Yeah, I agree. This is going to kill games. I really don't understand what their reason is for doing it. Was anyone even complaining about the buy ins? These are buy ins for a 5/10 game. Not 2/5.

Was there tday can't believe there's nothing between 1/2 200cap & 2/5 2000cap. As a side note room was absolutely packed.

actually alot of people used to complain about the 200 buy in being too low and alot of people wanted to raise the buy in. of course if people think that now the games are instantly going to be more crazy play way bigger probably not true.

The buyin is great for the people that play the most which is who the room should cater to.

Also rec players can still buy in for $300 if they wish. Me having $2k in front of me does not give me an advantage over them. Effective stacks will still be $300 whether I have $500 or $2k. If anything, some regs will carelessly double up shorter stacks when they have a large stack in front of them. Playing a $500 cap game with high rake made the 2-5 shoe game one of the slowest and worst games in the country imo. I played it the last 2 days and action in the game overall has never been better

The guys who make money at the games are going to show up no matter how they are treated. They really should cater to the rec players who base how much they show up on whether they have fun playing etc. Obviously, listening to what the regs want is a good thing but the most important thing is to keep casual players coming in otherwise the games wont be very healthy.

And ya Cleveland probably has the most people per table talking strategy that ive ever been too which is super annoying and i thinks turns off the casual player.

If poker reaches a point where its 9 serious players at the table almost no one will win with the high rake (obviously the top few players can probably beat the other regs for small rates thats about it).

Alot of the younger guys really don't appreciate the fact that very few people over 35 ever thought of poker as a way to make money. Most just see it as a way to have fun and gamble. The strat talk and all the talk of who is a fish is not really good for the games.

But ya the 2/5 in cleveland was generally pretty horrible. so they needed to do something to change it up.

i guess the other point is deep stack play allows for potentially more interesting post flop play. however, when you keep the blinds 2/5 its still tough to cooler people for 2k (even bad players are not going to get 2k in with weak hands very often - so the ability to buy in for 2k does not make the game amazing. just a bit better.)

Imo 1/2 should now be 50-300

I'd like to see it be 100-300.

they will never up the min buy at 1-2. they want as many players thru the door paying rake.

I agree with the previous person referencing the strategy talk at the table. very bad for the game and makes the fish feel uncomfortable.

+1

Hand strategy and berating someones perceived "bad" play are totally separate. I don't mind the regs and their hand strategy discussions, being a recreational player I find it very informative and most of them really work hard at their "job." I do mind when a Reg can't help himself after a suckout to educate a less skilled player on how they played their hand so poorly.
I know it's tough but please just bite your lower lip and let us move on to the next hand. In the long run you guys will get it back and then some.

Regarding the change in the 2/5 buyins, I'm not a fan. In my opinion 300/1K would of been a better choice. The room has been open for about 18 months and a lot of the casual money has dried up. Many of those former 2/5 players are now playing 1/2. Will the 2K starting stacks by the regs intimidate even more potential 2/5 players? Maybe ..... Maybe not....

We definitely won't have that answer until next year.. The "12 day Xmas promo" will keep the room very busy through the Holidays.

Yes effective stack sizes are the same regardless... but the rec players don't realize that. They see monster stacks, get scared, and run away to 1/2.

Yep...agree totally. Big stacks and familiar faces do not bode well for the 2-5 game.

I predict that the games are really going to be pretty good for another 3 months tops, then the action is going to just slow way down.

Take your time and talk to a fish in the game, none of the people you honestly really like to see in your game are ever buying in for more than 500 and half of those are likely to leave the table if they are up fairly big. Fish hate the idea of having a reg who just sits down with 2k and crack their pocket KK, AA for a huge pot. Regs love this idea, of course, but I think you're exchanging easy money now for much harder money later.

Fish hate playing deep (for good reason) and regs love it (for good reason). I think 2k is far too deep for most of the super fish to want to stick around.

I don't live in Cleveland but might come up to the room during the holidays -- what's this promotion?

I was wondering why there was a PLO running at 9am???

Makes sense here though. 4 handed and keep seeing flops and then hit high hand. Shady but I guess it was within the rules. Interested to see how a table of regs will screw the room for the rest of us. Im just glad poker isnt my only income anymore.

Any game can be short handed and hit a promotion, us poker players always look for an easy win . playing early am works for all players correct? If the game is short handed why not jump in?

If that is what happened then that's fine. But if it's a table of friends that are colluding then it's a different situation.

Short handed on its own isn't the issue. I'm sure they were all lumping hands pre and seeing flops and only continuing if they had a hand that could qualify. There is a chance that they all agreed to split the high hand as a table if someone hit it.

I've been a lurker for some time on this website and this is my first post.

I am a recreational player and think I might be the norm for people of my style. I come to the shoe once per month with my 200-500 budget for some fun. I am not the greatest. I consider my self alright but compared to the regulars I see every time I go I see how they see me as a fish or a donkey or whatever you call the new guy (donkish fishkey?). I don't mind. I get drunk, go all in blind for fun when I get tired at 2am, buy some rounds, and my main objective is to have fun. If I win some money, bonus. If not, no big deal. I want to arrive at 5pm and last as long as my budget allows on my one night our from home. I'm probably am the guy many of you want at your table

I used to play 2/5 and and win about 1/3 of the time. Overall I'm a break even to slight loser which I don't mind as long as I have a good time. Now that 2/5 is 300-2000 there is no way I will sit there. I was somewhat intimidated of 2/5 to begin with because I was probably if not the least experienced at the table, one of the least experienced. I rationalized it because the play was better so I would learn more and the rake is lower as a percentage of the pot. If I see some of the regulars that are always there with $2k, that usually bully me around there is no way I am sitting at 2/5. They know my play. If I don't have the best hand I won't call the enormously large raise because I am a pansy and as you say, a donkey. My money is going to last 1 hour and I'm the guy who I think you want at your table as I'm probably going to lose and don't really care, as long as I can last for 6-12 hours. I'm now grinding it at the 1/2, drinking a few beers, buying a few rounds, making friends, and calling it a night. even though there is less of an upside, I am content. Just a thought. I hope you don't mind my rant.

Karen is walking around right now talking to players about the Omaha players "colluding"

She's talking mainly to the limit players. It's one of the funniest conversations I have ever listened to.

How we're they "colluding?"

I mean, all 4 players checking it down technically follows the rules. She can't force them to bet. No idea how you'd ever reinforce this.

Well they have to factor in how much rake they are paying. Table might be paying 100 an hr in rake.

If four players limp every pot then check it down they'd pay no rake.

$400 an hour high hand should be great Thanksgiving day-less games spread oops are we colluding? Kidding !!! I will be there. Did anyone catch this details of this charity bounty thing Dec. 9?

Only thing is say is what makes that wrong but two players not chopping the blinds but instead checking it down to hit the high hand. I know that's rare but it's basically the same thing.