Ideas on this betting structure....

In Colorado, the state has a $5 max bet law when dealing with card games, or so I was told. This seems to have created a strangely structured Hold'em game that I was looking for some ideas on from you guys/girls. How do y'all think a $2-$5 spread limit structure (with a 6 raise ($30 max) cap) for ALL rounds of betting affects the game as opposed to a normal spread or structured limit game?


NOTE: There is one blind of $2 (or can be $5 if the player wishes, but it isn't usually). Then it is $2-$5 spread limit all the way to the end (the bets never double). They also have a $5 game too, that I believe is just a $5 blind, then a fixed $5 per round bet (with the 6 bet/$30 cap) till the end.

Is this a normal betting structure that I just haven't seen or read about?


Nonetheless, I would think that it would increase the value of draws, as your odds won't be cut down on the turn as much, and also, it will require you to play much more vigorously if you have a good, but hard to improve hand like a high PP to try to get the people out. If you are not able to get a lot of people out early, I would think that the odds would make it possible for draws to stay with good odds all the way to the end, provided they had them to begin with and there are enough people still calling--more so than in other structures.


Is this a valid summary and thought process? I am not a good odds man, so I may just being missing the obvious....

Nonetheless, I would think that it would increase the value of draws


Drawing hands such as Axs and suited connectors are good hands, in part, because they get paid off on the expensive betting rounds.


These drawing hands draw cheaply pre-flop and on the flop and then value bet on the expensive turn and river rounds.


The betting structure you describe should benefit pocket pairs more than any other type of hands.

G. Ed should be posting here, as he wrote a book on $2-$5 poker. As a Colorado player, however, here are some of my observations:


- Yes, pocket pairs do go up in value, especially if you are a player who can easily let go of a pair that misses the flop. You only have to pay $2 to see if you have a made hand on the flop, else you can throw it away.


- (MrGrob) They also have a $5 game too, that I believe is just a $5 blind, then a fixed $5 per round bet (with the 6 bet/$30 cap) till the end.


Actually there's two $5 blinds, and as such the name of the game is "5-5". We also have/used to have 3-5 (not sure if any rooms still spread it), with two blinds ($3, $5) and a fixed $5 bet on all rounds.


- Is this a normal betting structure that I just haven't seen or read about?


It's normal to us in Colorado. /images/smile.gif I think they also spread this game in South Dakota. I do recall, however, hearing that SD raised their limits to $10 (big money!) and so they now play $2-$10 spread. Can anyone verify this?


Excalibur in Vegas plays a $2-$6 spread.


Those are the only spread games I know of.


Other thoughts:


- A call on the river when you think you are beat is even more correct in CO than other places


- Preflop raises are a lot more likely to make players fold here than in structured games.


- Related: As such, depending on your assessment of your table, you might want to play tighter in early position... as you might find yourself calling $2, then one person raises, everyone folds, and it's up to you to put in $5 to play headsup against him.


- In general, I think structured games offer more value for drawing hands (as Dynasty said) because of the cheap price up front (while your hand is nothing) vs being able to charge a "steep" BB price when you hit your hand. The difference, however, between drawing in 2-5 spread vs structured, is pretty negligible. In a little $5 "no foldem" game, there's usually enough players to justify your draw.


G. Ed wrote a book about $2-$5 poker:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0970546610/qid%3D1018461377/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F0%5F1/102-9986668-3696114


QT

WOW -- Thanks for the info y'all. I guess I played it right when I was there the first time, but after thinking about it (and having totally misunderstood a few things that I have cleared up now, thanks to y'alls' posts) I had myself setup to take some big loses :o) THANKS!


Oh, and I am going to be ordering that book, as I will be back in CO in the next few months! THANKS AGAIN!