Introducing Antes

[Captn_All_In]

Okay so in the cash game I host I want to introduce antes.

My question is what are appropriate antes for each level of game?

1/2 NLE...is .25 to much?

2/4 LHE... .25 or .50

3/6 LHE... .50 or higher?

Thoughts are greatly appreciated!!

[hachkc]

Are you looking to replace the blinds with antes or are these in addition to antes?

If these are in addition are you just looking to create action with them?

[Damon]

Sounds good.

1/2 NLHE = .25 ante
2/4 NLHE = .50 ante
3/6 NLHE = .75 (or you could go $1)

That's be pretty consistant with the tournament antes in the WSOP. They're typically 1/8 to 1/6 of the big blind.

[BigKyle]

On High Stakes Poker they play $300-$600 blinds with $100 antes. So the same thing in a $1-$2 game would have 33 1/3 cent antes. So 25c is the only logical choice it would seem. I would, however, try to keep fewer of them on the table so as to not stifle the action when a huge stack of quarters needs to be counted. Whoever is winning the most pots should have a bunch of them, so just have players exchange with him when they get low.

[Captn_All_In]

Kyle...


That post and another one in smoore's snapper game got me to think about introducing antes and the solution for one person getting a ton of them....this was true genious on smoore's part...

SOLUTION: THE DEALER COLORS UP THE ANTES!!!!

Everyone gets to deal in my games....so therefore everyone will have some of the ante chips every hand!

For example...

$1/$2 NL .25 ante: 8 players everyone throws in antes, the dealer collects them and puts out $2 now he has enough to make the orbit (7, 1 for each hand until it is his turn to deal)

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigjohn]

Antes are good to get some action going ><> Have you asked the players at your game what they think? Some might be put off by the idea ><>

[Captn_All_In]

Originally Posted by Damon

That's be pretty consistant with the tournament antes in the WSOP. They're typically 1/8 to 1/6 of the big blind.

Thanks! Glad to see some proof that they are used occassionally.

Originally Posted by hachkc

Are you looking to replace the blinds with antes or are these in addition to antes?

If these are in addition are you just looking to create action with them?

Well these are in addition to the blinds, and yes I want them to create a little more action.

[Captn_All_In]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

Antes are good to get some action going ><> Have you asked the players at your game what they think? Some might be put off by the idea ><>

Good point....

I should totally confess at this point.....were playing for pennies.

Literally.


PENNIES!

I have a few guys over every Thursday. We played for almost a year for nothing...T1500 tournies. We said we played for the 3 B's....Beer, Beef, and Braggin Rights!! And it was a blast!!!

Then one guy suggested we play for .50¢ a game and then settle up at the end of the month. Well his idea was fine except for the fact that it didn't matter how many people showed up if you "won" you got a point. The guy with the most points took everything at the end of the month. Fine and dandy, especially if your the guy who won 3 games when it was heads up because only 2 guys came--me and him, but lost when 6 showed up--and I won {he got 3 points in one night, I only got 1 because we only played 1 game}. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but does anybody see how it theoretically could be harder to beat 5 opponents as compared to just 1? Well he didn't see it that way, which is fine.

Anyways, long story short I decided to make the "tournaments" into a ring. Why you ask.....because its my garage and I am better limit/cash game player. Petty isn't it. Yes it is. But hopefully it will improve the other guys play. I know everyone who plays for "real" stakes disagrees, but I have to start somewhere with this group: they wouldn't blink at dropping $25 at a bar to pound beer half the night, but ask them to play for $25 in a game and its immediate negative reactions.

So just to change things up a bit I am going to run the show like this:

Week 1 Buy in- $1, reload up to $1.75 whenever

Stack:
20 x .01¢
10 x .05¢
3 x .10¢

After the set ending time is reached anyone can take out money in even .25¢ amounts but still must leave min $1. If they have less than $1 it stays in until the next week when they can addon. The stack they end the night with is the amount they will start with the next week.

So for example: Players A, B, and C all buy in for $1

All play for 3 hours. A reloads once to $1.75, after losing an all-in vs B.
Night Ending Stacks:
A: $1.68
B: $2.22
C: .85¢
Total pot: $4.75

Week 2- All players may addon $1 to their stack, Reload up to $2 whenever.
Start with:
A: $2.68
B: $3.22
C: $1.85

All play for 3 hours. C reloads .50¢ to $2, after losing a pot vs A.
Night Ending Stacks:
A: $4.28
B: $1.97
C: $2

A cashes out $1.
Total pot: $8.25 - $1 = $7.25

This would then continue...until the end of the month, when everyone would start over with a new $1 buyin: or if everyone decides to keep the stacks (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) everything would roll over people cashing out and buying in as needed.

It is important to note that I am thinking that if the stacks continue to grow and guys don't cash out (i.e. they wait until the end of the month) no one person can start the new night with more than 5 times the short stack- they don't have to cash out, meaning it can be left in the "bank" and taken out at the end of the night, or held until the end of the month.

This would allow other people to join in on any given night. When a new person shows up I would add their name and thier buy-in to the ledger.

Is this a fool proof plan? No. Could it work. Probably. I am going to give it a trial run in December and let everyone know the results....unless of course this is completely pointless to you. Then of course feel free to skip this thread entirely.

[bigjohn]

Sounds unlike any other poker game i've ever played in .... Gl and let us know how it turns out

[BigKyle]

It's good to see there are folks who don't have to play for money to have a good time. That's what's great about poker, you can play for big stakes small stakes or both and its still a blast. The coloring up of the ante chips sounds great. I say go for it. Once players get into the habit of immediately tossing in a chip or two after the hand is over, it will become easy. Hand ends, cards are passed, antes are placed in, cards are shuffled and blinds are placed, hand is cut and dealt. Enjoy.