Quote:
Originally Posted by Phaedrus29
From my experience, this is all totally false. A game changes from loose to tight when it gets short?? No way...usually people open way up. Short games are more prone to raise and take it and blind chops?? If anything, in a short game people defend MORE often and many players won't chop at all if there are 6 or 5 or fewer players. I'd say fairly confidently that short games have fewer raise-and-take-it's and fewer chops.
It's true that very short games are more break prone, but I can't see that being a big issue at a 9-handed table. And once the expansion happens, I think there's a good chance we'll have must-move games, which will keep games alive.
No disrespect, but where do you play poker?
I have been playing in AC, CA and LV for.. well, let's just say longer than I care to remember.
It is rare, very rare - when a game of recreational players will "open up",when it gets short handed. Even in thew wild & wooly CA games, when they get down to 6-7 players for an extended period, the game gets very tight and slow. The gamb00lers do not play many hands,because there is no money in the middle.
Then, the better players recognize this and start raising light. Invariably, this causes the recreational player to feel even more uncomfortable. One by one they leave and before you know it, broken game!
Saying that raise & take it is LESS prone in short games is largely wrong. It may be that way in the type/limit/room that you are used to playing, but it kills a game with recreational players. Which is the entire point.
I think you, along with other folks sharing this opinion, are reflecting upon games where the bulk of the field is comprised of "regulars". Not necessarily good players, but those who know enough. If you have ever played in games comprised largely of recreational players, you would know better. They get short, they break.
Please don't confuse a table of regular players with one containing primarily recreational ones. They almost two polar opposites. And, if you'd rather "grind it out" short handed with the reg's - go for it. Smarter thinking would put you at a table full of happy, recreational players - giving their money away and having a good time.
Also, the expansion will contribute nothing whatsoever to this effect. This short game effect happens every day, in some of the largest card rooms in the world - Borgata, Commerce, Venetian, Foxwoods, etc. They all have multiple games at any given limit. If you start with 9 and get 2 walkers... the game will break more often than not. If it doesn't break - it will suck.
The only way that I would agree to 9 handed tables (like I get a vote), would be if Parx instills a "3rd man walking" rule and they are capable of enforcing it consistently. Even that won't help much, but it's a compromise.
I cannot emphasize enough about how much recreational players HATE playing short handed with the wanna be's. They don't care how cool it might be, to beat a short, or how to adapt/change their style. they have only one style - donating. And, they will not do that, if they are NOT having a good time.