Florida Hold-em
 

Well, it's really Texas Hold-em but with a different structure: $2 on all rounds (max 3 raises). Most games are very loose, 10-handed. Small blind is $1 and Big Blind is $2. Rake is 10% with a $5 max plus a $1 jackpot rake. Whew!

My question is about how I should change my playing strategy for this $2-flat structure as opposed to the typical $1/$2 structure? My gut tells me I should tighten up even more pre-flop, since the size of the bet pre-flop is equal to the size of the bets post-flop, turn and river. On the other hand, my gut tells me that I should loosen up post-flop because the bets are now smaller relative to the size of the pot (compared to a similar game at the $1/$2 structure). Comments?

Let's leave out any consideration about whether the game is worth playing at all in the first place. It is the only game available to me without driving 2 hours.

Thanks in advance.

BB

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Play online. Im not an expert on the subject, but I have a suspicion that no matter how well you play you cant beat the rake.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

You have obviously never sat in these games. Even a trained monkey could beat the rake if you saw how bad these players were.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

I used to play at the Daytona Kennel club, until I started working there. It the softest game in the world. tighten up, especially in early position, EVERYONE there loves to slowplay...reminds me of .5/1 on Party. Play good cards, and be prepared to get drawn out a few times a night.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Trust your gut.

-Michael

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

[ QUOTE ]
You have obviously never sat in these games. Even a trained monkey could beat the rake if you saw how bad these players were.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have sat in these games and I can vouch for that. The pots $1/$2 games in South Florida easily average over $25. You routinely see 6 to the flop and 3 or 4 way showdowns.

An uncontested pot is a rare and someone folding from the SB with absolute TRASH is even more rare.

The Straight $2 games usually have one or two maniacs who feel cool playing "high limit" poker and will re-raise any preflop raise.

Session Transcript:

Warik> "raise to $4"
Guy> "4?????????????? Then we have to make it 8!" He raises to 6 and his buddy makes it 8.

It's fun but gets boring quick... can you beat the rake? Sure... the question is: why waste your time?

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Where in S. Fla. are these games? I thought Fla. had a $10 pot size limit? Did the laws down there change? Are there any higher limits local to Palm Beach, Broward or Dade?

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Law changed some time ago.

Games: Jai Alai, both in Miami and Hollywood, Indian reservations, Dog tracks.....everywhere.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

they are also putting single table SnGs into some of the cardrooms

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

[ QUOTE ]
Where in S. Fla. are these games? I thought Fla. had a $10 pot size limit? Did the laws down there change? Are there any higher limits local to Palm Beach, Broward or Dade?

[/ QUOTE ]

Miami... and other places I'm sure. The $10 pot limit nonsense was lifted years ago I believe. Some anti-gambling groups actually wrote letters to Gov. Bush asking him to veto the bill because it would legalize high-stakes poker in Florida (the betting limit is still $2. I'm waiting for them to allow $1 limit games because this $2 stuff is too high for me LOL [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]).

I've played a few times at the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. 9-handed tables full of retired folks and younger drunk guys. You would have to play pretty terrible to not be the best player at your table.

These guys are great. If Party were this soft we'd all be millionaires.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

What are the blinds for the $2 straight game at Miccosukee?

Also, what's the rake there? Any jackpot drop?

Thanks.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

In a flat structure game like the one you are describing, it seems like playing a little tighter as you just do not have implied odds to play hands like 67s and little pairs.

Gojacketz

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

[ QUOTE ]
What are the blinds for the $2 straight game at Miccosukee?

Also, what's the rake there? Any jackpot drop?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blinds are 1/2. Rake is 10% up to $5. Jackpot drop is $1.

Jackpots are:

quads - tshirt
quad aces - $50
straight flush - free night at the hotel
royal flush - a couple grand, unless you get the spades which grows nightly... normally hits around 30-40k

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

>> Are there any higher limits local to Palm Beach, Broward >> or Dade?

There's a very nice nonsmoking room in the Palm Beach Kennel Club (greyhound track). Unfortunately, it's a 2-hour drive for me.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Warik, what kind of win rate are you getting at Miccosukee? In the last 2 weeks, since I've tightened up my pre-flop game considerably, I'm winning at about $15/hour over 5 sessions (all winning sessions). Is it possible to sustain this kind of win rate in these games? The opposition is amazing!

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

Any idea what the limit at PBKC are? Thier website doesn't say, and they don't list an e-mail address.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

[ QUOTE ]
Any idea what the limit at PBKC are? Thier website doesn't say, and they don't list an e-mail address.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've only played there twice. Both times the only hold'em game they had was $1-2 spread limit with a single $1 blind. You could bet either $1 or $2 on any round. I don't think they had $1/2 structured limit. Many of the Seminole rooms have a $2 straight game ($2 bets on all rounds). Don't know if PB has that. Unlike the Seminole rooms which rake 10% up to $5 plus a $1 jackpot drop, PB only rakes 10% up to $3 with no jackpots. Games are 9-handed at PB. All this was as of about 3 months ago, the last time I was there.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

I moved from FL 3 years ago. What are the laws regarding poker now? Do the rooms have regular 5-10 and 10-20 games??

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

[ QUOTE ]
I moved from FL 3 years ago. What are the laws regarding poker now? Do the rooms have regular 5-10 and 10-20 games??

[/ QUOTE ]

Poker has improved a tiny bit from the 25c/50c/$10 pot limit days. Now, bets up to $2 are allowed with a limit of 3 raises per round, no limit on number of rounds. When the law changed, the typical game was regular $1/$2 hold'em. Now I see a lot of $2 flat games where blinds are $1 and $2 and bets are $2 on all rounds (they don't double on the turn and river). Last weekend I ran across a game called Action Hold'em where it's similar to the $2 flat game, but in addition to the blinds, there's a $2 ante that everyone must put up. Wow! No wonder it's called Action Hold'em.

No $5/$10 or $10/$20 games yet, unless you go out on the gambling boats. Once we get rid of Jeb, who hates gambling ( [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]), we might bring poker into the 21st century in this state.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

LOL, Gamblin' BAD, COCAINE GOOOD!

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

i've played in florida card rooms on several occasions and in the straight $2 games I've played at tables where the pots were routinely $50+. You will get sucked out just like online and have big swings.

Re: Florida Hold-em
 

the seminoles give $100 for any royal flush except spades, spade royal is a multitable jackpot usually worth at least $5,000 for holdem.