Have you played in the 2/5 game at all?! I saw a guy call down the pre-folp raiser with middle pair all the way to showdown...net result, -$350. The money going around those tables is insane!

That's only an illusion.

I play at both places. The play is the same, just different atmosphere.

If you had a job making $15/hr, then the boss decided to arbitrarily cut your salary down to $11/hr to make room for someone in another department, wouldn't you be pissed? The newbie may be helping the company, but is it really helping you out all that much?

Nop. If a player declare himself at a tourney or SNG or even cash as "poker book writer". And then raising , calling and getting away with a complete pocket junk several times at a row. That's FX Pro's signature.

MS regs and dealers are relatively new formation ( because the room is new ).
That's why they are not snobby.

That's a different situation.

The newbie you were referring to in my case is helping me win more. It's changing the play at the tables. Some players will chase a card to win HHJ even though it's bad play in a certain situation in the long run. Who wouldn't chase? After all, if you hit it, you win up to $2,000! That's $50/hr per 40 hr/week.

The HHJ runs every 3 hours, and within three hours, quads and straight flushes always hits. It's guaranteed. When a donk has 23s or 22, and you raise to $100 (unusual raise btw pf in $1/2), he will call easily hoping to hit a straight flush or quads.

And if this 'regular' is making only $11-15/hr before or after HHJ rake, then he should find two jobs.

I don't think anyone who plays "poker for a living" makes anything below $20/hr. Would you really call it "playing for a living" if you're making anything below that? If you're making only $11-15/hr from poker, how are you able to pay rent, insurance, gas & grocery?

If you really want to save, then you shouldn't tip the dealer during the game. Tip only when you win HHJ. I tip both.

If brings in more donks to a game and encourages more donk play, I agree with you.

I just haven't seen it to compensate me for the $4/hr.

Comments like these are so short-sighted. (You should go into your online tracking software and look at how much rake you're paying. You'd probably be shocked.) Try this: add up all the $1s from all the pots you win over the course of say a year and then tell me if you're still happy giving that amount to random tourists instead of adding it back to your bankroll.

What if I came to you at the end of each year and made you donate $500-$1000 or more to the donkey fund.

What if I told you that every time you went into a store and spent over $30, I was going to take $1 from you (on top of the sales tax) so that someone else in the store could buy something?


You should also realize that this extra $1 COMPLETELY ERASES the rake off-set you get from the hourly points. So you might as well stop signing in when you play if you think the HHJ is a good idea.

Can you really compare the $1 HHJ rake from a $20+ pot to someone taking $1 off your grocery shopping for no reason. The HHJ has a solid compensation.

Like I said before:

1) It's good for the game. i.e it brings more donks and donkey plays. I myself was tempted to play HHJ potential hands out of position sometimes.

2) HHJ is not just for tourists. Anyone can win including you.

This week I won this allin hand: UTG straddled to $4. MP1($380 chips) called with 57s and I called from SB with AJs ($620 chips). I made a small bet on the flop, MP1 reraised to $100, I pushed allin and MP1 called. AJs vs 57s flush vs flush on the flop. There was a big chance that HHJ gave the opponent to play 57s preflop with more confidence.

droolers are playing suited gappers either with, or without a hhj imo

Only reason there is a difference in attitude is MS dealers keep their own tokes. If and when FW dealers get to keep their own you will see things change. Its always about the money.

Ok, nevermind, now I understand.

(And you played your AJs badly, imo. Definitlely raise pre.)

A) I wouldn't

B)If you think the HHJ is going to bring a plethora people to a 1/2 game who will call a $100 pre-flop raise with 22 or 23s, you are smoking some serious dope.

C) I was only using this as an example. Using your example, if a grinder is making $25/hr, the drop to $21 still hurts.

I was playing in a 10 handed full ring table; Sometimes I raise with it. I'd probably 'definitely raise' AJs from SB if it was a 6handed game.

It all depends on the situation and the opponents you are facing. Small blind is the worst position to play in. In my case, I preferred not to get fancy with AJs in that situation especially from Small blind.

What is your theory on why you 'definitely raise' preflop with AJs from small blind in a 10 handed cash game?

LOL raising pf with $100 and calling with 23s was just an exaggeration.

My theory is that I like to get my money in when I think I have the best hand. I also like to use aggression to off-set positional disadvantage when I can. I also like to punish idiots who straddle and weak limpers who could have anything (say 57s) when I have a hand. So, this is a raising situation, that is unless you like to play weak tight.

You misread his statement. What venice10 meant was that most players learn how to play poker by playing tournaments (sngs and mtts), and eventually graduate to cash game play after learning how to play the game over time. I think the way you interpreted this was that he plays tournaments before he plays cash games in his every day routine. He meant it in the first sense I suggested. </end nittery>

I agree with this 100%. Well put. One thing I did notice is when they had the electronic tables in the past. There were a good amount of new players who sat in and played because it was less intimidating for them in that environment.

This is correct. SNGs and MTTs are a risk controlled way to play NLHE. Since the ratio of stack to BB is relatively small, there is less need to be good at post flop play.

Maybe I need to re-read Mike Caro on how to loosen up a table. Or wear a button that says, "It is alright to have fun playing poker." PLO should attract fish, but it seems so serious, nobody is willing to take a chance on it.

That's why it's @ the Tournament podium, & I'll bet it wasn't full of tips, till you get to 3rd on down!

[QUOTE=Swann99;13392902]I'm posting a response here in the hope that someone on the staff at MS reads these forums for more input on this. I don't like the HHJ. I'm a semi-regular player at 1-2 NL and 3-6 FL. [I]

I understand your dislike for the jackpot, but what you have to remember is we are presently spreading 2 -3 more games on average on slower days than we were prior to having it. To not have a jackpot of some sort while our competitors do, is to give up a percentage of the market that we may otherwise have acquired. Most regulars who log long hours do not like it, but it does bring in more action, helps us to sustain games longer and keeps us on a level playing field business wise. I prefer not to do any jackpots, but the industry has made it the norm.

As for removing the HHJ from the 2-5, I have considered it but still feel that the percentage of players who want it is greater than those who do not. I will change the amount at which we do collect the jackpot $1 though. Most likely we will take it at $60 on 2-5NL.

Now, my latest dilema- with another local room offering a player funded BBJ, which do players prefer? HHJ or BBJ? So far the HHJ players (lower limit) are well in the lead. The 2-5 players seem to be leaning towards the BBJ.

Bruce.

I prefer a BBJ, but that's just me. For a HHJ the loser gets nothing, correct? The whole table benefits from the BBJ. I would prefer none, but I understand your points and obviously you have to compete.

Does the HHJ run on weekends? I know this has been answered before so my apoligies in advance.

Bruce,

I'd rather see the HHJ then the BBJ, even though your dealers dealt a HH to my direct left, then dealt one to my direct right to beat it 45 minutes later last Saturday.

If it is bringing in about 10% more people, then I guess it is +EV for me.

Why I love live poker (esp. on nights the casino has a tourney with a good # of runners = MS on Weds):

I literally bet my opponnent off the stone cold nuts on the river last night @ MS. He had made a one card broadway to chop the pot (I had a straight on turn) on the river and I went all-in out of frustration for 1250 into what was a 180 heads-up pot. He looked and looked for a pair on the board or a 3 flush on the board, but neither were there! I had to stare a couple of regs into STFU when he showed his cards and, eventually, mucked his unbeatable hand, saying 'it is just not worth the risk'.

Live poker FTW!!!

On the one hand, I like the HHJ because somebody is guaranteed to win it every time. On the other hand, its very anticlimactic when somebody hits a royal early and you know nobody can get the jackpot til the next time interval.

I do think its unfair if the jackpot was taken at one level ($20?) at 1-2 and other tables and a different level at 2-5.

[QUOTE=MS Direct;13496569] Bruce,
Based on your logic give BBJ a try to addition to HHJ. Just spread
funding between HHJ and BBJ at rate of 4/1 or so and stay at current funding rate.
What is an avg HHJ pot? Is it around $1200?
So $400-$800 is a really nice bonus especially for a 1/2 NLH.

I am sure, that if regulars , who spend long hours in the casino, will
include into their consideration potential profit from extra 10%-15% of newbies at their tables vs funding for HHJ/BBJ , they should stop complaining about HHJ.

BTW, I don't understand a whole idea about BBJ. What I mean is that
there are no BBJ just a bad call instead. I will rather pay bonus for a
correct lay down of a FH or a set of aces with a pocket rockets.
At least I can expect to get one of those.