Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

Well, I'm a fairly high stakes player that has recently moved up as high as the 10/20NL game on Party. I occasionally play with a few of my friends in a $5 buy-in game and most of them know how successful I've been online. Anyways, basically the table usually doesn't even have what I would consider to be two big blinds on the table. Just curious what everyone else does in this situation. When we have a "poker night," that to me is "night off from poker," as I don't play online and figure it as taking a break from the game. Typically I double up within the first hour, hang around for a bit, and intentionally bluff away my profits before the end of the night. Just curious if anyone else does this or dislikes/avoids homegames for this reason.

-Ace

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

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Well, I'm a fairly high stakes player that has recently moved up as high as the 10/20NL game on Party. I occasionally play with a few of my friends in a $5 buy-in game and most of them know how successful I've been online. Anyways, basically the table usually doesn't even have what I would consider to be two big blinds on the table. Just curious what everyone else does in this situation. When we have a "poker night," that to me is "night off from poker," as I don't play online and figure it as taking a break from the game. Typically I double up within the first hour, hang around for a bit, and intentionally bluff away my profits before the end of the night. Just curious if anyone else does this or dislikes/avoids homegames for this reason.

-Ace

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No. Not a chance. Look if you want to lag it up or screw around with funky plays, that's one thing. But intentionally blowing off chips is both counter to the spirit of the game and an invite to the various poker dieties to send you on a 500 BB downer in your regular game...

--Zetack

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well, I'm a fairly high stakes player that has recently moved up as high as the 10/20NL game on Party. I occasionally play with a few of my friends in a $5 buy-in game and most of them know how successful I've been online. Anyways, basically the table usually doesn't even have what I would consider to be two big blinds on the table. Just curious what everyone else does in this situation. When we have a "poker night," that to me is "night off from poker," as I don't play online and figure it as taking a break from the game. Typically I double up within the first hour, hang around for a bit, and intentionally bluff away my profits before the end of the night. Just curious if anyone else does this or dislikes/avoids homegames for this reason.


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If you want a night off from poker, do something else! How about monopoly or boggle?

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

I don't see as big a problem as the other responders, I mean, you're just there to have fun. If you run over the game enough times, either the game will die, or you won't be welcome.

Your friends are obviously not as good as you, don't have a high loss tolerance, or both. I see three primary options:

1) Use these nights to practice different strategies.
2) Teach them a little each night so they get better, at which time you'll feel better about fleecing them.
3) Go in with a completely random game plan, like raising all non-suited 2 gappers, or playing all JX hands to the river, or playing every 5th hand blind to the turn.
Basically, artificially handicap yourself with random silliness.

You'd be surprised how fun option 3 is....

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

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You'd be surprised how fun option 3 is....

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I concur, don't just spew your chips off. Playing crazy is often very fun and against really bad players not always a losing style. To maintain the "fun" of the game, it's often important to play down a little bit.

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

I often don't try hard in home games. I often play any two suited cards, even calling moderate raises pre-flop. I chase gutshots without the odds, etc etc.

I really don't care about winning and just try to have fun and play as many hands as possible [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Online I care only about winning.

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I often don't try hard in home games. I often play any two suited cards, even calling moderate raises pre-flop. I chase gutshots without the odds, etc etc.

I really don't care about winning and just try to have fun and play as many hands as possible [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Online I care only about winning.

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This is more accurate to what I do... Also, the more I'm up, the looser I get. These are some of my best friends and this hardly counts as a poker game. There is a preflop raise an average of once per 15-20 hands and people jokingly show frustration to preflop raises. First hand of the night I got AA in the SB 6-handed. Three of four players limped, I raised to .30(BB is .10) and everyone folds and I showed my cards. Anyways, I'm off topic... but thanks for the replies.
-Ace

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

First, I'm not that great - still playing .25/.50, but I'm quite a bit better than my buddies. I'll typically play solid until I win one game, then just play loose and have fun.

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

I think this is a a great way to blow off steam and have fun with friends, who cares what you do with your chips if it's your night off from poker.

Re: Anyone intentionally lose/break even at home games?
 

I find it funny that someone would take a night off from poker, and play poker instead.

Here are some other ideas:

1. Boggle
2. Yahtzee
3. Scrabble
4. Monopoly
5. Guts Poker (cause it's not really poker!)