Setting Up A Stud Home Game
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,461
Hi
I have recently been interested in setting up a small stakes home game in which we will be playing some of the Stud variants such as Razz, Stud High, High Low Split and Stud 8. Previously we have had trouble with structuring our stud games, and have played it with no ante and just a 5p bring in (yes sirs, I'm British). I for one dislike this, its just not cricket. Or stud, and feel we should have antes. The other players say we do not have low enough denominations to play antes at a 5p/10p limit stud game (yeah I know thats very small). So this is why I want my own game so that i can buy my own poker table and the right chips for stud games. We do currenty play with chips of a value of "1", but we cannot easily cash in our money when our stacks include odd numbers created by pennies. We play other games of course, and mostly its 5p/10p Dealer's Choice Cash all night (its so sick, you'd love it). I have thought about suggesting higher stakes for stud games so we can play a decent structure stud, but they won't have it.
So I need to know how many chips I should buy of each denomination? Assume that we have 8 players in our game, and we usually buy in for £10 so that we have 100bbs for the big bet games. In my game, I will probably play for more money when playing limit games, ie 25p/50p. I will want an ante structure where the ante is 25% of the small bet (5p) which I think is the right structure for tight play.
Whilst on the subject of chips, which type do you feel is the right one? I want high quality with the right weight and I don't mind paying a lot for them.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 15,017
I'd suggest playing 30p/60p with a 5p ante and 10p bring-in. Use 10p chips for betting if at all possible. If you're really attached to 25p/50p, you can do that with the same ante and bring-in.
For 5p/10p, you could have the dealer ante 5p for the table and have no bring-in. High card (for high and high-low) or low card (for razz) has the option to check or bet on third. At these stakes, presumably no one has to be coerced into gambling. Or if you're using 1p chips, you can still have the dealer ante 4p or 5p for the table and have a 2p bring-in.
If you have the dealer ante for the table, I'd suggest playing full rounds of each game (I'd suggest this anyway), so that everyone is anteing the same amount. If there are flop games in the mix and you insist on timed rounds, have two different dealer buttons. Make sure it's clear which button is being used for the current game.
I believe the Home Games forum has regular discussion about chips.
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,485
British too.
Back in the day (first Americanism, lol), we used to play 5p/10p seven stud with everyone anteing and dealer's left to act first (including having the right to check). Anteing is a nightmare. When the pot is shy, who is the thief? So we took to having a 10p ante put in by the dealer and a 5p opening bet by dealer's left - but the opening bet is not compulsory. All the newbies insisted each round was started by dealer's left. We only ever played stud. Then I introduced other games and everyone moaned. Eventually, it became a dealer's choice game and hardly anyone chose seven stud. The home game died. Some of us graduated and some of us did not.
I think you should have the dealer ante for everyone at a rate of 10p per player and have a bring-in of 10p by lowest card. This is an action structure. Do not allow anyone to duck their deal. I had extensive records once for that home game so I can tell you with confidence that players will rarely lose more than £5, with average loss per session being much lower. Over a period of three years, I think I had £10+ winning sessions about half a dozen times. You will need six regulars and six others to keep the game going.
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,070
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,647
For home games I think I like the habit of having one player (usually the dealer) ante for the whole table. It comes out the same, but it's easier and you don't need a smaller denomination chip. It's not like a blind because it doesn't affect the amount the ante-er would have to pay to call. It makes the poster play looser though, if your opponents are inexperienced, and that's kind of nice.
