Scrotum (1 Viewer)

[moose]

I've actually played very little Scrotum—just a couple orbits at BBOTB 2016.

One general point of strategy worth noting is not to think of the game like Hold'em or Omaha. It shares the concept of hole cards and the flop-turn-river structure, but it's otherwise very different. Hand values probably run closer to something like Triple Draw High, since you start with five cards and then essentially draw repeatedly (except in a community-card format with a three-card "burst draw" to start).

You should basically never start with any hand that doesn't have at least three cards worth keeping, like trips, two pair, or four to a straight flush out of the gate. Play only two (or one!), and your opponents can confidently deduce your exact maximum potential throughout the hand. Once it's three, though, you could have quads on any board, or a straight flush on most, so the Hold'em/Omaha concept of the nuts goes almost completely out the window. Chasing straights and flushes is for the birds; even a pat straight or flush is dubious (I think we had a thread about exactly that). Full houses and better are what you want. All of this is, of course, relative to your opponents' hands, so position is massively important. It gets you an advantage in both betting and in setting your hand.

Also, I think this game would be far more interesting high-low than high-only. I've only played it high-only, but I can imagine there's a lot more potential for interesting decisions and big action in high-low.

TL/DR version

Get someone to kick you in the nuts. Costs less, hurts about the same, gets it over faster.

 

[BGinGA]

Rules state that you can discard 0 to 4 cards (if the five-card version).

 

[timinater]

So there’s not a definite answer? Board had AJJ then it went J...A...someone held a pair of 10s so the guy playing the board technically won (I suppose?) but when I introduced the game a few weeks ago I never stated you could NOT discard all five cards...so here we are...

I don’t think there is a scrotum rulebook hahah so probably at the house’s discretion. If someone in my crew elected to throw away all their cards and play the board I’d probably just tell them they have in fact folded.

If your gang was cool with the guy declaring board and the board ran out like that then... I guess ship him the pot??????

 

[timinater]

Rules state that you can discard 0 to 4 cards (if the five-card version).

There’s the actual answer.

 

[BGinGA]

If someone in my crew elected to throw away all their cards and play the board I’d probably just tell them they have in fact folded.

Yeah, gotta have card(s) to have a hand, even if they don't play at showdown. Makes Scarney a better game, too.

 

[allforcharity]

TL/DR version

Get someone to kick you in the nuts. Costs less, hurts about the same, gets it over faster.

Is that the real reason they call the game Scrotum? "Kick here"?

 

[Saoliver]

Scrotum:
You are dealt 5 cards. Preflop, you decide which cards (n=1-5) that you want to play and set your hand such that everyone can see the number you are keeping. You must play every card you keep, interacting with the standard flop, turn, and river that are on the board. For example, if you keep two pair (4 cards) and the board matches one of them, you play the one from the board for a boat. Another example, if you keep trips and the board has a pair, you also make a boat. Alternatively, you keep trips and the case card hits, then you have quads. Four to a flush means you have a flush when there is one card of your suit that hits. You can also keep all 5, ignoring the board with a pat hand.

Scrotum8:
Scrotum, but adding a split with the lowest 8-or-less qualifying low. Keeping four small cards of a suit is extremely powerful, as there is the opportunity to scoop with a nice flush. Steel wheel = $$$ (nut low with a dominating high).

Very tricky and fun game, with a lot of reading of people involved. Lots of choices for what to keep to maximize payouts and disguise hands!

@BonScot Scrotum8 is the type of game I’m talking about. Plays well as pot limit. Might work for limit too, but I don’t have any experience.

 

[WedgeRock]

So the guy discarded all 5 cards and announced he was playing the board?

Or he folded and is trying to angle his way into winning a pot?

 

[hoosierdonny]

So the guy discarded all 5 cards and announced he was playing the board?

Or he folded and is trying to angle his way into winning a pot?

He discarded all 5 after the flop, but I (the dealer) didn't realize the possible implications of what he did as he called the flop bet and said "that wasn't a muck, I'm just gonna play the board"...then there were 3 players to the turn and NOBODY bet it, OR the river...one guy had a low draw that missed, the other guy had the two 10's and this guy played the board...

Incidentally, the guy with the 10's cashed out after the hand and left...lol

I've since made the rule that you must keep at least one card.

 

[Al Azouri]

Rules state that you can discard 0 to 4 cards (if the five-card version).

Is the four card version called Baby Scrotum, or would that get you listed as a pedophile?

 

[BGinGA]

We played blue-balls version last weekend.

 

[Moxie Mike]

We played blue-balls version last weekend.

Can you elaborate?

(I'd look into this myself, but I'm not optimistic that Googling 'blue-balls scrotum' will produce positive results.)

 

[BonScot]

Is it called scrotum because you have to hold the nuts or am I overthinking it?

 

[Saoliver]

Is it called scrotum because you have to hold the nuts or am I overthinking it?

Something about the nuts being hidden.