Mini blinds with the standard structure

[Lunamondo]

UltimateBet offers a holdem game that has $1 and $2 blinds (miniblinds) and otherwise it's an ordinary $4-$8 game. I like this structure more than the spread limit structure.

It would get action from me if it would be offered half lower (0.5 and 1 blinds), and with the usual $2-$4 game rake that is not taken before the pot gets to $20.

The most major difference in this games, in my opinion, is that when one steals blinds it costs more, and defending the blind/s also costs more. It has its good sides and bad sides for the better players; don't yet know what to think about it. Though there more often tends to be e.g. one limper when one "steals" the blinds and so might be better than the standard structure at least at some level.

The good player also knows when it's worth limping for the minimum and when one would be doing that only after one, possibly two limpers. There are some more implied hands that can be played in this game, and a hand like KJ can often raise a middle (or later) limper as usual. There is probably more limping with big pairs in this game. The big slick hands probably will be limping early (and later) more often, but as there are more implied hands an early limper is favored to have, an early limp will often not be that dangerous.

As a raised pot is smaller at this game than at the standard structure, the flop bet is proportionally bigger (not too big) that is good for the good (tight) player as he will be playing more correctly, while the looser players will be paying more, though they might then also fold more hands there, but as it's not that big bet it probably/possibly (the smaller limping prize might create a tendency to play tighter on the flop) won't affect them too much in raised pots. The bigger flop bet is also in order because of the bigger average pot size at the flop. When there is just one limper and the "big" bling the flop bet looks too big (but is still reasonable) and it could possibly be kept smaller if it's an unraised 2-3 way flop (kind of a kill game).

To put it short, the only difference is that the preflop raise is bigger and smaller. Is that an improvement? In my opinion it might be, as more hands tend to be played and that is good for holdem, and a raise is a real size, the bigger flop bet size is also better in raised pots. If it's worse then it's probably because of tactical reasons of how differently one comes in with slick hands and big pairs. There is probably a lot of limping when one is the first one in (makes the games looser also; one comes in with an AA raise only in really loose games), and raising also will not be done as often as many people like to see the flop cheap, rather than try to run it home. When the weak players' big pairs don't open with a raise it's bad for the good players, though allows them to play more implied hands as a compensation.

[Lunamondo]

The necessary improvements to the miniblind structure are that an OPEN-raise at the $2-$4 game (miniblind game; blinds at $0.5 and $1.0) should be only to $2, like it would be a $1-$2 game, and if it doesn't get reraised (to $4)(and there wasn't a raise instead of an open-raise), the game after the flop will be $1-$2.

[fluffhead]

The 4/8 game at the Mandalay has the same structure and after playing there for about 8-10 hours, here are a couple observations I made while playing:

In a loose passive game - you are getting implied odds to call with almost anything in an unraised pot preflop. Unsuited connectors and one gappers, suited 2 and 3-gappers all become fair game in late pos and even in mid position.

On the flop, especially in an unraised pot, it is very difficult to get drawing odds on gutshot straights. If it is shorthanded after the flop (even 3-4 handed), you may not even get odds to call with a flush or an open ended straight draw, especially if your outs aren't clean. (In a 3-way unraised pot, there's $6 in there, are you going to call a $4 bet getting 2.5:1 pot odds on a 6:1 flush draw that's not even to the nuts?)

Any other thoughts?