Hold \'em Variant
 

For those of you looking for alternate games, it came out of people saying "Man, I wish I hadn't've folded my hand...."

Standard hold 'em (works better for limit than no limit as it's a bit overpowered in NL)

Pre-flop: standard

AFTER the flop, before betting, going clockwise from the button, each person that folded can elect to get their cards back. This means that folded hands PF aren't "mucked" but rather set aside.

In order to get your hand back, you need to put into the pot whatever the pot is.

Pot = $50

Players 3, 6, and 9 each want their hands back. Each puts in $50.

Proceed as normal.

Really bizarre game play ... but we've been having some fun with it. Any and all feedback would be welcomed.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

wow,
that sounds very interesting.
it must suck when you have a strong hand and whiff when the flop comes all low rags....then someone buys back in with their nicely matching low rags.

we will definately have to give it a try. i wonder if it would work in tournament format as well?

cheers,
the Real Macoy

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

Doesn't look much like there's a reason to play drawing hands PF, such as 44 and 87s. You are thus only playing very stong hands. But you do need to play the strong hands since it cheaper than matching the pot.

Buy back in? So you didn't call the raise with TT and the flop is 954 2-flush. Buy back in now? I doubt this hand is going to win 50% of the time since there is certainly some doubt about whether the raiser has a pair (if there was no doubt he didn't you would have played TT to start with). Thus, you need to buy back in only with quite strong hands like accidental 2-pair or some extra value combo draw.

It would be a heck of a bluf to buy back in without something good, since the cost of the bluff (pot plus your bet) is more than the reward (the pot).

Getting in cheaper is not the only reason to actually invest PF, you also gain valuable info if someone DOES buy back in.

- Louie

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

Very true - drawing hands are usually bought back in ... but if you have 2-3 guys with strong hand, they will almost always cap it PF ... so now you're buying back in oftentimes for 12+ SB's...

It's one small rule that drastically changes the way you play. At some point I'm going to compile all of the strange poker variants my friends and I utilize (the curse of being a game designer by trade). This is one of easiest to implement however due to the single step outside the norm.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

re: tournament format

There's no reason it wouldn't work as a tourney format. The one format where it's problematic is No Limit - we've been playing around in NL where each does double the pot, rather than just the pot. It's a little closer to the correct number... But, tourneys? Yeah, no reason, IF it's a limit event.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

So I will set aside all my Ax suited hands and rebuy when I flop my flush (only worried if the board is paired). In fact, I'll toss all the pairs except queens or better (maybe not jacks in late position). In general, I would expect that the PF play to be unbelievably tight leaving only group 1 hands. If a flop is seen and it's not a fit with the high hands then anyone buying back in is probably in the lead and I'm folding my aces.

Just a quick guess as to how the gameplay would go if I were playing.

Re: Hold \'em Variant
 

You end up driving fewer hands PF and, yeah, you go harder with the Group 1 holdings ... but while there are obvious buy-ins (3 hearts and you mucked Ax hearts) those situations don't come up that much ... it's the rest of the hands that aren't as obvious where there is insane profit (or loss).

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com