Patrick del Poker Grande
08-15-2005, 12:22 PM
So I was up in Black Hawk, CO playing in a tournament on Saturday. The tournament director ran through the rules for the tournament, then gave a little plug for the live games, including a new game they're starting up - Bet 'em or Fold 'em Hold'em. NO CHECKING ALLOWED. You must either bet or fold when it's your turn.
Now, I haven't played this game, so I don't know how exactly it plays out, but I don't think I'd touch this one with a ten-foot pole. I'd be interested to hear what you all think the strategy adjustments should be. My initial reaction (after a chuckle) was that anything but high cards and pocket pairs plummet in value and should be turbomucked with extreme prejudice. You're not going to get any free cards and drawing could be very expensive.
Now, for those who are unfamiliar, let me say a little more about the condition of poker in Black Hawk, CO. There is a $5 maximum bet in CO (why I'm reserving my time up there for tournaments and not cash games), so this is a 2/4 game. The standard game in Black Hawk is 2-5 spread limit hold'em. The game is typically passive beyond belief. It's usually 5-8 players limping in for $2 and the passivity continues through all streets. You can get in there with a lot of hands for $2 and then punish them with the max bet/raise when you hit, right from the flop all the way through to the river. You also get more free cards in this game than you should in any other game. You can also punish all these limpers by raising to $7 and more than tripling the BB pre-flop.
Now, when these people go to Bet 'em or Fold 'em, they're forced to play in what is probably a much closer to correct fashion than their weak-passive game in the 2-5, forcing them to play a much more aggressive style after the flop. I may be wrong about this - it's probably just as likely to go completely over the top and devolve into a complete LAGfest, much like the 5/5 games end up being in Black Hawk.
I also cross-posted (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=3147532&page=0&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1) this in the General Hold'em forum.
Now, I haven't played this game, so I don't know how exactly it plays out, but I don't think I'd touch this one with a ten-foot pole. I'd be interested to hear what you all think the strategy adjustments should be. My initial reaction (after a chuckle) was that anything but high cards and pocket pairs plummet in value and should be turbomucked with extreme prejudice. You're not going to get any free cards and drawing could be very expensive.
Now, for those who are unfamiliar, let me say a little more about the condition of poker in Black Hawk, CO. There is a $5 maximum bet in CO (why I'm reserving my time up there for tournaments and not cash games), so this is a 2/4 game. The standard game in Black Hawk is 2-5 spread limit hold'em. The game is typically passive beyond belief. It's usually 5-8 players limping in for $2 and the passivity continues through all streets. You can get in there with a lot of hands for $2 and then punish them with the max bet/raise when you hit, right from the flop all the way through to the river. You also get more free cards in this game than you should in any other game. You can also punish all these limpers by raising to $7 and more than tripling the BB pre-flop.
Now, when these people go to Bet 'em or Fold 'em, they're forced to play in what is probably a much closer to correct fashion than their weak-passive game in the 2-5, forcing them to play a much more aggressive style after the flop. I may be wrong about this - it's probably just as likely to go completely over the top and devolve into a complete LAGfest, much like the 5/5 games end up being in Black Hawk.
I also cross-posted (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=3147532&page=0&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1) this in the General Hold'em forum.