Proper buy-in for a low limit ($4/$8) Hold'em game.

Will_Son

What would you guys consider to be the proper amount to buy-in for at a $4/$8 hold'em table?
I usually buy in for $100 but most of the articles I've been reading tells me that that's too low.

Josh FP

I'd usually buy in for $160 - $200 , Anywhere from 40 - 50 Big Blinds is enough in my experience. It wont hurt to buy in more though.

Unknown

Like Josh, I usually sit down with 20 big bets (or 40 big blinds). In the case of $4/$8, that'd be $160. Any less than 20 and I feel shortstacked, any more and I feel like I'm trying to be 'Mr. Rich Guy' at the table. So, I always start with 20 big bets, which is usually somewhere right in between the biggest and smallest stacks at the table--a perfect place to start. That being said, I'll have cash in my pocket to buy more if I need to, and if the game is good.

Welcome to the forum, BTW! Calgary rocks.

Regards,
all_aces

ScottyZ

I like to buy in for 50 big bets (or it's easier for me to remember 100 big *blinds*). This way, a 10 big bet swing doesn't mean too much to me in terms of it's impact on stack size.

I'd buy-in for $400, and have anywhere between $400-$600 ready to go if hunkering down for a big session.

Note that this is a personal decision for me as a comfort factor, and I *rarely* expect or experience anything close to a -50 big bet swing. I simply prefer to have lots of chips in front of me so that losing a big pot or two is not a large chunk of my stack. The suggestions of buying in for 20 big bets are perfectly reasonable too.

I also am getting to enjoy the reactions I get due to my unusually high buy-ins. Last weekend at Turning Stone, I had bought in for $500 at a $3-$6 game (since I was considering a quick move to $5-$10 as I was near the top of the list), but stayed in the $3-$6 anyway. By the end of the session, new people are arriving and saying stuff like "Wow, you seem to be doing well." I would tap my finger on each of my 5 stacks of reds, and splash out the rest of my chips, and say "Thank you. I seem to be up $12."

IMO, the exact amount you buy-in for is *far* less important than the total amount of money that you bring with you (or otherwise have available, e.g. at the ATM, or in your Neteller account if playing online, or whatever). It's a complete disaster if you don't have the funds avaiable to continue in what you believe to be a soft game.

ScottyZ

Will_Son

Thanks for the advice, guys.
I'm going to play tomorrow after work and I'm going to listen and buy in for $160 instead of my usual $100.
Hopefully, I'll walk out not down $160.
I'll let you guys know.

P.S. Calgary does rock. Go Flames.

Will_Son

$160 buy-in experiment was an initial success. Cashed out for a nice profit last night and I honestly believe it was because of my bigger buy-in. Going back tonight to see if I can do it again.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

hank

ScottyZ Quote:
"IMO, the exact amount you buy-in for is *far* less important than the total amount of money that you bring with you (or otherwise have available, e.g. at the ATM, or in your Neteller account if playing online, or whatever). It's a complete disaster if you don't have the funds avaiable to continue in what you believe to be a soft game."

My question, if you buy in for enough, say 30 times the BB and end up burning through that, how can you convince yourself that it is right to bring out the funds available to continue in what you believe to be a soft game? Didn't the soft game (or so you think) just tear through your buy in and maybe you should walk away for the day?

Just something that I've been trying to work out while driving these last few days. How do you spot the soft game? And doesn't getting busted trump your thoughts which can be twisted around enough to convince yourself of anything when you have the fever to play?

Thanks in advance for your help.

ScottyZ

You certainly do have to be *completely* objective in your judgement of how soft the game is, and not be doing things like chasing the money because you are stuck, playing because you are addicted to the poker action, or other nonsense like that.

How do you spot a soft game? Generally, crazy outdraws (like a river deuce improving a player to a set), and crazy starting hands (from non-blind positions of course) are some good evidence. On the other hand, determining whether or not a game truly is soft is generally not easy.

I both can imagine realistically, and have experienced, losing 30 big bets in a very soft game. I've often been chewed up and spit out to the tune of $300 at the Brantford 5-10 game by river chasers. In general, this *is* a soft game that I want to play in for as long as possible, and it would be devastating to be caught with no money left in my pockets when such a +EV opportunity is at hand. Short term results are dominated by variance. A good player *can* easily lose to bad players in the short run.

Your point of caution is well taken though. Keep the following in mind while in the middle of a brutal losing session:

1. Be honest about why you are losing. Are you playing poorly? Are your opponents playing well? What is the true nature of the opponents at your table? Eight solid players and one fish? One solid player and eight fish?

2. No matter how soft the game is (or you think it is), never continue playing if you feel that you are otherwise "off your game". Are you tired? Angry? Bored? Hungry? Pressed for time? Are you on tilt? Is the amount of money you are currently down affecting you emotionally and/or strategically (or much worse, financially)?

3. If you originally came into a session with a pre-determined loss limit (I don't think this is a good idea, but some people might), *never* violate your original plan no matter how soft a game appears to be.

Above all else, realize that judging the skill of your opponents is an *extremely* difficult task, and takes a lot of careful observation. You need a good deal of knowledge and experience to make these kind of judgements. It's probably a much more difficult task than most people would think.

Don't just be objective and honest about whether a particular game is soft, but also be objective and honest about whether or not you possess the right skills to even recognize what a soft game is in the first place.

ScottyZ