How did you learn to manage pot limit in home games? (1 Viewer)

[acezag]

I know practice and patience is obviously huge. But curious if there are tricks or tips you used to keep the game moving efficiently when you were learning - it seems that tracking pots through each street could become intimidating for a bit, especially in self-dealt games.

 

[TheYeti]

I don't play pot limit games, but I ran across this discussion awhile ago which mostly scrambled my brain. Might be just what you're looking for:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/calculating-pot-for-plo.32910/

 

[acezag]

I don't play pot limit games, but I ran across this discussion awhile ago which mostly scrambled my brain. Might be just what you're looking for:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/calculating-pot-for-plo.32910/

That's a really helpful set of concrete examples - I can use the thread's formula to start practicing. Thanks TheYeti!

 

[mdt11]

As a player - practice. Keeping track of the pot size is a critical skill regardless of what you’re playing. It also helps me stay focused when I’m out of a hand and off my phone.

As a dealer - no shame in stacking the chips in easy to read increments instead of just pushing them together in a pile. It’s not necessarily “correct” but it keeps things moving in a home game.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

It’s easy, 3 times the last bet plus whatever else is out there. So if you’re not facing a bet, you’re just matching the pot. If the pot has $15.75 and someone makes it $12, it’s 3*12 + 15.75 or $51.75 (unless you’re rounding up to the next dollar or 5 dollars). If there is $26 in the pot, someone leads for $12, and is raised to $33, a pot-sized bet is 3*33 + 12 + 26, so $137.

 

[allforcharity]

And then the next 3 players go pot, pot, pot and the calculations (and pot) explode.

 

[DZPoker]

It’s easy, 3 times the last bet plus whatever else is out there. So if you’re not facing a bet, you’re just matching the pot. If the pot has $15.75 and someone makes it $12, it’s 3*12 + 15.75 or $51.75 (unless you’re rounding up to the next dollar or 5 dollars). If there is $26 in the pot, someone leads for $12, and is raised to $33, a pot-sized bet is 3*33 + 12 + 26, so $137.

I was sure you're right...but just couldn't wrap my head around why it's 3x and not 2x...so I had to turn to Google.

Just in case anyone else is wondering...

Basically a pot-sized raise is treated like a call and a raise. So if opponent bets $20k into $34k, then the size of the pot would be his $20k bet+your $20k call+the original size of the pot or $74k, but that's $74k on top of the $20k call you already put in so you're actually raising $74k to $94k
Source: Some chap named bestvoice4 on Reddit!

Which...as Chippy said...equals 3x20k + whatever else is out there

Just adding this here in case anyone else is as dumb as me!!!!

 

[Nymor]

I was sure you're right...but just couldn't wrap my head around why it's 3x and not 2x...so I had to turn to Google.

Just in case anyone else is wondering...

Basically a pot-sized raise is treated like a call and a raise. So if opponent bets $20k into $34k, then the size of the pot would be his $20k bet+your $20k call+the original size of the pot or $74k, but that's $74k on top of the $20k call you already put in so you're actually raising $74k to $94k
Source: Some chap named bestvoice4 on Reddit!

Which...as Chippy said...equals 3x20k + whatever else is out there

Just adding this here in case anyone else is as dumb as me!!!!

I like this way of thinking about it because it helps someone understand what "pot" actually means. Knowing the short-cut is obviously very useful but knowing how to calculate from basics is important (imho).

I always struggle at the "treated like a call and a raise" part because I also have to add the rider "well you don't call and raise as such, because you can't do that, but pretend in your head that you're making those 2 separate actions and then ..." which makes it quite a long winded explanation of a simple concept

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

I like this way of thinking about it because it helps someone understand what "pot" actually means. Knowing the short-cut is obviously very useful but knowing how to calculate from basics is important (imho).

I always struggle at the "treated like a call and a raise" part because I also have to add the rider "well you don't call and raise as such, because you can't do that, but pretend in your head that you're making those 2 separate actions and then ..." which makes it quite a long winded explanation of a simple concept

Yeah the long way to figure it out is to match the bet, then count up everything including what you just put in to match, than that new total is what you raise on top. But the 3*bet plus other is the shortcut but just as accurate way of doing it

 

[SteveEH]

I educate players how to calculate how much is in the pot, tell them they cannot say "pot" (they can say an amount or move their chips forward), and if someone thinks their bet is more than the pot it can be challenged.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

I educate players how to calculate how much is in the pot, tell them they cannot say "pot" (they can say an amount or move their chips forward), and if someone thinks their bet is more than the pot it can be challenged.

In PLO, pot is an acceptable bet. It is not a valid bet in NLHE

 

[upNdown]