Cash Game What makes a game bad? (1 Viewer)

[Taghkanic]

Re.: Too much money:

I agree that generally a good player should want there to be more $ to win on the table.

But it does sometimes change the character of the game, I find, when people are constantly rebuying for half the biggest stack (or matching the big stack).

Players get more desperate, as they chase bigger and bigger losses, and the play gets more BINGO-y.

You may still be sitting with your usual 100-200 BB, but the giant stacks lead to bet sizes inflating. Now it’s more like you only have 30-40 bigs. In a 2/5 game where standard opens were $15-$20 they balloon to $40-$50 and 3bets pre are $150-$200. So the game has effectively become more like 5/10 or even 10/25–not what you bargained for coming in.

Play can then devolve into shove fests.

I can handle that dynamic OK, but don’t find it a very interesting game.

I also get uncomfortable if I’m at a table where it appears one or more players is getting in over their head.

Saw this recently where someone dropped more than $5K in a “friendly” 2/5 game, trying and failing to get back to even. I wasn’t in a position in that particular game to intervene and kept wishing the host would cut him off.

Everyone is an adult and makes their own choices but still it can feel weird when someone keeps making really bad choices repeatedly.

 

[JustinInMN]

* Players who basically stop playing once they double up and just want to protect the win for an hour or two to make it look like they aren’t hitting and running.

I think of this as a specific form of nittiness

 

[wickedwonka121]

I can put up with most issues. What pushes me out of a game is players' attitudes. I'm trying to have fun. Winning a just a bonus.

 

[merkong]

My $0 game has been running consistently since 2005... 19 years. Player pool of course evolved over time but still have a core of long-term regulars.

Edit: If is fun... Is a good game.

I’m not surprised. Poker needs to be fun and let’s face it players leave games where money is involved because it isn’t flowing their way.

I think a zero money game does a lot for the sport. Some players probably play for money at times and the zero money scenario built their skills and confidence.

Like you mentioned, your pool has morphed over the years. Players that evolve or also want some stake play concurrently or make the switch. There’s space for all stakes including no stakes.

My more emphatic point was that everything else about a game has tremendous value in how a game lives and live on.

Let me in on one of those zero stake games. It’ll be the first time in my career I’ll be absolutely financially safe at the table.

Be good and keep on keeping on.

merkong

 

[Legend5555]

As a "for profit" rec, I'll put up with a decent amount stuff if the game is profitable. Also depends on if we are taking about private games or public casino games. Casinos, it just comes down to how good the table is and how comfortable the room is.

For private games generally though, for me, a bad game is:

1. Too nitty or too splashy.

My preferred type is a loose passive pre, tight passive post game. With a 1-2 aggro fish thrown in. I can win lots of small pots of the former, and the occasional big pot off the latter.

If everyone is really right, then why am I there. And if everyone is going crazy, then I find the swings a bit stressful. It's also boring because you just have to wait for hands. But at some point, even the crazies realize that and won't give you action. So you are forced to gamble some. And as a for profit player that has access to multiple other less swingy games, I'd rather not play the gamble game.

2. Any game where players get drunk to the point where they slow everything down, or start yelling matches with other players. I don't care if they donate, I don't need that shit.

3. Hosts that don't have clearly defined policies, both in terms of payment processing and table rules.

4. No food/drinks provided (assuming paying rake).

5. Games with players that point out how others are playing (too tight, too lose, etc).

6. Dealers that get overly involved in conversation and/or discussing hands.

The rest to me is kinda whatever. Within reason, I'll put up with bad chairs, chips, table.

 

[57chevy]

I can tolerate bad equipment and bad food.
But I hate playing with sour players or sore losers.
Remember that this game is supposed to be fun and challenging… not yelling at a player for making a bad call with 20% equity and getting lucky.

Bad people = Bad Game !!

 

[allforcharity]

Bad people = Bad Game !!

This x1000

I'm 50% for social aspect, 50% for improving my game. I won't bat an eye at (lack of) decent equipment or decent perks like food, just keep me away from the jerks. I can afford to lose the money that I play with so I should get some entertainment value out of each session. I'm very happy that many people I've met through home games (and here on the forum) have become friends and supporters.

If it's not time well spent = bad game.

 

[wahoowa]

Got invited to my friends uncles game who I was told "plays a lot." I sit down and its 10 dudes just limping and anytime you raise at least one will say "hey man I thought we were keeping it friendly? Needless to say I did not go back the next time

 

[SixSeven]

I find a lot of the comments here valuable. I look for a good vibe, and people having fun in a home game. So like some have said, the people playing make all the difference. @allforcharity is right!!

One player that doesn't know it is their action, or takes for ever to decide what to do with their hand regularly are real downers. Also if a player regularly shows their cards to multiple players when they look at them even after being warned others can see their cards is annoying. Players that criticise the dealer for bad cards if it's a permadealer, or other players for the way they play their cards. Like @57chevy said, sour players that complain about their bad luck repeatedly when it is just variance. And people that wear headphones to a home game or are on their phone the whole time, in other words checked out, aren't fun. I like to play with people that are involved, talking, and gambling it up, while playing with skill in the game.

 

[tabletalker7]

A T25 base tournament that uses a T2000 or T2500 chip. BAD

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Got invited to my friends uncles game who I was told "plays a lot." I sit down and its 10 dudes just limping and anytime you raise at least one will say "hey man I thought we were keeping it friendly? Needless to say I did not go back the next time

I've been annoyed. Two friends that told me they loved hold'em and would love to play in my game sometime.

1. Ended up playing and not knowing the hand ranking, freaked when a flush beat a straight, and

2. Immediately after saying they loved poker asked if we were using one deck or two. I thought they meant shuffling behind or whatever so I said yeah clean your mess and then next guy cuts. Nope, they meant two decks shuffled together.

When someone new tells me they love poker, I now give it no consideration.

 

[wahoowa]

I've heard of short deck, but double deck poker is a new one