One of the stupidest things I've ever seen

[PShabi]

During the hurricane, while displaced at my mom's house, I played some live poker.

If you don't know, Florida has a bet limit of $2, yes $2, in all games.

So, they spread straight $2 hold-em. $1/$2 blinds, every bet is $2.

Well, I went to a new room during the storm recovery and found something I didn't know existed. In order to create bigger pots (I guess) and to satisfy the gambler's the dog track poker room I was at spread:

ANTE HOLD 'EM.

$2 ante preflop by every player! So you're getting immediate odds of 10-1 UTG after the flop. I didn't get to watch much of the game and I didn't play in it. I suppose I could've made the adjustments but I was getting sucked out on enough in the str8 2 game.

Anybody ever seen anything like this?

[Talking Poker]

That's crazy. No wonder I've never played at the dog track here, even though it's less than 15 minutes away...

I've heard you have 7+ people seeing every flop.

Sounds horrible.

[Reel Deal]

Yeah, I only go to the local track here for their tournaments... sat down at a limit table once while waiting for a tourney to start and it was just that, 7+ see the flop and they all chase their draws down to the river... might as well play bingo.

[bdawg31]

This sounds like a crazy game - and my first gut-reaction is to think like everyone else in that it sounds 'stupid'. But, is it? In theory, one should be able to adjust to this game like any other poker game, right? In theory - this game should be profiable just as any other if played correctly.

I am thinking that one would have to completely re-evaluate starting hands.

[Talking Poker]

I agree. I think you'd want to see a flop with pretty much any hand you would play out of the small blind - and maybe even a few more (ALL one gap non-suited connectors, for example).

I think they key to winning here would be evaluating your hand on the flop and proceeding correctly. Jam it when you have the goods, chase NUT draws when the price is right, and dump everything else.

The pot is going to be laying you sick odds, but getting in the habit of chasing runners is a bad idea.

Or is it..............? The more I think about it, the more I think mathematically, you might be correct in chasing almost everything. And if everyone is correct in doing that, you might as well all ante $10 and just deal out 5 card stud. Yeah, that's no fun.

Actually, a "fun" way to approach this game would be to bet/raise at EVERY opportunity, EVERY single hand. Depending on how the table reacts, that might even be the optimal strategy! If you can take down 25% of the pots uncontested before showdown, I'm guessing you'd come out ahead.

Crazy.

[PShabi]

Dude, this was at the Melbourne track. I couldn't call you because my mom didn't have internet at her place and your number was in my PM box .

I tried to go to the library and get on the computer but I couldn't access the forum .

And yes, the str8 2 game had 8-9 seeing every flop. 5 cold-callers sometimes. I was hard up for poker, and frankly, although it's just $2 hold em, I find myself winning 25-40 bets pretty regularly. And live play is fun.

I like the str8 2 game also because you just value bet your edge and dont' have to worry about squeezing out more on the turn. Just plow!!!!

The most memorable hand I played started with a value raise on the button after the table limped to me with J10h . I flopped a flush draw and actually made a value raise on both the FLOP and THE TURN because it was bet UTG and called to me on the button with 6 people in!!!!!

When (if) I move to Vegas I'm looking forward to 5/10 games that play like this!!!

[PShabi]

No pots were going down uncontested. None. It played like the game I described with EVERYONE seing nearly every card.

So, yeah, bingo.

[Talking Poker]

At the Melbourne track, he says....... Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought we were friends! What, you're too cool to drink beer with me now?

That does it.... pshabi has just been banned!

[Gordogg]

The $2 ante and everyone chasing there draws reminds me of implicit collusion. Your AA isn't going to hold up very often under those game conditions. So yeah, bingo anyone?

[humpty99]

I was in Sarasota last summer on vacation, and I played on a boat casino somewhere near St. Pete. They were running normal games. May want to try to find it. When I was searching for places prior to vacation online, I saw nothing about these boat casinos in Florida. All you could find was Indian Reservations, and they were the 2 dollar crap you are talking about. I asked a lady that worked at our condo, and she told me about the St. Pete boats.

[eddo31]

i think for the $2 ante game you should basically play every single hand preflop, and you will make money based upon your postflop decisions.

the pot will always be huge preflop, and your implied odds will be ridiculous in just about every situation. value betting will be minimal, as you should just hammer away against the gambl000rs. bluffing is out of the question altogether.

might be an interesting game to play in, and im pretty sure that the experience would be enhanced with serious amounts of alcohol.

[badblood44]

My parents live in Florida and I've been to the Fort Myers dogtrack to play poker there. I saw the $2 ante game and didn't play. I did play in the $1/$2 game which is exactly what you'd think it would be.

I've recently learned that they're spreading Omaha 8 there. Now that seems like it could be a gold mine with the majority of the population down there having no clue how to play the game.

[GeoffM]

I wish I could find an O8 game here in Canada, but then again, I don't want to lose my job either .

[GeoffM]

Damn, I just found out they DO have O8 tables running about 1.5 hours north of me. This could turn into my favorite thread, giving me the idea to google search.

[Reel Deal]

The nice thing is when these tracks hold tournaments all these chasers come and play and you can make them pay... of course, they'll chase w/o odds so when they hit you're in big trouble.

[Talking Poker]

Don't forget the 35% juice or whatever it is.

I was all excited when I found out tourneys were coming here, but it's something like $32+13. You gotta be kidding me. Add in the gas money and time away from making money playing online, and I haven't been able to convince myself to play. I'd do it for fun, but that's certainly not +EV... not compared to playing online anyway.

[ChipFish]

Stupidest thing I ever saw?

I looked at the computer and noticed I was playing Pai-Gow....
Lost $15 on the cheapie table... then moved up limits

Finished $5 up.
Well, that ought to kill the gamboooling urge for a few months

[MAYHEM45]

Hey Geoff, where at? PL or limit?

[Reel Deal]

Yep, that's exactly the set up here... $32+13. Sometimes I get the itch for live poker and try to ignore the big juice.

[oketz7777]

that sounds really crazy and makes no sense.......... that is really stupid!