Adjusting to a B&M dealer's choice game

[nolanfan34]

So, I finally stopped today at a small card room nearby, that I've driven by a bunch of times, but never bothered to go into.

They had one game going (with blue $1 chips [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]). The table was about 6 old guys (old being 70+), and a few other regulars. I watched a couple of hands, and it was very loose, pre and post flop. Just looks like a dream game.

Here's the thing.

The game encorporates like every possible strange rule that I have not played under before. Here's the structure:

- Dealer's choice, players deal game (never done that).
- You can choose between Omaha H/L, Tahoe H/L (wtf? Apparently it's like Omaha, with 3 cards), and Hold em H/L (double wtf).
- There are no blinds.
- The betting structure is $2 ante/bet PF, $3 on the flop, $4 on the turn, $5 on the river.
- No check-raises (triple wtf)

The game looks very juicy, but I have to admit, after I watched a few hands and left, all of the adjustments I would have to make for this structure made my head spin.

So, two things. First, if you've played in similar games before, what adjustments would you recommend?

Second, which game should I choose to deal when I'm on the button and dealing? Would it be more profitable to just deal hold'em at first, to make it seem like I'm not comfortable than the others? Or is one game better than the others for playing with position?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Bremen]

Hold'em Hi/Lo!!!??? Methinks that would be very tough to scoop.

[bobbyi]

Do you know the exact rules of holdem h/l? Can you use 2, 1 or 0 cards for a low like you can for high? If so, it seems there would lots of splits of the low portion when multiple people have AX and no one has another playable low card. You can even play the board low? These things never come up in omaha (the only high/ low flop game I understand) since you always use two cards from your hand.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Hold'em Hi/Lo!!!??? Methinks that would be very tough to scoop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, and I'm not even sure you have to play both cards, but I'm assuming yes.

Also, I made the assumption that it's an 8 or better for low, but after I left, I realized that might not be the case, it might be just a generic low.

[nolanfan34]

One thing I forgot to mention before, and one of the main reasons I'm probably going to play at this place sometime:

No rake. It's a $2 per half hour time charge for your seat. Seems like a pretty good savings, at $40 per hour for a full table, compared to the $90-$120 a casino takes off of a $3/$6 table per hour.

And no dealer tips, either.

[slavic]

Depending on the rules of Tahoe (wtf? maybe pinapple?) I would think that Omaha 8 would be the way to go. The ante is so darn high that in most other games your going to go to the river, so O8 limits playable hands so that you can hopefully take an edge.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Depending on the rules of Tahoe (wtf? maybe pinapple?) I would think that Omaha 8 would be the way to go. The ante is so darn high that in most other games your going to go to the river, so O8 limits playable hands so that you can hopefully take an edge.

[/ QUOTE ]

That makes sense. I'll say, at first it looked like a $2 ante. But then in other hands, it looked like it was just a $2 bet, so you can fold without putting any money in. Yes, this isn't an "ante" then by definition. Of course, the guy running the room kept calling it "two card" poker instead of Hold Em.

[betgo]

Sounds good, except I don't care for the rule about no checkraising. Since they are all ante games, why not have antes. Seems kind of amateurish.

Do they have the players actually dealing? Maybe that's how they have the small rake.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Do they have the players actually dealing? Maybe that's how they have the small rake.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, players do the dealing. They up it to $3 per half hour seat charge if there's a dealer.

[J-Lo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Depending on the rules of Tahoe (wtf? maybe pinapple?) I would think that Omaha 8 would be the way to go. The ante is so darn high that in most other games your going to go to the river, so O8 limits playable hands so that you can hopefully take an edge.

[/ QUOTE ]

That makes sense. I'll say, at first it looked like a $2 ante. But then in other hands, it looked like it was just a $2 bet, so you can fold without putting any money in. Yes, this isn't an "ante" then by definition. Of course, the guy running the room kept calling it "two card" poker instead of Hold Em.

[/ QUOTE ]

If u can fold w/o putting ante in, wait for the nuts, or damn near nuts, right? according to theory of poker