Home rules fair?

Pokit2s · #1 06-01-2006, 05:34 AM

So here's the situation. Our usual home game consists of me and about 5 of my buddies, at one house or another. Tonight, three of us organized our game and had some guests who hadn't played with us before.
Later...
We are in the middle of the hand and I hit my open ended straight on the turn. One of the new guys is first to act, and bets about $5 or so. I am down to about $20 at this point so I count up all my chips. I say, "I guess I have to do it", while I push in my stacks, one at a time, but the first stack was just enough to cover his call. Sure enough he yells, "String Bet!" I calmly explained to him that in our game we just use the understanding that raises can be valid as long as we know what eachother is doing. (For example, if someone says I call you, and raise you this, we let it slide and know what they mean.) He proceeds to bitch and moan about how it is cheating because he wants to see the next card for free. I calmly reminded him that he was in our game, in my house, and this is how we play. He threw the cards to the other side of the table and whined for the rest of the game.

Granted technically it might have been a string bet, but isn't not enforcing that a reasonable house rule? We could also call 10 minute penalties for cussing and declare people's hands dead when they touch discards, but we dont do that either. Anyone have opinions on this?

(Note: If I am playing in someone else's game I would gladly obide by any of their rules, provided they are reasonable. I don't think ignoring string bets, providing everyone knows the raisers intentions, is unreasonable.)

psandman · #2 06-01-2006, 06:28 AM

Well if you are going to use house rules that you know are inconsistent with new players expectations of what the rules are shouldn't you tell them up front.

Your rule may not be unreasonable, but new players should be told of these rules, before the situation arises. He very well may feel that you are just making up this rule because you got caught string betting.

Quadstriker · #3 06-01-2006, 07:18 AM

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new players should be told of these rules, before the situation arises.

[/ QUOTE ]

Standard.

EasilyFound · #4 06-01-2006, 07:35 AM

Of course you handled it correctly. I guess people who play home poker nowadays expect that casino rules will be followed. It was never like this before the current poker craze, so I'm not offended by what happened. I suppose if you run a home game today you should tell people that it is a friendly game and that you don't follow casino rules strictly. Obviously, you weren't trying to shoot an angle by making the bet in the manner that you did. He was the angle-shooter in this instance, invoking the rule so he could stay in the pot out without having to pay for it.

Lottery Larry · #5 06-01-2006, 07:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Of course you handled it correctly. I guess people who play home poker nowadays expect that casino rules will be followed. It was never like this before the current poker craze, so I'm not offended by what happened. I suppose if you run a home game today you should tell people that it is a friendly game and that you don't follow casino rules strictly. Obviously, you weren't trying to shoot an angle by making the bet in the manner that you did. He was the angle-shooter in this instance, invoking the rule so he could stay in the pot out without having to pay for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you're right... and you're right. Given the current climate and the general understanding of "what the rules SHOULD be", home games need to be more clear about what rules are or are not in place.

Bad form by the guest to through a temper tantrum, however.

Gorby · #6 06-01-2006, 09:16 AM

Larry's right, you just needed to inform him ahead of time, but since it your house who cares. He was a total jerk though, and you probably should have put a penalty on him. I was in a tourney last night at a bar, and a guy did the same thing(string bet), I didnt say a word because I wasnt running the show, and they called him on it.

Khabbi · #7 06-01-2006, 09:58 AM

Do you play by other rules of poker? This guy is your guest, if it appears that the game is being played by the rules then what would ever make him think that this rule is "special". If you have special rules in your house make sure they are communicated to guests before they occur.

On the other hand, the guy totally overreacted. From your description of how the action went down it was pretty clear you were pushing. He should have just made his concern known and left it at that once a decision was made. It's his choice after that to come back or not (if he gets invited back).

Either way, someone's losing here. If villain here behaved properly, I'd say you are wrong for enforcing your all-in bet. It was clearly a string bet and you gave no indication before YOUR OWN action which rules are relaxed.

When I host, in the interest of the game and fairness I tend to cut myself the least amount of slack on judgement calls. I find it helps my credibility in the long run this way. The guest is not at fault here, you are. Sorry, but you should have taken responsibility and owned up to the mistake you made by not clearly stating any relaxed rules.

Lottery Larry · #8 06-01-2006, 10:12 AM

"When I host, in the interest of the game and fairness I tend to cut myself the least amount of slack on judgement calls. I find it helps my credibility in the long run this way. "

This should be on the first page of every host's "How to Run a Home Game" manual.

DiggerDog · #9 06-01-2006, 01:08 PM

Having an another player act as an alternate TD when you're in a disputed hand is also a good way to handle things.

Pokit2s · #10 06-01-2006, 01:24 PM

Yeah I guess I should have told him ahead of time. Me and my buddies have been running this game for so long though, I guess I just didn't think of it. He himself, along with the other guests at the table said that they had been seeing people doing it all night without saying anything. I guess I assumed too much and figured they knew we weren't calling every casino rule possible. I mean, these new guys talking about the string bet rule were the same ones showing their cards off to everyone who folded so they could get their opinion on it. I figure in an atmosphere as relaxed as that, things are kind of self explanitory but I guess I shouldn't have assumed things.