How can I be losing? I know no-one’s cheating ‘cos I keep calling them!
Never underestimate the power of the Ace-cracker....
Chip Colour | Value | Chip Colour | Value | GREEN | 25 | PURPLE | 500 | ORANGE | 50 | BURGUNDY | 1000 | BLACK | 100 | L. BLUE | 2000 | PINK | 250 | BROWN | 5000 |
Usually the cash game is No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, simply becasue that's what people prefer. On occasion we play other games such as Omaha, Omaha8 (Hi-Lo Split), Crazy Pineapple and 7-card stud but if this is the case you will have been given direction in advance by your game's host.
In the cash games most hosts operate with a £5 minimum buyin, and in order to keep things nice and simple £5 buys you $2,500 in chips. In the cash game each chip has cash value, so a $25 chip is worth a gargantuan 5p, a $100 chip is worth a rather intimidating 20p, a $1000 chip £2 and so on. A fairly typical chip split for £5 is shown below, but if in doubt just ask the host.
Number Chip Value Total Value
20 $25 $500
20 $100 $2000
We allow unlimited £5 re-buys in the cash game and you can buy in for as little or as much as you like. You can't re-buy whilst cards are in play - any re-buys must take place between hands (i.e. a player cannot get involved in a hand, then attempt to buy more chips while that hand is in play). This is a fairly standard rule and is mainly to protect me if I'm involved in a pot I shouldn't be :o) Having said that a typical £5 buy-in will give you $2,500 in chips, and more often than not this will be enough to last you the whole night. Unless of course you're as loose-passive as me...
The cash game is table stakes. This mean that you can only bet with the chips you have in front of you at any given time and only win an equivalent amount from your opponents. You cannot lose a pot because you have insufficient chips to call someone's bet (that only happens on the telly). No house deeds, gold teeth or car keys being thrown in! This is of course because everyone I play with earns far more than me (and has nicer cars!) and it's the only way I can put us on a level playing field. It also means you're not allowed to take any chips off the table unless you are leaving the game. This gives any opponents who may be stuck (i.e. me) a chance to win back what they have lost to you. If at any point in the game you lose all your chips, you may buy back in for at least the table minimum (a Lady Godiva) or of course walk to the bus stop.
The cash game is simple. £5 buys you $2500 in chips (50xBB). By popular demand the cash game is now just plain old blinds, no antes. Unless we're playing stud or something....
Small Blind Big Blind
$25 $50
You cash out your chips when you leave, not during play, and whilst you can leave at any time, its just good manners to give notice of when you intend to leave rather than just cash out if you get a big win. In other words if you've won a lot of chips from someone else at the table the chips stay in the game, unless of course you decide to leave for the evening.
There is no ‘rake’ - the host takes no percentage of the hands played, no-one makes a wage and we don't charge an entrance fee to our respective homes. Shouldn't you be out catching real criminals? Eh? Eh?
- "Behold the power of the Beer Hand!" -
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