Tourney Question
 

I played a home game recently and this situation came up.
Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)
Player1 raises, Player2 folds, Player3 goes all in and Player1 calls eliminating Player3 the big blind. Now, how do the blinds rotate? Player1 now becomes the big blind and Player2 becomes the dealer with no small blind for this round right? This is how I thought the blinds rotate but the host says that player2 (who just paid the small blind) has to pay the small blind again! He said that when your heads up the dealer is also the small blind which I agree with him on that but that wont be until the blinds rotate again, right? If we do it his way, Player2 will have to pay the small blind twice and thats what I didnt agree with but Im still not sure. We were playing standard poker rules no custom rules or anything. So can someone tell me what the proper blind placement is when your three handed and the big blind gets eliminated, I want to make sure the game is fair. Thanks in advance.

Re: Tourney Question
 

My games play with the rule your describing (dead button rule) but when it comes down to heads up I forego the rule and both players will post blinds. So in this case the same player would post the SB twice in a row.

Lets look at your scenario over several hands if we continued with the dead button rule. Hand 1 (which you described would have player 1 on BB and player 2 post nothing with the button. Player 2 acts first preflop second post. Where would the button end up on the next hand? It would be dead as you're still playing through that eliminated player. Player 1 posts SB, Player 2 posts BB and button is dead at player 3. Player 1 would need to act first on this hand both preflop and postflop . The next hand player 1 gets button, player 2 posts BB. Now Player 1 would post SB.

I think it's best to have both players post and the only thing to keep in mind is that a player cannot be the BB twice in a row.

Think about what would happen if BB eliminated button. BB cannot be BB again so he gets to be SB. Makes sense but heads up he's also the button. But what about SB, who would have been button next? He not only doesn't get button but has to post BB.

Re: Tourney Question
 

This seems confusing, but it's not once you get your head around it.

The BB moves. That's all you have to consider. Then the SB/Button adjust as necessary.

1: BTN
2: SB
3: BB

#1 eliminated: 2 = BB, 3 = SB/BTN
#2 eliminated: 1 = BB, 3 = SB/BTN
#3 eliminated: 1 = BB, 2 = SB/BTN

An alternative is to have a dead SB and then dead button if #3 is eliminated, but that would still put the button on #2, so why not just jump immediately to the proper way and also lay a SB on it? I've never seen a dead button when going to heads-up, but I don't have too much experience so I'm sure it's happened. That just seems incredibly unfair to allow #2 a free shot at the button heads-up. And as was posted, where does the button go next? Does #2 get to be the button twice when he posts his SB the next hand? If you were #1, would you be too happy about that?

The BB moves, the button/SB falls in line, simple fair and easy. Your friend was right.

Re: Tourney Question
 

whew...I thought I might be in trouble again... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: Tourney Question
 

Player #1 is BB, Player 2 is on the button with the SB and you're good to go, 2in10

Re: Tourney Question
 

SO your saying you have to pay the small blind twice?

Why wouldnt it work like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(Dealer) No SB
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB)
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer) and so on

Seems like it would work

But your saying its like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer)<--Has to pay twice
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB) and so on

Re: Tourney Question
 

For some reason you want Player 2 to get a free pass on the first heads-up hand.

Don't think of it as Player 2 being punished by paying a SB twice. Think of it as Player 2 being rewarded by getting to skip a BB.

Re: Tourney Question
 

[ QUOTE ]
SO your saying you have to pay the small blind twice?

Why wouldnt it work like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(Dealer) No SB
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB)
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer) and so on

Seems like it would work

But your saying its like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer)<--Has to pay twice
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB) and so on

[/ QUOTE ]

When the game becomes heads up there is always two blinds and the button is always the small bind. No player will have to pay the Large blind two hands in a row.

Once the game is heads up a player is paying a blind every hand, so paying a SB two hands in a row is not a burden that needs to be prevented.

Re: Tourney Question
 

When the 3rd player is eliminated, first thing you do is determine which of the two players left is next in line to be big blind. The other player becomes the button and posts the small blind. Doesn't matter who posted what the hand before - there are always two blinds posted heads up, small and big.

Re: Tourney Question
 

[ QUOTE ]
SO your saying you have to pay the small blind twice?

Why wouldnt it work like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(Dealer) No SB
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB)
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer) and so on

Seems like it would work

But your saying its like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer)<--Has to pay twice
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB) and so on

[/ QUOTE ]

Once you get HU in a tourney you reset the button and both players pay the blind. And I agree with the other poster who wondered why you think that the SB is being penalized?

Re: Tourney Question
 

You can never be the big blind twice in a row without a bizarre table change where you are moved (table breaks) while you are just finishing your big blind hand.

Re: Tourney Question
 

[ QUOTE ]
SO your saying you have to pay the small blind twice?

Why wouldnt it work like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(Dealer) No SB
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB)
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer) and so on

Seems like it would work

But your saying its like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer)<--Has to pay twice
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB) and so on

[/ QUOTE ]

It's your home game- if no one cares that Player 2 gets a free hand, under your system, then go for it. One hand shouldn't make a big difference.

The standard way is what has been mentioned- Player 2 is button and SB for first HU hand.

Re: Tourney Question
 

[ QUOTE ]
SO your saying you have to pay the small blind twice?

Why wouldnt it work like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(Dealer) No SB
Player1(SB) Player2(BB) Button Dead (player 1 would need to act first for this entire hand)
Player1(BB +Dealer ) Player2(SB) and so on

Seems like it would work

But your saying its like this

Player1(Dealer) Player2(SB) Player3(BB)<--Eliminated
Player1(BB) Player2(SB+Dealer)<--Has to pay twice
Player1(SB+Dealer) Player2(BB) and so on

[/ QUOTE ]

The main flaw I see in your method is that you are working the button through the player that busted out. To do this correctly you need to have the button be dead (I assume you use the dead button method and apply it this way in other occassions since that is what you're describing). So your description of how this shoud take place skips a step. And this then messes up the rest of the sequence.

So you can see why if in the step above the bold part you just make player 2 post SB everything will flow naturally from that point. Which is what most of us are saying should happen.

ps. and don't be surprised someday to come across a game where they have the button be BB when heads up. They're out there