BTN straddle is fine but I think the blinds should still act last - just get a round of straddles going and the game is just bigger.

This.

My experience with the button straddle is limited, but starting action UTG, skipping the button so the SB and BB can act, then giving the button last action would remove most of my issue with it.


--klez

Yes, by far.

I attribute this mostly to history though. When MGM opened it took the bigger games 5/T and had even their smallest game bigger and deeper than MDL's smallest game (1/3 500 max vs 1/2 300 max). MDL also continued promotions that promote nitty play - the hours promos being the worst but high hand isn't great for generating action either IMO.

I suspect 3 blind NL would not only increase action but also be more embraced by recreationals

Maybe try that instead of a proven failed method if gungho on being different

Anyone ITT ever play the $1/$2/$4 NL at Harrah’s Philadelphia?

Does it still go?


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Any chance powers that be can change high hand qualifying periods to turn over when a hand starts and not when it gets tabled? I've played at several other rooms that do it this way. Would completely eliminate shenanigans of stalling.

Example from today. 2 players all in pre-flop. Player A asks B if he has AA, A responds yes. Neither player tables hand. Board runs out with AAxxx. Player A pushes his cards face down into pot, they never hit muck. There is 45 seconds left in current high hand period with straight flush on the board. Player B says I'm going to wait.

Everyone stares awkwardly. Dealer fiddles with the pot. Time expires and new high hand period starts. Player B tables quads. Dealer pulls player A hand completely into the muck then "supervisor high hand table X"


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Agreed completely.
The fact the dealer allowed that to happen is horrible.

But not surprising. They obviously want a chance of a good tip.

Why should we give a chance to something that hasn't worked anywhere else?

I like the 3 blind idea fwiw.

Maybe but that way of running the button straddle is very rare. I know of one room that handles it that way.

Best part was the winner stiffed the dealer. Just can't make that up.

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really? i can name 6 rooms in vegas who do it that way, and 8 more in other parts of the country im sure those arent the only 14 rooms who do.

the reason most rooms do not, is because the staff and management feels the dealers and players will be too dumb to understand the order. what the management should be worried about instead is how much the button straddle will kill the game if UTG doesnt act before the blinds do. otherwise u nit the game up something awful

Played the 5-card PLO w/the button straddle for the first time this weekend. As if they needed to make that game bigger... yikes.

When the straddle is up (which is 80% of the time), the opening pot raise is now $35 (assuming blinds fold, which yes this was WAY more frequent than w/UTG straddle.) It used to be $20 w/straddle @$5 - this is significant.

I'm not quite sure what the goal is here - they can easily run a 5-5 game most nights it seems, but then I guess us "fish" won't be in the game for the regs to earn from?

Well guess what - this fish will be way less likely to continue my quest to learn the 5-card game. It's almost unplayable now with anything under a $500 stack. (It was semi-playable before, I would argue.)

Sure would be nice to get the ol' 1-2 4card PLO back, but I recognize the thinking on that one (the good players had it solved to the point that gamblers couldn't get enough action from it? I sure didn't have it solved!)

The $10 Button straddle is, IMO, a step in the wrong direction for the long-term health of the game.

The button straddle shouldn't be allowed in 5 card PLO or 4 card PLO - it is way too strong of a move. I wondered why I kept seeing more Live 5 card regs at MGM recently.

I regularly play in the now 1-2 plo on Saturday's and my experience was very similar to BMoreE's. What happens now is there are no more $10 or $12 pots on the flop as it is at least 25 to 35 - without a straddle. Then with the straddle at least $50 to $80 unless there is a preflop raise. Then some shortstack will make it $150 to $200 all in preflop, an aggressive player behind will make it $800 to go and everyone folds to the all in. Then they announce they want to run it twice and play to try and split the dead money. Not my idea of poker. I watched the guy beside me (whom I consider a good player) lose at least $2,500 in about 3 hours. This is not good for the long term health of the game.

That is too funny... that is precisely what I noodled through as my "ideal" strategy for beating the game if I could afford the max buy-ins + variance: Get in pots with dead money and *cross fingers* to survive the swings.

As a result, you have to be a nit while ready to push it with your premium hands (because you'll likely get action anyway.) Like the olden days of NLH.

It's a pretty simple strategy, actually, so yeah, not really "poker" fun... no turn or river thinking to be done, and barely any flop play.

I can see it being fun for the "gamblers" who just want to have $1K+ pots swinging around, which I guess is the goal for the change. It just feels short-sighted to me - won't the casino get that money anyway in the craps pit?

Hey Friends,

Peter Valenti here. SO disappointed regarding the button straddle. I kicked off a petition yesterday. Hopefully we can defend the community here. Would appreciate all of your support.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/l...t-button-issue

From what I heard yesterday they have returned the straddle on PLO back to the $5 so that will hopefully Atleast help that game. Still hate it for holdem


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Hey everyone. So i'm new to playing live poker, been playing for a year online but have just recently started my live career. I have been playing at horseshoe on thursdays for high hands but MD Live any other time. My question is for strictly 1/3 cash games, do you guys think MD Live is my best option? I am equidistant to horseshoe and Live.

I guess I ask because apparently the perks for platinum cards etc. are pretty nice, so I'd probably like to stick to one casino as to try and build hours and climb the card ranks. Any info would be super appreciated and helpful for me.

I used to play at Horseshoe a lot. I live just south of MDL and used to drive past MDL exit on 295 north to BHS.

Last couple of years I have played MDL. Though I will admit to a few Thursday's this year at Horseshoe (500 hi hands every ten minutes hard to pass up. That's 3k/hr that is splashed back onto the tables, and that really offsets the rake disadvantage)

I much prefer MDL.
I even don't mind missing the Horseshoe Total Rewards comps which used to be nice to have when I go to Vegas each summer.
The play at MDL is that much better IMO.

If you play tournaments then MDL is the obvious choice by a mile (unless you like SNG's which BHS daily's are pretty much SNG's for the most part)

Thanks for your comment, mate.

I'd consider myself a pretty good player, even for just starting. Read tons of books/videos and played a ton online. Just wondering which place you'd consider to have more skillful players? Not that I want to intentionally always play where the competition is worse, but it would be nice to build some confidence and a bankroll against bad players. I guess it's more about the size of the game than it is the location anyway.

Are there any cool perks attatched to the players cards at MD Live that I should know about?

No, not any more. They cut WAY back on promotions, at least for Platinum cards. I play MUCH less at ML now that it isn't worth me trying to get my Platinum card any more.

Do you play at horseshoe or perhaps somewhere else more?

No, not much. I don't like the brutal 6+2 rake at Horseshoe, so I drive right past there and go to ML when I do play poker.

Every year since ML opened, I've worked very hard to get my 500 hours in a year to qualify for Platinum (that's an average of 10 hours per week for 50 weeks). But since I've gotten basically no rewards for making Platinum again last year, I've been enjoying the extra free time of not going to the casino every week. I've found some other hobbies, or sometimes I've just stayed at home since there is no pressure to get my hours in. I'm also now very picky about only going to ML when there is a good promotion.