Time pots
 

I just moved up to 20/40 live and was recently introduced to the concept of a time pot. One player at the table pays the entire table's time charge ($70 at the Borgata 20/40). The first two pots to exceed 5BB become "time pots," and the winner is required to pay $35 to the person who posted the time. If no pot reaches 5BB before the next time collection, then the poster eats the time charge.

This is apparently a common practice. For the life of me, I can't understand the point of it. Can someone explain what the advantage of it is, especially why someone would run the slight risk of losing $70 for no apparent gain?

It was nice to not have to post time when I was card dead, but I noticed that having to pay the time pot reduces drawing odds. If there are 4BB in the pot on the turn and I have an open ended straight draw, then calling a bet would trigger the time pot and effectively reduce the pot size by almost a full big bet.

Re: Time pots
 

You are misunderstanding what happens if there are no time pots. At this point, everyone would pay separately to reimburse the person who puts up the time pot. And oh yea, in 3 yrs of playing at Borgata, I've literally never EVER seen this happen.

This concept was developed bc tight players save money on collections bc they win fewer pots and adjust for the time pots. It also saves time bc some dealers take forever to take the time from everyone.

Jeff

Re: Time pots
 

[ QUOTE ]
You are misunderstanding what happens if there are no time pots. At this point, everyone would pay separately to reimburse the person who puts up the time pot. And oh yea, in 3 yrs of playing at Borgata, I've literally never EVER seen this happen.

This concept was developed bc tight players save money on collections bc they win fewer pots and adjust for the time pots. It also saves time bc some dealers take forever to take the time from everyone.

Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]

It's possible that I did misunderstand, although at my game today there was a 30 minute segment between visiting fish where the game tightened up considerably, no hand went past the flop, and no pot got over 5BB. I was never asked to repay anyone for the time charge.

Then again, I did leave the table for about 2 minutes, so it's possible that the time poster took $7 from my stack.

Re: Time pots
 

[ QUOTE ]
Then again, I did leave the table for about 2 minutes, so it's possible that the time poster took $7 from my stack.

[/ QUOTE ]
this is probably the case
if you get up from the table before the time pots are complete, they should have taken what you owed. be it $4, $3 or the full $7, depending on how many time pots were completed.

Re: Time pots
 

Time pots definitely speed up the game a bit, unless there are 2 or 3 people with the "What's a time pot" question. I've never seen anyone eat the cash before. Beware of doing time pots at a table with a couple of old rocks that will fold everything the first few hands after a time pot. They try to keep the pot small/don't want to win so that the $ isn't coming out of their stack. If this is happening alot and you're allowed, straddle the first few pots after the time collection.

Re: Time pots
 

I will never participate in the time pots in the 20-40 game. In my experience they almost always kill the action. I will always post my own time. If a couple other people also start refusing to participate, the time pot doesn't happen, and that is good for the game.

Another problem with time pots is that they trigger a lot of fights. A tourist doesn't know what is going on, and he feels like he's getting robbed when someone demands $35 from him. A guy is away for the table for one hand, and people declare the time pot off for that hand. It just isn't worth the aggravation (at least at 20-40).

Re: Time pots
 

Like Jeffage said, one reason is to speed up the game. With a $7 charge, the dealer often has to make change (in comparison with a $5 charge), and it can take a little while. (That and using a 4/8 chip structure can make 20/40 a slower game than 10/20). Also, there is the idea that if you win a pot, you won't mind paying. Loose players don't like time pots because they often have to pay.

But I don't think they are worth the aggravation I have seen where there will be an argument for five minutes over someone owing $3 when in a typical hand you can lose $100 without thinking about it.

Re: Time pots
 

i've been at one table where we planned to do a time pot, 5/10 pl at foxwoods and it seemed to go fine, combined with the fact that moneymaker was at the table and was paying time for the entire table every couple dealers. at the borgata in all my time ive never seen a time pot, although in big bet games its not uncommon to see a player pay time for the entire table after taking down a monster pot

Re: Time pots
 

Borgata 10/20 people usually do not do time pots (some would not know what one is if you want to do one, and it takes too long to explain what it is), but higher it is common.

Re: Time pots
 

I played in the Borgata 10/20 from Thursday to Sat night and about half of my games had time pots. Very nice, since I ended up having to pay exactly $0 in time for 8 hours on Saturday. A few nits insisted on sitting out of the time pots, but the majority of players at the tables (loooooooooose!) participated smoothly. I did not notice any players tightening up until time had been fully reimbursed, which sometimes does occur.