Player really can\'t afford to play
 

This is going to be a long post...

I play in a semi-regular $0.25/0.50 NLHE cash game with a group of very bad players. Typically, players will buy-in for $10-20 (very low, but I have to be accommodating) but it is uncapped. If a player gets stacked, he will usually re-buy for another $10-20.

The game is very loose and $5 preflop raises called by 3 players aren't uncommon. There is only one player in the game I need to worry about (call him GoodP), but usually we avoid each other.

Two of the players are married and are not doing well financially. The wife is terrible at poker, but she doesn't get stacked that often. The husband is a super-lag (call him LAGP), but not in a good way. Every time we play, there are two scenarios for him...

(1) He will re-buy multiple times and never win.

(2) He will re-buy multiple times, get lucky and build a huge stack, then donk it all off on top pair or some idiotic draw.

At the end of the night, it usually comes down to GoodP, LAGP and myself. LAGP will not stop playing until the game gets heads-up. It is a race between GoodP and myself to see who will stack LAGP first. LAGP will almost always end up losing ~$75-$150, which he really cannot afford at this time. The sick part is that LAGP wants to play a cash game format whenever we get together.

Although we have a nice liquor selection and sometimes home-cooked food, every time LAGP leaves I feel a little gross inside. I love to play poker and especially love to win, but I don't want to be taking a player's money consistently if I know they cannot afford it. If LAGP lost less or won occasionally, I would feel better, but this is never the case.

Not inviting LAGP to the game is not an option because he knows the other players well.


I discussed this with GoodP (who feels similarly) and we had the following options:

(1) Only play tournaments with low starting chip stacks (we used to play ~30BB tourneys which tend to go pretty fast). We have to have low initial stacks because the other players are not used to tourneys that last more than 1 hour [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
Pros: Tourneys limit LAGP's losses to the $10 buy-in and LAGP's style may actually help him.
Cons: With 8 players, it may take a while to finish a tourney from their perspective. I would like to be in the action too if I get knocked out early. Starting side action while the tourney continues is not an option with this group of players.

(2) When it gets down to 3 players, I could say I'm getting sleepy and want to stop playing.
Pros: If LAGP has money left, he will get to go home a winner (or at least not a loser).
Cons: The night might end early. I have to lie [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

(3) Introduce limit holdem.
Pros: This will definitely limit his losses for the night.
Cons: I tried to explain LHE to other players but they were reluctant because 'it seems too complicated' [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] (I tried showing them Seven-card Stud... they looked at me like I was trying to explain quantum mechanics.)

(4) Lowering the stakes.
Pros: It will reduce LAGP's losses.
Cons: They want to play at those stakes.


Do any of you have other ideas? Has this happened to any of you before?

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

You shouldn't re-tool your game to accommodate losing players who don't have money. I understand how you feel, though. I have a friend who was a regular donator, and after a while it seemed vulture-like to invite him over, especially after he lost his job. Thankfully he recognized that he couldn't afford to play and is staying away until he has regular employment again.

Why not talk with LAGP about this? Maybe help him learn to play better?

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

Talk with him about it. See what he has to say for himself first...

Also, your stakes are very weird. You play with $0.25/0.50 blinds but everybody buys in for $10-$20. In my opinion, it means that people aren't really "ready/prepared" to play 50NL. Play 20NL or 10NL for that matter, and let those few who want to buy in for more buy in for more.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

I would try to play limit at least as an experiment. Stud = quantum physics, I can see that. Limit Holdem is easy for NL Holdem players to figure out, c'mon.

Anyway, let the player play. If he's your friend and you have reason to believe money losses are causing trouble in his marriage, then you might have a talk with him and see where the talk goes. (By "reason to believe" I mean have direct knowledge of some argument they've had or specific gripe his wife has.)

Otherwise, play on. It's his life. Just provide a fun time.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

#2) Just make a rule that the game ends if there's less than 4 people. Before that he's just losing money at poker, but when it's down to the two good players and him he's just getting hammered. Sounds like the other good player will back this up. Just say when it gets down to 3 players that "it's not really poker anymore", or something.

I don't think you can talk to a friend about how he handles his money unless you are really good friends. This way he saves face and you don't feel like you're taking advantage of a friend.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

It sounds like you should lower the stakes.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

He's a grown man, you don't have to protect him from himself. It's not your problem that he's a donk and losing his money.

Don't tap the glass, and rake in the dough.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

This is why I like the anonymity of the internet. I would suggest talking it over with him, but people get real defensive when it comes to money matters. Could you cap the number of times someone could buy back in?

BTW, I think stud is harder than Q.M.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

[ QUOTE ]
He's a grown man, you don't have to protect him from himself. It's not your problem that he's a donk and losing his money.

Don't tap the glass, and rake in the dough.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats an appropriate mindset for casino play, but not for a home game among friends.

Right before you quit playing you should dump off some chips to this guy to help him out.

Re: Player really can\'t afford to play
 

For all of those who are answering "Don't say anything"...

- Substitute porn, fishing, traveling or any other hobby, interest or addiction that you don't have an interest in or a vested gain in the person's participation

Now, answer the question again, as if it's a friend of yours.