Time Pots

[Jamie Collins]

I'm contemplating moving up in limits for my next visit to Vegas and LA (June). I've never played in LA. I normally play the Bellagio 15-30 and Mirage 20-40 (though the 20-40 was years ago). I vaguely remember that the Bell 30-60 is a time charge game but not positive. I'm contemplating the Mirage 20-40, Bell 30-60 and 20-40 in LA. If those games don't have a time charge I'd still like to know the low-down on time charge.

1) At what stakes do games change to time charge in Vegas and LA?
2) Anyone have a source where I can read up on the basics? i.e. how it works (though I think I got the gist from Coilean's post today) and what strategy is involved for those pots -- Or if anyone is waiting for paint to dry they could post that here.

Thanks!

Regards,
Jamie

[Coilean]

Time charges in Vegas start at 30-60 (where it's $6 per player per half hour) and up. When the time is taken from the first pot (as in most games 60-120 and up), you should play very tight unless you know the blinds will easily give up for a raise (no time is taken unless there's a flop). Most lower limit games rake $4 from each pot, with varying schedules depending on the casino and limit.

[Ed Miller]

Time CHARGE just means that each player pays a fixed fee per half hour. Every time a new dealer enters the box, you pay $6 (or whatever the charge is). This charge is removed from your stack if you are away from the table. $30-$60 at Bellagio and $40-$80 at Mirage use a time charge.

Time POT is like an uber-rake on the first pot played. Nobody pays a fee when the dealer enters the box. Instead, an amount equivalent to what everyone would have paid is removed from the first hand where there's a flop. So at a 9-handed game, if the time charge is $8 per half hour, the first pot is raked for $72. The $60-$120 and up games at Bellagio use time pots.

Time pots are stupid. They are supposed to speed the game up, but they create all sorts of absurd situations like the one Coyleen described. They might make sense in a $1000-$2000 game where the collection does not affect the way you should play your hand much, but at $80-$160, it affects strategy far too much.

[andyfox]

The 20-40 at Commerce takes $1 out of the pot, from the small blind, when the hand is dealt. If there's a flop, they take $3 more. (So almost everybody chops now, to save the $3.) This is with seven or more players dealt in. They reduce it to $3 with six dealt in, and, if memory serves, to $2 five-handed and $1 four-handed.

Rick Nebiolo should be able to fill you in on the numbers for the 20-40 at the Bike, which I believe are similar, although probably slightly more favorable to the players.

The amounts are exactly the same for the 15-30, 20-40, 30-60 and 40-80 at Commerce.

At the next highest level, 80-160, they go to a time pot, as described in Coilean's post.