Anyone ever played Potnopine Holdem?

[binions]

from www.rolfslotboom.com

"Potnopine Hold'em Rules:
by Rolf Slotboom

Before the flop:

* Two blinds ($2-5; $5-10, etc.), each player gets four cards
* Betting round # 1: limit betting, just like in limit hold'em or limit Omaha
* After betting, each player releases one card (three cards left)

Flop:

* Betting round # 2: double limit betting ($10 increments for $2-5 blinds, $20 for $5-10 blinds, etc.)
* After betting, each player releases one additional card (two hole cards left, just like in regular hold'em)

Turn:

* Betting round # 3: pot-limit betting; it is possible to bet any amount up to the size of the pot

River:

* Betting round # 4: no-limit betting; everybody can bet any amount he or she wishes
* Best 5 card hand wins (high only); players can use 1 or 2 cards from their hand or play the board just like hold'em

An alternative to the structure described here would be betting half-pot on the turn, and pot-limit on the river instead of the pot-limit/no-limit betting as outlined above. (This is a suggestion from Bob Ciaffone in order to provide for an even more balanced game). Another alternative is true "crazy-pineapple" style, with 3 cards dealt and 1 card discarded on the flop, which would speed up play. Another alternative is hi-low split, which would slow down play.

Because the betting in the early rounds is rather small (compared to the later rounds) and because everybody gets four cards rather than the usual two, people will be more inclined to see a flop, even in raised pots. Rocks who try to wait patiently for the best hand will have trouble beating this game if they are not proficient at playing the later betting rounds. Deception is very important in this game. If you raise before the flop with two aces only, people will call you on the early (cheap) betting rounds, trying to snap you off on the later (expensive!) rounds. It's impossible to protect aces before the flop (like often happens in no-limit hold'em), so we get to play poker here. Potnopine Hold'em combines action, mathematics, deception, patience, aggression and bluffing opportunities (basically everything poker is all about) into one game."

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I am thinking about trying to get this game going locally in Houston.

How would you approach this game? I'll start.

Starting hand requirements I would assume it's much like PLO, where you want a hand that can flop the nuts with a redraw.

Here, there won' be redraws, because you have to decide which way you want to go on the flop. But, having multiway hands gives you more chance to hit the flop.

So, decent sized pairs with a suited ace or K or connecting card, suited aces with straight possibilities, or 3 cards in a row (ie 9TJ)/3 out of 4 (8TJ)preferably with a suit seem to be the best starting hands in the game.

But smaller pairs, small straight hands, and suited queens (or worse) would seem dangerous because of set over set, straight over straight, and flush over flush possibilities, like PLO.

Thoughts?

[Louie Landale]

Yup, you need hands that will make the nuts by the turn. Flopping
"an over pair" isn't worth all that much since you cannot put the money in early (when its the favorite).

Getting 3 card hands is pretty valuable. Other wise you need big pairs (flopping top set), Axs, small pairs (flopping bottom set), or connecting cards (making nut straights). AK is a drawing hand best reserved for late position in games where there are few turn bluffs.

- Louie

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
Yup, you need hands that will make the nuts by the turn. Flopping
"an over pair" isn't worth all that much since you cannot put the money in early (when its the favorite).

Getting 3 card hands is pretty valuable. Other wise you need big pairs (flopping top set), Axs, small pairs (flopping bottom set), or connecting cards (making nut straights). AK is a drawing hand best reserved for late position in games where there are few turn bluffs.

- Louie

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting. Thanks.

Another twist is that you can't ram and jam flush draws multiway on the flop like you can in limit. In limit, with 3+ people seeing the turn, your flush draw comes in 35% so every dollar that goes in the pot theoretically makes you money. You can ram and jam with impugnity, because if you miss the turn, you will have pot odds to call and see the river.

In Potnopine, however, you may and very likely will be faced with a pot sized bet on the turn, offering 2:1 odds on your now 4:1 shot if you don't make your flush on the turn. So, there is no guarantee you see the river with a flush draw, making a flop ram and jam bad poker.

Even pair + flush draws or flush draw + overcards are devalued with the prevalence of sets.