Crazy Games (loooong)

As this forum just opened, I'm cross posting this from the Other Poker Games Forum...


To all


I recently started playing in a regular home game. There are some ridiculous games these guys play and I don't know what, if any, stratgy there could be to them; I'm hoping the experts could point me in the right direction at least.


I need to preface this by saying that I usually sit out of games that I don't know or that are just plain luck, but in this particular game I'm gonna ruffle feathers if I don't give some action on these crazy games and I won't get to keep calling their form of Hold'em when it's my deal. Just FYI it's $2-$2 blinds, $2-10 spread limit to the flop, $5-$20 post flop, with an option to bet up to $40 on the river if there's an ace on board. Without getting into specifics this structure makes me a fortune against these guys. They're great... all fish and chips over there. Anyway following are some of the games they play. I'm sure some people know even if by other names and some I have no idea where they came from. Any advice at all would be appreciated:


1. Dr. Pepper - Players receive five cards. No bets or raises, everyone can take a sixth card for one bet and everyone can then take a seventh card for one bet. Player takes the seventh by holding the chip in his hand to declare. All players who stay for the 7th card show down and all losing hands pay the winner the amount of the pot. The pot carries over until only one person stays for the 7th card.


I'm not even sure if this could be called poker. I've been figuring I've got implied odds to take a 6th with anything that has a chance of becoming a monster. I won't take the 7th card unless I already have a big hand. with a small pot I'll play trips, for bigger pots I want a pat hand. The other guys routinely show down 1 and 2 pair hands.


2. South Chicago - This game plays like the more familiar chicago except that instead of the high spade in the hole half the pot goes to the low card in the suit of the "Chicago" Card. the Chicago card is dealt face down into the pot after the players receive their hold cards and is not revealed until the river is dealt. The action plays like a regular seven stud game until the river. Starting with the high hand players declare in or out. If in they must have either the high hand or the low "Chicago" card in the hole. If they have neither they pay the pot. Pot builds over successive hands until no one gets stung. You can declare out on the river, but if you fold to action you are out for all remaining hands.


I've been just playing rolled up trips and occasionally dueces and treys in the hole. Problem is even if your hand is very likely best the cost is so great when you're wrong.


3. Really Crazy Pineapple -- Plays like Pineapple except players kick a card before the flop the next player can then take that card ( he's the only one who sees it) and kick one of his cards or he can just pass that to the next player. So on and so forth. Then after the flop the players kick their third card again and play out with two.


I've just been playing medium to big pairs and usually folding when I don't flop trips.


4. Auction - I think this game is a little more common. Players receive five cards and five go face down on the table. after a round of betting, one card is turned up and bid on like an auction. Once a player buys the card his discard is bid on. This continues until all discards and face down cards have been bid on. Then there is a round of betting at 1/2 pot limit.


I've only been playing hands that I don't have to bid on cards to build much. Usually trips and then I'll buy a quad card. I won't show down less than quads, because full houses are the minimum hand in this game, straight flushes turn up occasionally, but at least you can tell when someone is buying one.


5. Not Poker... anyone know if Tonk has enough skill to develop any kind of real edge.


Sorry this is so long, and the games are so goofy I don't know if any kind of strategy could be formed. Like I said though I will have to give action on these games to keep my hold'em action going so I'd like to at least break even on them. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.


My Thanks


mb

I'm no big expert, but we play enough of these kind of wacky pot-building games in our game, and I'll give you my humble opinion...in a very vague kind of way

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I think you could probably play looser on early rounds for image purposes; just keep avoiding getting in jeapordy when it comes to the pot-sized decisions. I routinely take one or two more cards, often throwing in raises, sometimes even when I have pretty much no chance of making anything in these games; ie, I give plenty action early; that's my image contribution. Then I turn clam-like, but noone seems to notice once the pot is juiced up a bit. Those times a hand does come in for you, the pots tend to be huge and more than compensate for the numerous smaller previous losses.


I think these kind of games can be very profitable; you don't have to just survive through them to get to your call. If your games anything like mine, there will be one or two players who just HAVE to see what kind of hand they make, and often get stuck feeling like they have to try and win the pot with mediocre holdings. They provide a big overlay for you.


G