1-5 spread limit general questions

I'm headed to Vegas for a few weeks over Christmas. I'm hoping that Santa will bring me good cards and a stocking full of cash and a copy of 7CSAP. I'm a beginner to stud and I've never played 1-5 spread, which, if I'm lucky, will be spread somewhere in Vegas while I'm there (although it wasn't spread at any casino the entire 10 days I was there in August). I've been playing a lot of 2/4 limit lately, and I was wondering if there are any strategic adjustments I should plan to make in prep for the spread limit game. It seems like the ability to make bigger bets on third with premium pairs tips the game in favor of tight play. I would also expect that slow playing when rolled up would be a good move, which I rarely do in the loose 2/4 games that I play in. Any other suggestions would be helpful, as I've never played spread limit before and I don't really know what to expect.

[DeadMoneyOC]

During my first and only 1-5 stud session at foxwoods everyone bet 5 dollars on every street.....so yeah. There arent too many adjustments you need to make.

I've been playing stud for over 11 years now, mostly in AC, but I've also played in Vegas. When I went there in 2004, there were a bunch of places that I remember that spread $1-5 (Mirage, Bellagio, Flamingo, Golden Nugget, Excalibur). Mirage even had a $5-10 stud game, which is what I play now in AC.

I still play mostly stud, but if there's only $1-5 games available, I'll play hold-em' instead. This is because $1-5 stud can be the most BORING and unprofitable poker game there is. Only $2-4 hold-em' is as boring and unprofitable. In most places this game is filled with retirees who don't like/know how to play hold-em'. They're used to playing stud in home/VFW/social club games. Needless to say, there usually isn't much action. A lot of older folks like to play just for fun and pass the time, which is fine, but not for anyone who only gets to play live every so often (like me).

With that being said, $1-5 stud is the first casino poker game that I played, and the game where I learned how to play. You can win money, but it is really dependent on the other 7 folks at the table. If you get a tight crowd, forget it. I 've played after hours on weekends/holidays,
and with drunks, and it's been OK. I much prefer the $5-10 stud structure, but good luck trying to find it in a casino (except for the Taj & Trop).

I don't mean to be downer, but the future of stud isn't looking too good. This has been covered in earlier posts.
I really hope I'm wrong though, because I much more enjoy playing stud than hold-em'. Good luck, and it's good to see that there's still people playing stud.

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Only $2-4 hold-em' is as boring and unprofitable.


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Why do you say this? I play 2/4 all the time and I like it. I've done pretty well, although I haven't been playing very long. I'm interested in your thoughts on this though.

[MRBAA]

Okay, there is a very important difference between 1-5 stud games. At Foxwoods, the game has a .50 ante and $1 bring in -- that's a pretty good ante and makes for a pretty loose game that can be fun and profitable. In Las Vegas, the games have no ante, just the bring in. That makes for a horrible, unprofitable game in which the only reasonable strategy is to "play so tight it hurts" to quote Ray Zee. Actually, the only reasonable strategy is to find another game.

[BeerMoney]

The games i played in AC had no ante, $1 forced BI, and I don't believe there was a shortage of action.

[jon_1van]

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The games i played in AC had no ante, $1 forced BI, and I don't believe there was a shortage of action.

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There isn't...but god is it boring sometimes

fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
fold
raise

[MRBAA]

Well, the old daytime 1-3 game at Foxwoods with no ante was pretty dull. The fold/fold/raise scenario wasn't even good. You had to slowplay your big pairs, since the old rocks would fold if you raised on third.

They added a .50 ante to that game awhile back, and last time I was there I played a little with old-time poster CJC. He bought in for $1,000 and got a lecture from one of the regulars about how he "didn't need that much money for this game". I explained that CJ did. The funny thing was, the players at our table were still playing rockish, even though there was now a ridiculous over ante. We ran over the game for about an hour -- raising just about any hand we'd play. We were both big winners -- I think CJ won $40 and I won $45.

[dandy_don]

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The games i played in AC had no ante, $1 forced BI, and I don't believe there was a shortage of action.

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I stopped in Catoosa, OK (outside Tulsa) last night (while traveling through OK) and played a lively no ante $1-$5 at the Cherokee Casino. Surprisingly, they had 2 full tables going there with a waiting list (7 seated tables). I played extremely tight, but several of the hands I played were family pots--lots of action.

FWIW, the $1-$5 here in Tunica, at the Horseshoe anyway, has a $.25 ante. No other stud around here other than the $1-$5.

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Only $2-4 hold-em' is as boring and unprofitable.


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Why do you say this? I play 2/4 all the time and I like it. I've done pretty well, although I haven't been playing very long. I'm interested in your thoughts on this though.

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$2-4 is usually the lowest hold-em' game you'll find in a casino. I think the Excalibur in Vegas has $1-3.
It has a lot of the same folks who typically play $1-5 stud, plus a lot of people who are new to the game who either play very loose or passive. It might not always be boring, but you will see a lot of suckouts on the river with your top pairs when someone gets their inside straight on the river. Ever hear the term no fold-em' ?
The rake is tough to beat in that game as well. $4-8 is probably the lowest limit where you'll see a profit. Although I heard that there are $3-6 games in AC that are very, very profitiable. I'd like to play $3-6 at the Borgata on a Saturday night at 2AM or so.