New Style Home game(for me)

[tooners]

So usually me and my friends just play like $10 buy-in, basically like a sit and go, but this time we're going to be playing a real game, much like regular online games, we're going to be doing a $20 max buyin, $5 min. buyin, with .25-.50 blinds.

Any tips for getting involved with pots etc? I'm new to this style of play

[ShipitFMA]

lower the blinds or raise the min / max buyin..

[whisker]

I play a cash game with the same blinds and max buy-in. You can rebuy anytime you are below $2. I'd rather the buy-in be larger, at least $50, but although most folks rebuy 2-3 (or 4-6) times a night, they are scared of dropping it all at once.

PF raises are generally between $2 and $3, and its harder to isolate folks. This means on the flop there can easily be $7-$10 (or more), which means if folks stay in they will generally commit more than half the max-buy-in in one hand, or be all in before the turn or river.

Lots of limping in as well. If you are in late position, don't let them limp Fold more PF. That J9 isn't really that good in mid position with several folks in the pot.

I try and play a little tighter at the beginning, get a larger stack, then try and push folks around. Once I have double the buy-in, I make folks pay for limping and playing crappy cards PF. I am not afraid of going all-in and having to rebuy.

It sounds like you will be playing with a lot of the same players each week. If you want to win consistently. Take notes on the other players, and yourself. Write down how much you won or lost each night, make notes about hands, and make notes about how people play or how they say they play. People will always say something like "I love these hole cards because ...", or "I can never lay down a hand that is four to a flush". After 6 months or more of writing that stuff down, you will be AMAZED how much info you will have on folks. Also, I write my notes down afterwards. Depending on the feel of the game, if they see you taking notes throughout the night, they may not appreciate it. At the very least they will start to realize you may be much better than them.

Good luck!

[Taso]

[ QUOTE ]
lower the blinds or raise the min / max buyin..

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[archcity]

Seems like $0.25/$0.50 NL is a little rich for a group usually playing a $10 tournament. We typically play a $20 tournament and when we play a cash game we go $0.25/$0.25 NL with a $10 to $25 buy-in.

This leaves plenty of room to play, and the buy-in is similar to our tournament so people are pretty comfortable.

While the blinds seem low, pots grow to a nice size, regularly $5 plus.

[Triantafylidis]

[ QUOTE ]
Seems like $0.25/$0.50 NL is a little rich for a group usually playing a $10 tournament. We typically play a $20 tournament and when we play a cash game we go $0.25/$0.25 NL with a $10 to $25 buy-in.[ QUOTE ]



Sounds more like it. With .25 and .50 blinds i would raise the min/max to 10-35 at least, usually games allow for 100 BBs or 50 max in this case
This leaves plenty of room to play, and the buy-in is similar to our tournament so people are pretty comfortable.

While the blinds seem low, pots grow to a nice size, regularly $5 plus.

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[Zetack]

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So usually me and my friends just play like $10 buy-in, basically like a sit and go, but this time we're going to be playing a real game, much like regular online games, we're going to be doing a $20 max buyin, $5 min. buyin, with .25-.50 blinds.

Any tips for getting involved with pots etc? I'm new to this style of play

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You've never played a cash game?

Um...Ok. Play tight aggressive, Premium hands are your friends, or pp's and suited connectors when you can get in cheap. Don't get married to hands when you miss. Value bet the hell out of your made hands. Have enough in your pocket to be able to rebuy at will and don't play scared.

Oh, and raise the fricken buy-in to at least $50 with a $20 min. Or play with .10/.20 blinds.

[Small Fry]

[ QUOTE ]
I play a cash game with the same blinds and max buy-in. You can rebuy anytime you are below $2 . I'd rather the buy-in be larger, at least $50, but although most folks rebuy 2-3 (or 4-6) times a night, they are scared of dropping it all at once.



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What a bizarre way to play cash? So if you go down to $3-$4 you are just stuck going all in? Never heard of a situation where you couldn't top off your stack anytime you wanted.

To the OP I agree with most of the others. Raise buy in or lower the blinds. I'd try to achieve a ratio of about 80-100 bb for max buy in.