1-3 spread vs. 2/4 fixed

[dtbog]

Why do some casinos offer 1-3 spread limit hold'em but not 2/4 fixed limit hold'em?

I don't understand this. The pots are actually bigger in 1-3, and the betting structure makes little sense.

1-3 is basically 3/3 in practice... but the difference is that the casino gets people who are scared to move up to 3/6 because it's a different style of game and the numbers are "at least twice as big!"

With 2/4, at least people will learn that a turn bet is twice a flop bet.

Thoughts?

[W. Deranged]

You're talking about Turning Stone. That's likely the only place that still does this.

Turning Stone does it because that's how they've always done it, and people like it, and they're comfortable with it. The other standard place you'll see tiny spread limit games is for stud games at Foxwoods and the Taj, and, again, my sense is that's because it's how they've always done it.

I think part of it has to do with the blind structure. 1-3 spread can have two $1 blinds instead of a $1 and a $2, and hence lame players aren't as afraid of having to put up as much in blinds. I think it's sort of similar to the reasoning behind having a 1/3 blind structure in 3/6, whereas all other 3 chip / 6 chip games use a 2/3 blind structure.

The main strategic difference is that implied odds go way down in spread limit games, and so you simply play hands very, very fast on early streets to punish your opponents for playing weaker hands early. There is rarely any reason to wait a street to generate more value since you can get in the same amount on the early streets. Interestingly, because of this feature, these games tend to favor stronger players and tighter players more than do 1/2 structure games.

[dtbog]

[ QUOTE ]
You're talking about Turning Stone. That's likely the only place that still does this.

Turning Stone does it because that's how they've always done it, and people like it, and they're comfortable with it. The other standard place you'll see tiny spread limit games is for stud games at Foxwoods and the Taj, and, again, my sense is that's because it's how they've always done it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heheh, yeah, my other example was Foxwoods, because I've heard they spread spread-limit too.

[dtbog]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it's sort of similar to the reasoning behind having a 1/3 blind structure in 3/6, whereas all other 3 chip / 6 chip games use a 2/3 blind structure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, I never even realized this.