Nate's rules for chopping

[Nate tha' Great]

1. If you're in a game* where almost everybody chops, then chop. However, if you're in a game where a substantial number of people (say 25%) play, even if a majority of people chop, then play.

2. If you don't know the game well enough to determine the general chop/play disposition, then assume that almost everybody chops if the stakes are 30/60 or lower, but that a substantial number of people play if the stakes are higher than 30/60.

3. Always play if the game is 5-handed or less, regardless of rules #1 and #2.

4. Play rather than chop your BB if you're playing rather than chopping your SB, regardless of rules #1-#3.

5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.

Thoughts?

* By "game", I mean a particular limit at a particular casino. For example, "Wynn 40/80" is a game.

[Justin A]

Perfect.

[Joe Tall]

Nate, you are spot on and it's funny to hear you chat about LIVE poker!!

[Photoc]

[ QUOTE ]
Perfect.

[/ QUOTE ]

HuH? /images/graemlins/confused.gif Too many rules for me to remember...lol

Simple, if I have a beer in front of me, I raise. If I dont have a beer, I chop.

[stinkypete]

6. always chop if the rake is high in relation to the stakes. there's no reason to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop.

it seems like you're figuring this live poker thing out. now you just need to work on that twitch in your left eye that makes it all too easy to call down your turn raises with ace high.

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
6. always chop if the rake is high in relation to the stakes. there's no reason to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've honestly never been presented with a chop oppurtunity in a live 2/4 game. Maybe 30-40 hours.

[GuyOnTilt]

Hey Nate,

Looks pretty much spot on. Rules 4 and 5 are the most important. Also, I have my cutoff for never chopping at 6-handed instead of 5.

GoT

[Bremen]

[ QUOTE ]
5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.

[/ QUOTE ]
Of course if you're chopping time pots too much you probably shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Nate,

Looks pretty much spot on. Rules 4 and 5 are the most important. Also, I have my cutoff for never chopping at 6-handed instead of 5.

GoT

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly the same for me as well. Interestingly enough I got some shite from a local for no longer chopping when the game became six handed, I explained my position nicely but he wasn't a happy camper. Thats cool though, he tilted away his chips /images/graemlins/smile.gif Too bad I wasn't in the hands to catch them though /images/graemlins/frown.gif

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[Edge34]

[ QUOTE ]
6. always chop if the rake is high in relation to the stakes. there's no reason to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, call me slow here, but did you miss a "not" in there, as in "there's no reason not to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop"?

[smb394]

[ QUOTE ]

5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.


[/ QUOTE ]

Please bear with me as I am headed to the B&M for the second time ever and playing a time-charged game for the 1st time. I understand why you would chop a time pot, but not the actual mechanics of a timepot.

I am not quite sure who exactly pays the timepot. Just players who have won largish pots during the time period (e.g. over xBB) or is it something different. Thanks.

[stinkypete]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
6. always chop if the rake is high in relation to the stakes. there's no reason to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, call me slow here, but did you miss a "not" in there, as in "there's no reason not to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop"?

[/ QUOTE ]

that's correct. apparently i really suck at typing.

[shant]

It costs me some chips to learn that the guy next to me said he didn't chop only because he had a large pocket pair at the time, and after that was chopping left and right. What a cock.

[Edge34]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
6. always chop if the rake is high in relation to the stakes. there's no reason to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, call me slow here, but did you miss a "not" in there, as in "there's no reason not to chop in a 2/4 game with a 4 dollar drop"?

[/ QUOTE ]

that's correct. apparently i really suck at typing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, I'm just kinda bein' a nit tonight. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[MarkL444]

print this out. multiple copies. next time someone asks you if you chop hand them one. make sure you have "Nate's rules for chopping" at the top.

[jrobb83]

[ QUOTE ]


Please bear with me as I am headed to the B&M for the second time ever and playing a time-charged game for the 1st time. I understand why you would chop a time pot, but not the actual mechanics of a timepot.

I am not quite sure who exactly pays the timepot. Just players who have won largish pots during the time period (e.g. over xBB) or is it something different. Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are two ways time is collected in a time charge game. In some, the time is collected individually from each player at every time interval and money is never taken from any pot. The other way is to have a "time pot" in which the time charge for the entire table is taken out of one pot every time interval rather than directly from the players.

The theory behind the time pot is that it speeds up the game because play is never stopped while the dealer requests time and makes change with all of the players. This works well in loose or wild games, but is actually counterproductive when it results in 3-5 consecutive hands being chopped because nobody wants to play in the time pot.

[tpir90036]

Eh. That's too much. I usually go with the following in my effort to keep the people around me in a good mood and hopefully loose:

1a) Do whatever my neighbors do.
1b) Ignore 1a if the game gets short.

[oscark]

I agree with your rules...except at places where there is a Button drop. Then I just can't bring myself to chop. Reasonable?

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
Nah, I'm just kinda bein' a nit tonight. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not at all -- I was wondering the same thing. Obviously 1 big bet of rake is pretty hefty. I play the Foxwoods $2/4; I know all about these things. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[pheasant tail (no 18)]

[ QUOTE ]
5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why time pots? It would seem that a time collection would influence you more to play since everyone is "paying" for that pot rather than the winner.

[Durs522]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why time pots? It would seem that a time collection would influence you more to play since everyone is "paying" for that pot rather than the winner.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most times you just see a flop, someone bets, and the other guy folds. Its worth it in the long run to chop here and move to the next hand where you'll get more action.

Durs

[TheMetetron]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
5. Always chop time pots, regardless of rules #1-#4.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why time pots? It would seem that a time collection would influence you more to play since everyone is "paying" for that pot rather than the winner.

[/ QUOTE ]

Time pots, not games with a time collection. Big difference.

[brettbrettr]

[ QUOTE ]
Time pots, not games with a time collection. Big difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mind splaining it for the uninitiated?

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
3. Always play if the game is 5-handed or less, regardless of rules #1 and #2.


[/ QUOTE ]

What does the number of players at the table have to do with whether you chop when it is down to the two blinds?

[Evan]

As the table gets shorter and shorter 2 things happen. The rake decreases and it is folded to the blinds more frequently. As this happens it makes less sense to chop.

[thirddan]

when its down to 5/6 and the blidns chop then the action pretty much dies, plus most casinos will cut the rake so that factor is slightly reduced...

[sthief09]

if someone "always chops" you have the right to force him to play, right? I have never done this but if someone to my left never chops and someone to my right always chops that's just not fair

[brettbrettr]

I could be way off but if someone to your right wants to chop and you don't would make snese that he either has to complete or fold.

[BluffTHIS!]

[ QUOTE ]
It costs me some chips to learn that the guy next to me said he didn't chop only because he had a large pocket pair at the time, and after that was chopping left and right. What a cock.

[/ QUOTE ]

I too have run into this in live play with strangers, and then adopt the position of always refusing to chop with this player again at that table or in the future, while still chopping with the player on the other side of me, and regardless of whether that player is on my left thus meaning I often might have to just give him my small blind. I also then might look for an occasional opportunity even it costs money, to bet into this player when on a draw on the turn knowing that another player behind us will raise.

BTW, in live play, when I still played limit rather than exclusively big bet like I do now which often has 3 blinds which prevents this situation, I adopted all of Nate's rules plus the 6th the other poster added.

[jacki]

What about not using your hand to determine whether you'll chop or not?
I hate it when people look at their cards before deciding to chop. ick.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
if someone "always chops" you have the right to force him to play, right? I have never done this but if someone to my left never chops and someone to my right always chops that's just not fair

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, if you say you're playing then he has to play.