Found "time pot" really annoying

[Howard Beale]

A week or 2 ago I made a post asking what to do besides just play tight until the time-pot got paid at CAZ's 40 game which is triggered at the 1st flop seen regardless of size which seemed to me like it would be a real action killer. Boy, was I ever wrong! It usually gets paid w/i the first hand or 3 at the most. I'm saving quite a lot of money.

As to chopping: At CAZ's raked lower limits it's virtually certain that everyone will chop because of the rake HU. When these players first move up they are uncomfortable w/ people who don't want to chop. Add that w/ the fact that chopping is done by something like 90% of players and you caught some grief from somebody who can't keep his mouth shut.

All this said: Either you chop or don't chop. No seeing a big hand and saying 'I'm not chopping THIS time.'

[daveT]

My first "chopping" experience went something like this:

A hold xx in the SB, folded to me, I press chips into the pot (not konwing any better)

BB asks me, "Do you want to chop?"

Me: "Chop? What's that?"

Chopping means that we take our money back."

"Why?"

Because this is a smaller game: "There will be no money in the pot."

The table looks at me expectantly, wondering what I am going to do. Seat four pops in with this: "It is the courteous thing to do."

So it is at this point that I remember back to my reading of SSHE and think about the concep of "not losing action." Well, actually, it is at this point that I figure to be dealt BS in the BB more often than not and that chopping is a common courtesy. And since I am such an expert on math, I reason that I will lose money to the house and if we all start not chopping, then no one will ultimately make money off the other player, actually, we will all lose a ton more money because we decided to be idiots and not chop.

Now in the bigger games, where the rake doesn't mean that much, well, I would like for my opponents to not mind losing money to me. I had plenty of practice with this attitude in the small stakes games, and I also remember jumping to many fishes' defense while playing OL, and at least I know why I understand game preservation.

Honestly, Betgo, how could you possibly sit there for a full session, and still have to come to this forum to learn about chopping? I am thinking that your table was pretty vocal.

Dale Carnegie: "Give the fish what they like."

[pfapfap]

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I thought time pots where only used in higher limit games, maybe around 60/120 or 100/200 on up. It the Borgata practice of using it in a smaller game such as 20/40 used anywhere else?

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At Oaks in Bay Area, there was time on most (all?) games until a couple of years ago. Now it's 15/30 and 30/60, which for that room are the "big" games.

[MasterLJ]

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but chopping should never be based on your cards. Proper etiquette is that you either always chop or never chop, period.

Granted, some people find it rude/annoying when someone never chops, but they shouldn't, so long as they are consistent.

[/ QUOTE ] I would agree. One exception, AA, WHEN the room is running Aces Cracked or has a Bad Beat Jackpot. I simply say, "I can't" or "Check it down." when the option comes to me.

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I've had the floor called on me for this.

Always make it a habit to tell the people on your left and right if you chop or not.

[bav]

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Chopping: I tell people, if I have a 7-deuce, I'll chop. If I have an ace, I ain't chopping, so proceed at your own peril.

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It's a douchey answer, but it's honest and stated upfront. If the players on either side are unhappy with that "sometimes" answer they should just consider it a "I don't chop" response. No reason to get upset.

Of course, next time around when I ask "wanna chop" and you answer "sure" I respond "cool, because I don't want to chop this time--Raise". Only works once but it should amuse the table and, more importantly, it'll definitely amuse me.

[Photoc]

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The onyl place in Vegas that does that program regularly is Excalibur, and though there is no pot minimum that I am aware of, it does need to go to showdown, of course.

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It used to be either 20 or 30 in the 2-6 spread game. The old 1-3 didn't have a promotion/jackpot. The 2/4 nowadays, I have no clue about. I remember a night when Howard, myself, spaceace and several others got a 2/4 or 3/6 game going at the Ex late one night and I got my aces busted by Spaceace and spun the wheel. I hit a double. Then I hit 100. Mind you, it was double wheel spins that month to get rid of the old stud bad beat jackpot. So double whatever you win, 400 and down! SHIP IT!

[bav]

And Harrah's ponies up $100 if your aces are cracked by a fullhouse or better. When they first started that promo it was just "aces cracked" and they lost money on the jackpot drop that day, paying out like 20 of these. So they immediately made it "aces cracked by a straight or better" and still had problems--they weren't losing money anymore, but the high hand jackpots weren't growing much. So they lapsed into this silly "aces cracked by a boat" thing--they'd be better off just nixing this particular idea as ill-conceived and a failure.

[Nuevo99]

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Played the 20/40 limit holdem game at Borgata. They had something called a "time pot" where people agree that the time charge comes from the first two decent pots after the dealer change. I found this real annoying as it lead to tight play for several hands. Isn't it much easier to just pay the time charge?

Also, it got passed to me in the SB and the BB asked if I wanted to chop. I had a hand and said raise. BB kept going on and on about this. Other people at the table were saying what a jerk I was. I thought you had to agree ahead of time if you wanted to chop.

I found the customs at this game a little strange and everybody thought I was a noobie because I didn't understand them.

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I could see about the time pot, but if you arent used to chopping then you could be a newbie. (not because you didnt do it but because you were surprised that someone complained about it)

[betgo]

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Played the 20/40 limit holdem game at Borgata. They had something called a "time pot" where people agree that the time charge comes from the first two decent pots after the dealer change. I found this real annoying as it lead to tight play for several hands. Isn't it much easier to just pay the time charge?

Also, it got passed to me in the SB and the BB asked if I wanted to chop. I had a hand and said raise. BB kept going on and on about this. Other people at the table were saying what a jerk I was. I thought you had to agree ahead of time if you wanted to chop.

I found the customs at this game a little strange and everybody thought I was a noobie because I didn't understand them.

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I could see about the time pot, but if you arent used to chopping then you could be a newbie. (not because you didnt do it but because you were surprised that someone complained about it)

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I didn't understand the etiquette and issue. I play mostly online, and play mostly tournaments. I used to play live 2/4-5/10 limit holdem and now play NLHE and 08/Stud8, so I was a noobie to mid limit limit holdem games.

[redfisher]

You should never chop in a 5/10 and under LHE game. If it looks like the opportunity might arise, find a new game.