First 'real' home game coming up

[Isaac Mikel]

Hi,

So, there is this nl cash game coming up on saturday with my in-law and his friends. I'm fairly new to the game and have only played a few games with my friends and some online, however I've read two strategy books, one of them being Phil Hellmuth's and the other a dummies book.

The guys I'll been playing with have been playing together every week for a few years. I've been told that they find it funny that I've been reading strategy books, and say that I can only learn through experience.

They seem to prefer other stuff like fishing, and I figure that they haven't really put much effort into understanding hold'em better, seeing as they only ever play with each other.

Should I have a particular strategy against these guys?

[golddog]

From your description, it sounds as if it's a friendly game without serious stakes. Treat it as such.

That doesn't mean not playing hard. Just play solid poker, they'll make enough mistakes that you'll win in the long run.

Oh that, and read some other books, read around the forums, get a diversity of opinion. Hellmuth sucks. Try the Harrington series.

Good luck and welcome.

[Felting]

Burn Phil's book, it's worthless.

[Isaac Mikel]

Worthless how?

[golddog]

Yeah, Isaac's right, Felting; by your own advice, it has worth because it would provide warmth on a cold winter's night.

I think in the opinion of most people not initialed PH, the game has passed him by. His books are generally not strategy-oriented, but the People magazine of poker; he wants to talk about who he's playing with, not why he made this move or that move and it was the right decision.

[Felting]

thanks for expounding on my post golddog, for some better poker reading get the books by David Sklansky and Dan Harrington.

[BeerWench13]

I agree with gold. It sounds like a friendly game. My only advice is to remember that these guys know each other's play so you may see some plays that are odd for a regular game. I used to play with a guy every week and, after a while, I could almost tell you what he was holding or betting every time.

[Isaac Mikel]

It was a friendly game, but I don't think I want to play with them again.

We were down to the last 3 players and I was chip leader. The guy who was hosting was dealing as he'd been put out by me (the fish), and it was getting late, so the two other players agreed to raise the blinds to 2000/1000. 2000 chips is around the amount you get for buying into the game. I wasn't happy with this, because I felt it would just come down to luck, but I was out voted.

So, one of the other guys went all in every hand, and wouldn't you know it, i was getting dealt 6-3os, 7-2os, etc. Eventually I was dealt a face card and pushed in the rest of my stack (just enough for another big blind). I caught a king on the flop to take me ahead, but the board ended up with 4 hearts and the guy going all in had a one in his hand.

The guy who finished second was an absolute wanker who should not be allowed to play poker. He was clearly playing for second (second gets their buy in back). He also moaned at me for every hand I folded at the end of the game. I complained about his moaning, because he'd always folded before me, but nothing was said.

[HalfSugar]

Sounds like it is time to find a new home game.

[Isaac Mikel]

Well, I don't know much about home games. I didn't complain about their rules because it was their game, but I did question them.

We started with around 2200 in chips and the blinds started at 50/25. The blinds were raised around every 45 minutes and within 5 hours they were at 1200/600. Then, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the host got tired and they were raised again to 2000/1000

Is that a fairly basic blind structure in a home game? Are the blinds structured like that in a casino?

[HalfSugar]

45mins is a very long level. As a rule, 20mins is probably pretty standard for a home game unless you want it to last a very long time. Obviously the starting stack and rebuys make a big difference too.

Here is the structure of the home game we play as a guide:

All levels 20mins, starting stack 12,000 chips.

25/50
50/100
75/150
100/200
100/200 +25
150/300 +25
200/400 +50
300/600 +50
400/800 +100
500/1000 +100
600/1200 +200
800/1600 +200
1000/2000 (+300)
1500/3000 (+300)
2000/4000 (+400)
3000/6000 (+400)

With an average of 8-12 players per game, that runs 4-5hrs generally.

I have put the last few antes in brackets because we generally are 3 or 4 handed by the time 1000/2000 arrives and we often lose the antes if everyone agrees. By the time HU is reached, we tend to colour up with the minimum chip being 1000 anyway.

A few weeks ago we played a larger buy-in deepstack game with a 20,000 chip stack and 30min levels. With 10 players, that lasted for ~8hrs.

[miaowmiaowchowface]

you have a long journey ahead of you young soldier