Cash game: Stuck with your seat or not? (2 Viewers)

[Josh Kifer]

Sung to the OutKast tune “Roses”

It's beautiful

 

[DuckFat]

Me: “May I move to the open seat?”
Host: “No. You have to stay there. Deal with it. My house, my rules.”
Me: “Cash me out.”

This would be most players including me. Always another game to go to, not putting up with stupid rules.

It was randomized, and if you’re unhappy with randomization then you’re not allowed at the game. Random is fair, whereas choosing your seat gives you an advantage.

Preassigning seats is nonsense which is the question posed. All I hear from your response is "wah wah wah life isn't fair." I would gladly let you take my left and send you into tilt mode. Here fishy fishy

It's simple, tournament seats are drawn and you stay in that seat until tables break and you redraw, deal with it.

Cash games, sit in any open seat when you arrive or switch with someone if they agree, you can also buy someone off their seat. Switch tables or cash out and leave are also options.

 

[Old State]

I’ve considered drawing for cash game seats but people usually come staggering in minutes apart and sit down.

I’ve occasionally had a high school/ college friend of mine over for my lower limit 50/1 crew (he is usually an $1/2 and $2/5 player) and he always sits to my left. Problem is he is an extremely strong player. He basically got us all into poker in school and even taught us holdem a few years before the Moneymaker boom. He usually crushes the game. He makes it seem like that the best TV viewing spot but I think he is doing it on purpose.

If I did random seats I’m sure I’d catch flack but I’m going to at least tell him he needs to sit across from me from now on

 

[DuckFat]

I’ve considered drawing for cash game seats but people usually come staggering in minutes apart and sit down.

I’ve occasionally had a high school/ college friend of mine over for my lower limit 50/1 crew (he is usually an $1/2 and $2/5 player) and he always sits to my left. Problem is he is an extremely strong player. He basically got us all into poker in school and even taught us holdem a few years before the Moneymaker boom. He usually crushes the game. He makes it seem like that the best TV viewing spot but I think he is doing it on purpose.

If I did random seats I’m sure I’d catch flack but I’m going to at least tell him he needs to sit across from me from now on

Maybe he just likes talking to you, that's a reason I sit next to some people. The other reason is for side bets, much easier to shift chips left/right than tossing across the table. If he really is that much more skilled vs everyone else it won't matter where he sits, he can squeeze and iso from any position.

I specifically hate seat 1 though. The dealer blocks the action and I never know when it's my turn.

 

[Old State]

Maybe he just likes talking to you, that's a reason I sit next to some people. The other reason is for side bets, much easier to shift chips left/right than tossing across the table. If he really is that much more skilled vs everyone else it won't matter where he sits, he can squeeze and iso from any position.

I specifically hate seat 1 though. The dealer blocks the action and I never know when it's my turn.

He isn’t just a poker friend …he is a pretty close friend and college roommate. His seat technically is the best for seeing the TVs but I have three in my poker/bar/home theater area. But I think he does consider the fact I’m the most aggressive player after him. Having known him for 35 years….he usually has a reason for anything he does when it comes to gambling

 

[ekricket]

He isn’t just a poker friend …he is a pretty close friend and college roommate. His seat technically is the best for seeing the TVs but I have three in my poker/bar/home theater area. But I think he does consider the fact I’m the most aggressive player after him. Having known him for 35 years….he usually has a reason for anything he does when it comes to gambling

Tell him you think the tvs are distracting you so you want to sit where it’s harder to see them. That should put you across the table from him!

 

[Old State]

I sit in the “dealer” spot all the time with a chip drawer above my knees. I never move

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Rather be a tiny bitch than a huge bitch.

 

[BGinGA]

I sit in the “dealer” spot all the time with a chip drawer above my knees. I never move

Flip your table around.

 

[Old State]

Flip your table around.

Then I can’t see the big screen! Not going to give up the best view in the house!

 

[maloviz]

The sweatlord in my says "fuck no. take his money"... The host in me says let him do whatever and have fun... It's just a home game and having happy players is probably the most important part. I'd also be happy he even asked if it was okay. Shows that the player respects your rules, so letting him switch seats is probably for the best as long as it doesn't upset other players.

 

[RagingAZN]

Just to carry on with this, I’m currently in the enviable situation of being able to run a 2nd cash game table.

Is it best to run it similar to tournament where the tables are balanced as much as possible? IE: if we have 16 players, run with 8 and 8 and it goes 8 and 6, one moves across?

Also if gets down to 10 players, do we combine or just keep playing as 5 and 5?

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Just to carry on with this, I’m currently in the enviable situation of being able to run a 2nd cash game table.

Is it best to run it similar to tournament where the tables are balanced as much as possible? IE: if we have 16 players, run with 8 and 8 and it goes 8 and 6, one moves across?

Also if gets down to 10 players, do we combine or just keep playing as 5 and 5?

If the tables became unbalanced, I would ask for volunteers to move from the larger table, but I don't think I'd make anyone move. I'd also consider requests from anyone who wanted to move or trade seats at any time during the night. Depending on if all your players are comfortable with the same stakes, I'd also consider playing different stakes at each table. I could foresee a time in my future where I might have 25c/50c at one table and $1/2 at a second table.

 

[buzzmonkey]

Just to carry on with this, I’m currently in the enviable situation of being able to run a 2nd cash game table.

Is it best to run it similar to tournament where the tables are balanced as much as possible? IE: if we have 16 players, run with 8 and 8 and it goes 8 and 6, one moves across?

Also if gets down to 10 players, do we combine or just keep playing as 5 and 5?

Are you running the same game(s) stakes at both tables? If no then it's not fair to move anyone. If yes, than I think you ask for volunteers, but otherwise you can run with a slight difference if it's not egregious.

If there are 10 at one table and 5 at the other and the stakes and games are the same you probably should move at least one if not two players. If there are no volunteers you have players draw (high card by suit) or deal out from a fresh shuffle (again, high card by suit) and move that or those players.

As soon as the second table starts play for the night you should notify ALL players that it is a must-move game and they can be moved at any time if there is an imbalance that meets your requirements.

 

[trigs]

I prefer to use a random draw for seating in a cash games (with a couple of "exceptions"). As host, I always sit near the chips in the same seat. I have seating chips and randomly draw the first one for my seat. As players come, they draw a random seat and sit there for the night. I've never had anyone complain, but I may have let a couple people move in the past (I think once to see the TV screen better during an important sports game they wanted to watch and once to see the cards better for someone who struggled to see them from the end of the table). I haven't had issues up to this point about people constantly complaining or wanting to switch seats all the time, as I think they understand why I do randomized seating.

Normally, I have a player who volunteers to deal for the night also, so after pulling my seat button, I'll pick the number from the bag for them so they get a middle seat. Sometimes I'll seat them on my side of the table and sometimes I'll seat them on the opposite side just so the two of us are not always in the exact same position to one another every game.

I draw for seats in cash games for a couple reasons: 1) I don't want anyone purposely picking on weaker players in the game constantly (i.e. always sitting in position to them). 2) I don't want to always have the exact same seating and dynamic of having everyone sit in their regular seat every time (just seems boring to always be facing the exact same person in the exact same position every game).

Cash games in the casino are different than home cash games imho. I completely understand being able to choose your seat and ask for a switch in a casino, but in a friendly home game, I want to keep it fair for everyone. I know some people have posted comments such as "don't you want to keep your players happy, so why not let them choose their seat, otherwise they might stop coming to the game", but what about the weak players they are preying on? Don't you want those players to keep coming back and not feel like they are constantly being picked on? I guess you have to ask yourself, are you running a fun home game, or are you trying to make as much money as possible off these "friends" of yours? And if you are going for most money possible, don't you still want the weaker players happy and coming back as opposed to keeping the stronger players happy by allowing them to always have position on the weaker ones?

 

[trigs]

The actual reason I bumped this thread is because I'm always hoping to get enough players to run two tables, and I had some questions.

My question was for hosts who have 2+ tables running and use random seating. Do you fill one table first as players arrive and then the second, or do you randomize between both tables at the same time?

I was also thinking about a couple of other ways to deal with this issue: 1) first x amount of players who sign up play on main table and the rest get the other table, or 2) first x amount of players who arrive play on main table and late comers get the other table. Out of these four options, what do you think is best?

 

[ovo]

as long as they don't skip the blinds, change away

 

[SeanGecko]

 

[merkong]

I’m a “sit where you want when you get here” game and have had one such request but it sort of abated as the players run took a different course.

I think initially I would have been a “who running from?” guy and felt they should maintain their current location.

After reading some of the responses, if a player wants to change seats I’m going to allow it.

We now draw for seating and have for the last several months. It’s better to have the randomness versus always having player X to your left or right just because they can see the TV.

Seat changes are allowed with reason; Jimmy Legs, Flatulence, and a few other perversions but are unlikely to be granted outside of that.

You can come and, after drawing your seat, audition all of the chairs (I seat my game with 10 relatively different leather office chairs) and move the one you want into your spot.

Don’t be a baby and request to run from the re-raiser. The Club’s admonishment is far worse than some silly pot size bet.

You’ll live.

merkong
Still Number Four on the A-Hole Top Ten List

 

[Mushmanchuman]

We do the random draw thing and that has worked fine. If anyone shows up late I ask the table they get plugged in wherever. If someone wanted to move seats that wouldn't be a problem unless they did it all the time. Then I'd start getting annoyed with it.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

I prefer to use a random draw for seating in a cash games (with a couple of "exceptions"). As host, I always sit near the chips in the same seat. I have seating chips and randomly draw the first one for my seat. As players come, they draw a random seat and sit there for the night. I've never had anyone complain, but I may have let a couple people move in the past (I think once to see the TV screen better during an important sports game they wanted to watch and once to see the cards better for someone who struggled to see them from the end of the table). I haven't had issues up to this point about people constantly complaining or wanting to switch seats all the time, as I think they understand why I do randomized seating.

Normally, I have a player who volunteers to deal for the night also, so after pulling my seat button, I'll pick the number from the bag for them so they get a middle seat. Sometimes I'll seat them on my side of the table and sometimes I'll seat them on the opposite side just so the two of us are not always in the exact same position to one another every game.

I draw for seats in cash games for a couple reasons: 1) I don't want anyone purposely picking on weaker players in the game constantly (i.e. always sitting in position to them). 2) I don't want to always have the exact same seating and dynamic of having everyone sit in their regular seat every time (just seems boring to always be facing the exact same person in the exact same position every game).

Cash games in the casino are different than home cash games imho. I completely understand being able to choose your seat and ask for a switch in a casino, but in a friendly home game, I want to keep it fair for everyone. I know some people have posted comments such as "don't you want to keep your players happy, so why not let them choose their seat, otherwise they might stop coming to the game", but what about the weak players they are preying on? Don't you want those players to keep coming back and not feel like they are constantly being picked on? I guess you have to ask yourself, are you running a fun home game, or are you trying to make as much money as possible off these "friends" of yours? And if you are going for most money possible, don't you still want the weaker players happy and coming back as opposed to keeping the stronger players happy by allowing them to always have position on the weaker ones?

I agree with most of what you've written here, with the exception of your last point. I think most players who want to choose their seat for an advantage are more interested in having position over a strong player, not a weaker player.