Poker game

[MattNH]

I got an unexpected call this morning and got invited to a local poker game. Now this is a home game, no rake by the host, no cover charge, bring your own stuff so no charge for food/drinks - perfectly legal. As soon as there is a charge for something or the host takes money in, the game is not legal. It's actually a bunch of guys from church and have been doing it on and off for a few years and 2 regulars can't make it, so I'm a fill in.

I used to have a regular Friday night home game rotated at 3 different places including my basement from about 2000-2011. We would play a $20 buy in tournament that would last 2-3 hours and then switch to $0.50/$1 cash game, always No-limit Hold-em, occasionally Omaha Hi. I had a separate poker bankroll so I was only playing with that money and not using household grocery or mortgage money. In 2000 I seeded it with $200, sometime in 2008 or 2009 I lost it all and seeded with another $200. In 2011 I liquidated it for just shy of $5000. Towards the end of that game there was one player that started upping the stakes and making ridiculous bets and the game got too big. He needed the action and would be playing several times a week at much bigger games. He would come back to our game and go way over the top and some guys were dropping several hundred dollars a night. I had to get away from it.

I'm excited to playing again for at least tonight and hopefully can turn into a regular thing.

 

[Sentry18]

I am not a gambler but a regular small time game sounds like fun, as long as people don't get addicted to it. Sounds like that one player might have crossed over into that territory.

 

[backlash]

Gambling bores me to death, I have never enjoyed it. Been to Vegas a few times and just wandered around looking at the people giving their money away.

 

[dademoss]

A small stakes game is fun with the right people. Maybe someday I will find the right people again

 

[Meerkat]

Never was lucky at gambling.

 

[SheepDog]

Me too Meerkat!
I would be better off just emptying my wallet by throwing the contents on the floor.

 

[Spikedriver]

I don't play poker but I will play a little blackjack sometimes. But money is hard to get and easy to lose so I keep myself on a short leash. I did take around $250 from a casino when I was working in Reno last year. I'd take $25 or 30 down to the hotel's casino every night after work. I was up or even 5 straight nights. Would have taken home more but the last night I lost about $65 back to them...

 

[backlash]

I went with friends a couple years ago and played slots.
Beat the Indians out of $900 and left. I am ahead of the casino and I intend to stay that way.
My cousin won $10,000 on the slots at the same place and she almost lost her mind.
She isn't talking but I would bet the casino has got it all back, plus some over the last few years.

 

[Supervisor42]

I went with friends a couple years ago and played slots.
Beat the Indians out of $900 and left. I am ahead of the casino and I intend to stay that way.
My cousin won $10,000 on the slots at the same place and she almost lost her mind.
She isn't talking but I would bet the casino has got it all back, plus some over the last few years.

Well, I got an edge on 'em.
I drink.
Our nearby casino will bring you free drinks as fast as you can drink them if you are playing at a table game.
I play roulette.
Their thought: "If we get him drunk, he'll do stupid stuff."
I can hold my own at roulette since I love math...even drinking.
4 hours later and 10 Crown Royal & Cokes that sell for $7.50 each, I'm up $75 if I just break even.
We both take our $10-off coupons to the restaurant and eat a great dinner for pennies.
We then take the coupon for a free room and spend the night in their really nice hotel...for free.
Great time and we didn't spend squat.
Retired people with coupons....... Nailed it!

 

[Sentry18]

The only time I have ever gambled was on a cruise ship off the coast of Jamaica. Wife went to the spa, I went to play the slot machines. Walked in with a $20, on my 10th pull of the level I won something like $400. I collected my winnings and left. Spent the rest of the day just walking around and sitting on a deck people watching. Found out later my wife's all day spa treatment cost $380. So I figure we basically broke even.

 

[backlash]

Well, I got an edge on 'em.
I drink.
Our nearby casino will bring you free drinks as fast as you can drink them if you are playing at a table game.
I play roulette.
Their thought: "If we get him drunk, he'll do stupid stuff."
I can hold my own at roulette since I love math...even drinking.
4 hours later and 10 Crown Royal & Cokes that sell for $7.50 each, I'm up $75 if I just break even.
We both take our $10-off coupons to the restaurant and eat a great dinner for pennies.
We then take the coupon for a free room and spend the night in their really nice hotel...for free.
Great time and we didn't spend squat.
Retired people with coupons....... Nailed it!

Only casinos around here are Indian ran.
No alcohol, the food sucks and there are no coupons.
Seafood night is around $30 per person and it's terrible.
Roulette is a game of total random chances. There is no way to get an edge on the house.
The only game that gives you a slim chance is Blackjack. Even then you have to know every move for every situation to reduce the odds of losing.
Notice I didn't say your odds of winning, you still are going to lose in the long run.
I guess that's why I don't like gambling.

 

[Supervisor42]

Only casinos around here are Indian ran.
No alcohol, the food sucks and there are no coupons.
Seafood night is around $30 per person and it's terrible.
Roulette is a game of total random chances. There is no way to get an edge on the house.
The only game that gives you a slim chance is Blackjack. Even then you have to know every move for every situation to reduce the odds of losing.
Notice I didn't say your odds of winning, you still are going to lose in the long run.
I guess that's why I don't like gambling.

Oh, you are absolutely correct.
Yes, the house has a mathematical advantage in every game. They will always win in the long run.
Their advantage however does not include me sliding the girl bringing drinks a 5 and smiling real big, and complimenting her in front of other people.
That's a sure-win for me.
You have a casino with no booze?
Are you sure it's not just a truck-stop with slot-machines?

Our Indians down here have their act together. It's Fun,Fun,Fun!

 

[The Lazy L]

I have a system for our State lottery. I haven't lost any money to date. I never play.

The evening before a monthly competition, some of us would play Obama Poker. No money envoled. Chips are distributed evenly. Texas hold'em rules. If a player goes bust the the player with most chips has to give the busted player half of their chips.

Years ago I was in Lost Wages for business. One daughter told me I had to do some sight seeing. Did I? The airport shuttle took a circular route and my hotel was the last stop. That was my total sight seeing. I was in the hotel casino twice a day. Had to go though the casino to get to the conference room and again to go back to my room.

 

[Supervisor42]

Only casinos around here are Indian ran.
No alcohol, the food sucks and there are no coupons.
Seafood night is around $30 per person and it's terrible.
Roulette is a game of total random chances. There is no way to get an edge on the house.
The only game that gives you a slim chance is Blackjack. Even then you have to know every move for every situation to reduce the odds of losing.
Notice I didn't say your odds of winning, you still are going to lose in the long run.
I guess that's why I don't like gambling.

Wait a minute!
No booze AND the food sucks?
The 'fresh-off-the-gulf' jumbo fried-shrimp for us are so big, you aren't eating one in just one bite.
Do the math, if we both have $10 coupons for this:

How much do you think we pay?
Either one will fill you to the gills.

 

[backlash]

The lottery is a tax on people that are bad at math.

You have a casino with no booze?
Are you sure it's not just a truck-stop with slot-machines?

Yea it's the biggest Casino around and there is no booze, not even beer.

Wait a minute!
AND the food sucks?
The 'fresh-off-the-gulf' jumbo fried-shrimp are so big, you aren't eating one in just one bite.

The shrimp are breaded and frozen and they are a lot like costco shrimp but not as good,

 

[Supervisor42]

The lottery is a {voluntary} tax on people that are bad at math.
Yea it's the biggest Casino around and there is no booze, not even beer.
The shrimp are breaded and frozen and they are a lot like costco shrimp but not as good,

That is so sad.
That place would be a giant deserted building down here within 6 months.

 

[Tacitus]

Got invited to a neighborhood poker game.

I have played poker two times in the past 25 years. So, I suppose I expect to lose everything.

But, it is a new poker game of men on my street, and I've been looking for excuses to make better neighborhood relationships. Most of the families on the street have kids that are way younger than my "kids," so the wife and I are not in the regular social circles. Looking forward to getting to know these guys better...and probably giving them a bunch of my money.

 

[dademoss]

Got invited to a neighborhood poker game.

I have played poker two times in the past 25 years. So, I suppose I expect to lose everything.

But, it is a new poker game of men on my street, and I've been looking for excuses to make better neighborhood relationships. Most of the families on the street have kids that are way younger than my "kids," so the wife and I are not in the regular social circles. Looking forward to getting to know these guys better...and probably giving them a bunch of my money.

Watch those "friendly neighborhood games", some of them turn not so friendly pretty quickly.

 

[backlash]

The last friendly poker game I went to turned into anything but friendly.
We played Red Dog. My BIL kept losing and the pot kept getting bigger and bigger and it was mostly his money. It went from a nickel dime game to several hundred dollars in the pot. Fortunately, he eventually won all his money back and the poker game was over.
Red Dog is also called in between. A player is dealt 2 cards face up and bet any amount up to the pot total that the next card will be in between those 2. Aces are low. Ties go to the dealer.
So 5 guys each put in 50 cents the first guy bets the pot of $2.50 and loses, the next guy can bet the pot of $5 if he loses the pot is now $10. You can see how this can get out of hand fast. I'll never play that again.
You can really make a guy mad by dealing him an ace and a king then pairing one of them up on the turn card.

 

[Neb]

I was always bad at poker. I would declare a $20 limit on my losses and then bow out.

Ben

 

[dademoss]

The last friendly poker game I went to turned into anything but friendly.
We played Red Dog. My BIL kept losing and the pot kept getting bigger and bigger and it was mostly his money. It went from a nickel dime game to several hundred dollars in the pot. Fortunately, he eventually won all his money back and the poker game was over.
Red Dog is also called in between. A player is dealt 2 cards face up and bet any amount up to the pot total that the next card will be in between those 2. Aces are low. Ties go to the dealer.
So 5 guys each put in 50 cents the first guy bets the pot of $2.50 and loses, the next guy can bet the pot of $5 if he loses the pot is now $10. You can see how this can get out of hand fast. I'll never play that again.
You can really make a guy mad by dealing him an ace and a king then pairing one of them up on the turn card.

Ouch.

 

[Bacpacker]

Ex inlaws used to play. I never was interested.

 

[Tacitus]

I feel very confident that I can bow out at an appropriate time. I'm definitely not looking to make any money. I will go into it thinking I am paying for a night of entertainment.

I've played In Between before, and ties come up more than people think. Very infuriating.