthless...

as for some good home games that still require a little skill and a degree of bluffing can come in, here's my absolute favorites:
-5-stud, low card wild, 5th card option
-Blind Auction
-Cincinatti 44

They still require some knowledge of poker and other players, remembering hand history in some cases, and being able to successfully pull off a bluff. I recommend giving those a try.

Doesn't anyone else play progressive pots at all, though?

[emp1346]

Doh!, I also meant to say that I really like the idea of playing a length of dealer's choice with a NLHE freeze-out tourney at some point in the night. Seems like everyone gets what they want. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[stannius]

The home game I most often attend is Dealer's choice, with a stipulation of poker games only (apparently some guy I who stopped coming before I started used to call Anaconda and 7-27). Wild cards are not, as far as I know, forbidden but noone ever calls them; similarly for declares in hi-lo games. However people do call games like "6 stud hi-lo with an option," "Roll-your-own 7 stud," and Atomic Chowaha. The dealer posts a 25 cent blind and betting on all streets in all games is .25-1.00 spread limit. Also the host often starts and/or ends the night with a NL Hold'em tourney.

The few times I have hosted or been integral to hosting a poke game, I have made it Hold'em only, fixed or spread limit.

A lot of people nowadays are hosting nothing but NL tournaments, because that's what they see on TV.

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]
I hate hate hate pass the trash... that game is utterly worthless...


[/ QUOTE ]

No it's not, its very skillful but underaprecaited game, especially when played Hi/lo declare 6432A as the wheel.

[emp1346]

i think we're thinking of two different games... what you are describing sound more like anaconda...

of course everyone's home games have their own ways of being played...

what I know as "pass the trash" is where everyone puts up four chips (say $.25), and everyone gets one card... you can either decide to hold or trade with the player to the left... if you have an ace you can block a pass... dealer gets option of taking top card off deck... player with lowest card has to throw a chip in... deal rotates every hand... last player standing takes the pot...

this pass the trash indeed sucks...

[Mojo Tooth]

That indeed is the one I'm talking about. As a poker game I agree it's completely worthless. I have played it in some family environments where it was kinda fun though.

[emp1346]

yeah, but i don't want to have money riding on it...