Brantford 4-8
Sat in Brantford 4-8 game at Brantford last weekend. The 4-8 table was the only one going and it played with a half kill. If a previous pot was $80 or more the next hand would play $6-$12. The winner of the pot would post the $6 blind of course. Interestingly enough I found that there was larger pots and more action at the 4-8 than the previous incarnation of 5-10.
As is hold em poker, there were 9 callers to flops and 3-4 right down to the river. The same regular 5-10 players were playing the 4-8 mixed in with some just graduated 2-5 table folk.
Interestingly enough there were also 15-30 and 20-40 games going. I also saw an advertisement for a Friday $50-100 game if any of you are big ballers and love hold em.
As is hold em poker, there were 9 callers to flops and 3-4 right down to the river. The same regular 5-10 players were playing the 4-8 mixed in with some just graduated 2-5 table folk.
Interestingly enough there were also 15-30 and 20-40 games going. I also saw an advertisement for a Friday $50-100 game if any of you are big ballers and love hold em.
Comments
After playing for a few hours, I was basically even, and decided to go play some blackjack instead. As I left, I decided to put my name down on the $10-$20 list. I do play that game sometimes, but it really is over my poker bankroll budget. I got lucky at the blackjack table, and made $500 over three shoes when they opened a new $10-$20 table. I decided to take my blackjack winnings back to the poker room.
I was actually annoyed when they drew for the dealer button, because I got the ace of spades and someone else got the ace of clubs. I thought by rights I should have had the button, but they redrew and I ended up starting in mid position. I turned out that I won the first hand with pocket 10s, so I guess I was lucky that I didn't get the button after all.
The two players on either side of me were super aggressive. Over the next half an hour I won over $500, despite me losing two big pots on the river to the guy to my right: one runner, runner flush, and one two outer on the river. I also hit a straight flush on the river with a board that included a pair of queens. I was hoping for a bad beat jackpot, but the other player had limped in UTG with pocket aces. As we got to the top of the hour and I was about to be the big blind, I decided to take my profits and go home. Since they didn't take a session fee at the beginning of the game, I left that table, up $500 without having paid any rake (except BBJ). That was by far, the most profitable hourly rate I had ever had in poker.
Awesome hour of poker man. What was the average stack on 10-20? I tried to get on to 10-20 but it just took too long. I've never played it there.
The session fee happens every half hour. This was a $1000/hr rate of return. Standard buy-in for this game is $500.
The difference between 5/10 and 4/8 is:
In 4/8 they don't know what the pot size is and they can't count the pot.
They just see a mass of white chips.
After that, I really warmed up to the game, and found it played a bit softer than 5/10, which was awesome. Players seem more inclined to call with marginal hands when it costs 8 whites vs. 2 reds. Several times I was called on the river by hands that could not beat Ace high.
If they are going to keep the game, and it sounds like they will, I'd love to see a $2 chip to speed up the logistics of the game. Either that or play white chips only. As one reg pointed out to me, whites in 4/8 is like reds in 20/40.
Yeah, 4-8 seemed looser than 5-10 was. The crap thing about Brantford right now is it's pretty dead for cash tables (mostly 1 of each limit except for 1/2 both times I went) because of what I assume is the Woodbine/CNE effect.
My apologies. What I meant convey was that only 1/2 had multiple tables going (2-3) and that the rest of the limits were bare in that they only a single table at those stakes.
Negative. Why?
I'm pretty sure this is the logic that's always been used in Vegas for spreading these games as opposed to 5/10 etc. In Vancouver, virtually the only game that ever goes higher than 2/4 is 4/8 with a full kill and since everyone is familiar with it, it moves just as quickly as I ever remember the 5/10 moving in Brantford.
I don't think the 2 dollar chips are necessary, people actually find them harder to count. If you've ever tried the 6/12 or 8/16 at Venetian you know what I mean. Watch a newer player try to three bet the turn or river with those things without help from the dealer. Although, at those higher limits, the two dollar chips do make more sense.