Game type problem
 

Every Monday night and Thursday night some guys from the dorms here get together and play a friendly poker game. The last couple of weeks it hasn't been so friendly.

For the first few months of playing we played either $5 or $10 buy-in tournies, and paid to the top 2 or 3. We usually get between 10-15 players. Well for some reason they all decided last week to play a ring game. That was fine with me until what happened. Someone would win a big hand, double up, and immediately cash out. That takes all the money off the tables since we have a limited number of players. I tried telling everyone this was gonna happen, but they still want to play ring style. So then they tried to come up with rules like you have to stay at the table for a minimum for an hour, or leave atleast $20 on the table if you leave. Then they said we should play it out until someone has all the money (same damn thing as a re-buy tourney).

My question is, does anyone here run a home ring game with a limited number of players? How exactly do you run it to avoid hit-n-runs? I don't think I'm gonna convince them to go back to tourney play which is ok cause I've still been winning, but it sucks when someone calls an all-in, hits a 4 outer on the river, and cashes out with half of the money from the table.

Thanks,
Bradyams

Re: Game type problem
 

Its very poor to make early pots and run off with the money. At the casino's this isn't an issue as there are players in waiting ready to take seats bringing more money to the table. I host ring games often and I have some ground rules which I explain clearly before a card is dealt. I first set a finishing time which all players are happy with, if one or more players for what ever reason are not able to stay until the finish they must state the time they wish to leave before a card is dealt. I also forbid any player from sitting out of the game for any significant amount of time(I once played at a home game where one player was winning big after an hour got up and said he was going to have a break and convieniently feel asleep on the sofa for the rest of the game). Of course a player is free to leave if they have lost an amount and don't want to rebuy. If you don't want to go to this trouble then stick to tourney's

Re: Game type problem
 

Require that a person sit for a certain amount of time before they can leave -- as in, a # of hours -- with a permissible number of missed and unpaid big blinds. For example, if you want to go for a 3 hr game, the rule is that you (via your chips) are in at the table for at least 2 hours (or even 3) with one free missed blind. The latter rule takes care of extra-long bathroom breaks and/or phone calls.

If someone wants to hit-and-run, they can, but they'll pay blinds until their time is up.

Re: Game type problem
 

You just need the right group of players. My group prefers a ring game and most of us play all night. I don't have to enforce any hit and run rules because 95% of the people there are in it for the long haul. The occasional one or two people have to split early sometimes which is a huge advantage to playing ring. If your players can't agree on when people can and can't leave ("announce a half hour before you leave", "play one more orbit before you leave", etc.) then you probably need to go back to tourneys. Or option B is living with the hit and runs and hoping that you bust them next time. They have to lose eventually, or so variance would say.

Re: Game type problem
 

There is nothing you can or should do about it. if someone wants to hit then run let them.

Just remember as host you have the right to reserve seats for the regular players [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

timmer

Re: Game type problem
 

I agree with Timmer.

Pointless trying to enforce some way of getting the would-be hit-and-run guys to hang around. Think long-term: if they're irrational players who want to lock up a big win, just make sure you invite them next week too.

Re: Game type problem
 

I've actually been accused of hit-and-run tactics while sitting at the table. I play tight, so if I do hit a big pot, people sometimes accuse me of "hoarding" it. This made me realize that at least half of the players (mostly mid/late 20's people I knew in college and still play every so often) in my game didn't care at all about the money and were JUST looking for excitement. We play loose attrition rules; that is, it's bad form to cash out early, but not strictly forbidden. It seems to work, but just barely. If the players in your game can't handle the "honor system," the host should dictate a system that will get enough players to fill a game, and still leave everyone feeling like they got their money's worth out of it, whatever that means for them.

I suspect that the players who gripe about wanting to play ring games will still show up for a tournament. They probably just don't like the idea of playing wild (fun for them) and busting out early, then spending the next three hours watching some rock fold or push every hand.

For 15 people, where a $10 buy-in get 1000 in chips, the first 8 out join a side NL ring game with a max buy-in of $2 for 200 chips. The holder of all 1600 chips gets to come back to the main table with them.

This is just an idea. I haven't tried it, but the point is most kids playing poker want action, action, action, and a NL ring game gives the most for the "action players," since they can bust and rebuy at will. If people are intent, on the hit-and-run, you can't stop them unless you can rightly keep their money in the house's pocket until the end.

Slim

Re: Game type problem
 

Your friends know very little about poker ethics.

Winning a big pot and immediately leaving is extremely poor form and is a MAJOR breach of poker ethics. It is frown upon in ANY poker game and such behaviour does nothing but completely spoils the game with excess money being taken out. No home game ever tolerates this and is also looked down in casino play.

I would suggest that any player must give a notice of half-an-hour to an hour before leaving. Alternatively, change the rules for a tournament style game or don't bother inviting those players who did a hit-n-run or just don't play. Show them this thread.

Re: Game type problem
 

[ QUOTE ]
Your friends know very little about poker ethics.

Winning a big pot and immediately leaving is extremely poor form and is a MAJOR breach of poker ethics. It is frown upon in ANY poker game and such behaviour does nothing but completely spoils the game with excess money being taken out. No home game ever tolerates this and is also looked down in casino play.

I would suggest that any player must give a notice of half-an-hour to an hour before leaving. Alternatively, change the rules for a tournament style game or don't bother inviting those players who did a hit-n-run or just don't play. Show them this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is complete bullshit. If a player loses all his money he can leave whenever he wants and noone cares. The same should be true if someone wins a pot. If someone wins a pot and just happaned to want to leave soon anyways for whatever reason, so what? I dont want to goto a game where I have to babysit people or feel like im being babysat.

Re: Game type problem
 

[ QUOTE ]
Show them this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

No way in hell will I tell the people I play with regularly about 2+2 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]