We've definitely been using the Mississippi Rock for the last month and a half. I made a report in one of the two concurrent threads that started in December.
<<< BTW, my avatar is the Rock
Some properties of Rock hands:
1. The Rock
must be straddled when the button arrives (this is to prevent someone from hoarding the Rock and keeping it out of play indefinitely)
2. Action starts UTG. This creates more action than a traditional Mississippi straddle, which starts at SB.
3. In a limped pot, action ends on the Rock, which has the option
4. The Rock still acts last if there is one raise preflop from another player
5. The Rock must answer a preflop re-raise in normal order.
6. A player can keep and use the Rock as many consecutive times as his defense of it will allow
7. If the Rock was mistakenly kept out of action, it is posted as a dead straddle on the next hand (I'm thinking of changing this rule, since players have an incentive to
not remind the button to post it... which I've done several times). If this next hand is where the Rock is UTG, it can be played as a normal UTG straddle.
8. The Rock can also be used as regular chips in any hand, and is counted in all-ins. The Rock cannot be unbounded and used as separate chips.
9. If the Rock defender chops the pot, he keeps the Rock. Otherwise, the Rock goes to the player to the left of the dealer button. (This last rule puts the Rock in play sooner, so you may want to modify it if this is a concern.)
We get the Rock into the game when we draw for the dealer button. The first dealer forms the Rock from his own chips and immediately straddles it.
I don't see any reason to
not have the players fund the Rock by random draw. It's better than getting hit with the BB first, imo. Although if you have a bunch of players who are suspicious of the idea, it makes sense to fund it for the first time.
I don't really like your idea of putting restrictions on how many consecutive Rock-pots you can win, and I don't see the reason for that rule. Can you elaborate on your intention? (Also clarify whether the maximum was winning the Rock twice, or defending it twice.)
But even if the same guy has the Rock and holds onto it the whole game, it's only coming into play once per orbit. Forcing the Rock out for an orbit means that there will be two orbits without it coming into play. That's a long time for a full-ring game, I think.
BTW, the same guy holding onto the Rock for a long time is part of what makes for action. People start keeping track of how long the same guy has had it.
If you are concerned about the Rock being used too much (as in more than once per orbit), you should be more concerned about the blinds stealing it (since it comes into play within the next two hands).
If this is a concern, you could make a rule that says if the BB or SB steals the Rock, they have to let the button pass them once before they can straddle it.
Overall, the Mississippi Rock creates a lot of action from both the knowledgeable players and the bad Lags. Part of it is the pride of having it, defending it or stealing it. The other part is the pure strategic advantage.
It doesn't create excessive action, however, since it is only in play a little more than once per orbit.
I also recommend that the game should have average stacks of over 80bbs before it is introduced.
Finally, we have a rule that the person who ends the night with the Rock gets the Rock the following week if he shows up on time. I like this rule since it gives the Rock significance even when it is late and players know the game will end soon. (Hopefully it also encourages a prompt arrival from at least one person.)
Overall, I highly recommend the Mississippi Rock, especially for full-ring games.
Let us know how it goes across with your group if you use it!
Original threads:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/24...erates-374663/
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/24...g-back-374515/
Last edited by dismalstudent99; 02-27-2009 at 10:05 AM.