What's your take on Rabbit Hunting?

[Krafticus]

I know for the most part, all of the rules out there say under no circumstances will one be able to rabbit hunt. I understand the rule and such, but in so many home games (that I play at least), it seems to be almost "standard"

Wondering what most of you (hosts and participants alike) do to prevent this from happening, especially those where players rotate dealing.

It seems that more and more in my tournaments (and now spreading into cash games), every hand ends with the hunting... and even some where a flop is never seen. I am trying to stop the hunting at my house and wonder the best way to get people to "break the habit"

I was thinking in a cash game, if people really want to see the cards, they could pay a penalty to the winner; for example, in a $.25/$.50 game, I think a $2 per card fine/surcharge would be in order. In a tournament, it would be tougher to enforce something like this.

Thoughts on rabbit hunting ?? Ideas on how to keep people from doing it??

Thanks everyone for your always helpful advice and recommendations.



mark

[ttflyr]

I hate how it slows the game down. That's the part I focus on. My rule is everyone has to agree for this to happen. Very rarely does everyone agree on anything.

[jriffel]

As you know, rabbit-hunting slows the games down. Some accept as a learning curve, but most get very angry with excessive hunting. You can ban rabbit-hunting (put up a sign) or you can get yourself some rabbit-hunting chips. Sell the chips for some amount ($1, or $5) at the start of play. Someone must use the chip to see the cards. You can even set a total limit of say two or three rabbit-hunting chips per person. Have a re-buy of $10 for the rabbit-hunt chips. If not stopping the practice, this will make it costly.

[miandsh2000]

from house rules"

HOW IT WORKS
The Bad Beat Jackpot collects $2 for any rabbit hunting during the cash games. (e.g. You see the flop - $2, you see the turn - $2, you see the river - $2)

All money collected will be strictly for the Bad Beat Jackpot and will remain in the pot until won.

The jackpot keeps growing until someone hits a bad beat.

[jdunford]

No rabbit hunting. First of all, it's duck season. Second, it slows down the game too much.

Revision: Absolutely no rabbit hunting in tournaments. Period. If people want to rabbit hunt in a cash game, I shrug. Doesn't matter. The outcome doesn't turn a "good fold" into a "bad fold". But if it gets to be commonplace, I might introduce rabbit hunting tokens that can be purchased for a buck each; proceeds go towards the beer, or something like that.

[abby99]

In a few local home games, including mine, we allow rabbit hunting if and only if the person requesting the hunt exposes his hole cards. Most players don't want to give away information about hands they've folded. Their desire to withhold this information generally overcomes their curiosity.

When I'm dealing, it doesn't really slow down the game. Once the hunter shows hole cards, it's a rapid-fire burn-turn-burn-river-scoop-'em-up thing. Look quickly, folks!

[schullerjason]

We make people pay the small and big blind to run it out. It goes into the next pot, regardless of their position. So, if they're the next bb, they'll already have $3 in the center that's dead, plus the $2 bb. Drastically cuts down on the wabbits.

[gcrissman]

I don't like it but I look at it this way, the donkey who wants to see the cards will hit his runner-runner that would have beat the winner so the next time he is in the position he will chase vs folding thus making a bad decision. You can argue the opposite, that seeing them miss the runner-runner will reaffirm their decisions but I don't think most of the guys I play with would remember a good fold, they remember the folds that cost them money as they see it

I do like the expose your hole cards first and pay the SB/BB into the next pot idea

If I am worried about slowing down the game then I'd remove drinking from poker night but then again that is not a profitable decision either.

[jldecarlo]

Originally Posted by abby99

In a few local home games, including mine, we allow rabbit hunting if and only if the person requesting the hunt exposes his hole cards. Most players don't want to give away information about hands they've folded. Their desire to withhold this information generally overcomes their curiosity.

When I'm dealing, it doesn't really slow down the game. Once the hunter shows hole cards, it's a rapid-fire burn-turn-burn-river-scoop-'em-up thing. Look quickly, folks!

This has been our rule ever since I first encountered the rule at WCBII

L

[littlebu]

I hate it. One group that I play with has one guy that constantly wants to hunt. Drives me nuts but they always let him do it, probably because he is so bad, but still.........