Our 'home' game

Well I finally did. He ran it again last night. The O8H/L game had become quite popular, if you wanted a seat you had to get there at least 30 to 45 minutes early. I didn't think this dealer choice game would bring in the players. I didn't get in any hurry to get there, and only got there about 10 minutes early. I got the last seat. We were full at 10 players until around 11:PM, started at 6:00

The action was crazy, Had one of the highest winning sessions I have ever had in this game. . It was either 10/20 limit, or 5/10/20 depending on the game.

It was fun.

Super. Sounds like it's worth getting there early.

This is one of my easy, go to DC games, but we structure a little different. To begin, everyone Antes 1 unit. Deal everyone 3 cards facedown.
1st round - 3s are wild. Dealer gives everyone a few seconds to look at their cards. Then everyone holds cards at arms length (faces of cards still down so no one can see what you have). Then Dealer counts out loud: 1, 2, 3. On 3, if you are "out" for the round, you drop your cards on the table. If you are staying "in", you keep your cards in your hand. If only one person stays in, they scoop the pot, and everyone re-antes. If multiple people stay, they pass their cards face down to each other, and once all "in" players have reviewed the others hands, determine the 3 card round winner. The loser or losers must match the pot, and the winner of the hand scoops the initial pot (so if 3 people stay in, the 5 wild round will start with double the initial pot due to two players matching the pot for losing).
2nd round - each player is dealt one additional card, and 5s are the only wild. Again, Dealer counts to three, drop cards if out, hold cards if staying in. If only one stays in, they scoop the pot and everyone re-antes. If multiple people stay, exchange cards and determine winner, with loser(s) matching the pot. If no one stayed in, everyone adds an additional ante to the pot.
3rd Round - each player is dealt one additional card (now each player has 5 cards). 7 is the only wild card, but now Straights and Flushes play. Same Dealer count to 3.
If only one person stays here and they scoop, then game is over. If no one stays, everyone adds an ante to the pot. If there is a showdown, loser(s) match the pot. Dealer takes all cards, reshuffle, and starts back on 1st round rules and keep playing until you have a round where only one player stays and scoops the pot, then game is over.

If in any round, someone holds on three but then drops late, we call it out and bust their chops, tell them that was their one grace, and next time they are forced to stay in.
In some instances, we've put a cap of like $100 match for losing, super rare to happen, but important if initial ante is larger than $1.00. Also, want to announce before you start, or if seeing you might be getting to that level (or adjust a cap/max match based on size of game).

Our version of 3-5-7 was a little different.

Went around from UTG, declaring in or out. If only the button declared "in", it went around to try to defend against a steal.

If a single player is in, they got a marker (called a "leg" for reasons I never understood). First to three legs wins the pot. If multiple players in, they exchange cards and the losers pay the winner a set amount. The amount was $1 on 3s, $2 on 5s and $3 on 7s. Ended up being a seven-card game, so everyone starts with three cards, then has five on the 5s round, and seven on the 7s rounds. I believe we ruled that straights and flushes were not applicable on the 3s round. (3s, 5s, 7s wild per rounds, as described above).

When the button returns to its original position, everyone re-antes (was $0.50 in our game), and the "losing" payments go up by a dollar--to $2, 3, 4 the second round, etc. So it quickly got to the point where it wasn't a good idea to be in with a known loser, in hopes of getting the pot later.

Another variant I've also liked to add on to our version of 3-5-7, is to play it as 3-5-7-9-Jack.
So we play 5 rounds, start with 3 cards, add a single card for each new round, same rules as I quoted above, but have a 4th round where 9s are the only wild (players have 6 cards to make best 5 card hand), and 5th round where Jack's are the only wild (players have 7 cards to make best 5 card hand).
When there is a carryover pot, reshuffle and re-deal 3 cards, and first to scoop ends the game. This gets interesting when someone gets dealt a pair of 9s or Jack's, so they stay early just to try to get through to the 9 or Jack as a wild, round.

The new dealer's choice game was full again this week.

I have called a game a few times I remember us playing when they ran this game years back. The old timers called it slip and slide. It builds some pretty decent pots, and most everyone seems to like it. Mostly I like the must 2 version of our Macon game, but I throw this one in occasionally.

Everyone gets 4 cards and the community cards are dealt out in three groups of three. XXX XXX XXX.

There is also a card set above and below those cards.

You bet pre-flop, then turn over first set of three cards, another betting round.. Then you can buy a card. Repeat this for each group of three.

Then turn over the sliders above and below and one last round of betting. You can move one of the cards(top or bottom card) to any group to make you best high and low hand. Can't use the top and bottom card in same group. Also it is a must 3 game, three cards out of you hand with two on the board.

Sounds like a game that might work with our group. Plenty of cards and betting rounds. Chances to lock up a wheel early and draw to quads and straight flushes.

Our closest version deals 4 to each player, 3 groups of 4 community cards and 2 single floaters. No extra cards can be bought. Use any combination of cards from your hand, one group and one floater to make the best 5 card hand. Bet - flop a group. Three times. Then Bet - show a floater. Two times. Split pot, Hi-low(8 qualifier).

Re: 3-5-7
I've played it at another home game years ago. Wasn't explained well and I hated it. Would consider playing it again, but it doesn't fit with the current group dynamic.

Another twist on a game introduced last night.
Called "1-2-3-4"

4 cards dealt to each player.
2 5 card boards deals, plus 2 floaters.
Can use 1-2-3-4 cards from your hand (I guess you can't play the board, but that didn't come up).
Can use cards in your hand, cards on one board and one floater to make best High and Low(8) hands. Split pot, highest high and lowest low. Note: You can use one floater to make a high hand and the same or a different floater to make a low.

Bet pre-flop.
Flop 3 on each board.
Bet.
Reveal the first floater.
Bet.
Turn card on each board.
Bet.
River card on each board and floater.
Bet.

The player who came up with it dealt is a few times.
It plays more similar to another game we play with different reveal order (Peter 9), but was based on another bastardized game (Boogaloo).

History of games that led to this point.
We started with Texas HE.
Mixed in some Omaha.
Then came double board Omaha and Big Omaha (5 cards).
Some players hated getting trips in hand with double board Big-O.
We created 2-3-5
- Double board Big Omaha h/l
- Play 2 from your hand across either board
- Play 3 from your hand up a column
- Play all 5 from your hand
Then the 2 pair players hated 2 pair.
We created 2-4-5, which somehow became Boogaloo
- Single or double board Big Omaha h/l
- Play 2, 4 or 5 from your hand across either board
Then floaters were introduced to Single Board Boogaloo
Sometimes a single, sometimes a double (but can't use both floaters in same hand)
The floater could be used in your hand or on the board.
Which meant that if you used a floater, you could play 1-2-3-4 from your hand.
With 8 players, dealing 5 cards to all and putting out a 12 card board doesn't leave room for burns or extras.
This player and others don't like when all the cards are out, so they only dealt 4 to each player.
Possible that with less than 8 it changes to dealing 5 cards to each player and then it's best of 11 cards.

* Peter 9
Deal 4 cards to each player.
Board: 3 columns of 4 cards, 2 floaters at the bottom
Split pot Hi-Low(8)

Deal.
Bet.
Turn over 1st column of 4 cards.
Bet.
Turn over 2nd column of 4 cards.
Bet.
Turn over 3rd column of 4 cards.
Bet.
Turn over a single floater.
Bet.
Turn over the other floater.
Bet.

Use any combination of your 4 cards, one column of 4 cards and one of the floaters (total of 9 cards) to make your best hand. You can use the same or different floaters to make a Hi or Low.

[QUOTE=golddog;58204532]Lowmaha

Omaha H/L, but the board stops when there's a possible low. Could be on the flop. I think our record board was 14 cards, due to pairing and high cards coming out. For extra pain, we made low a 7 qualifier.

Introduced Lowmaha to my group...first hand ever and the board was 13 cards. Guys loved it, and it got dealt several more times throughout the night. Thanks for the suggestion!

You are welcome. Spread the word!

We only had 7 players this week so I threw this one in a couple times. Everyone seem to like it.

The Slip and slide game I mentioned in a earlier thread has become very popular. It makes some of biggest pots we see.,

Another Dealer Choice game at our game is "Low Hole Recker"
Dealt similar to 7 Card Stud with each player having their own unique wild card, which is their own lowest card in the hole being wild for them, but we start the deal 4 cards out: 2 down 2 up; 2 up; final card down.

Each players lowest card in the hole is wild for them. If a players hole cards are 7-4, then their wild card is currently 4, and if they have any 4s face up, they are also wild. However, if on the river, that player is dealt a 2 face down, their lowest card (duece) becomes their newest low/wild card, and may wreck their prior low card/wild.
Each player antes (usually 1 unit) to begin. Then a betting round after 4 cards are dealt (2 down 2 up); betting round after 2 more up; betting round after last card down. Tend to have people have a good hand, until getting wrecked by a new low card being wild on the river.

I've played Kings and Little-men in the past.
7-stud, with Kings and your lowest down card wild (and any matching in your hand up or down).
Last card you could pay extra to get it face up (as to not get wrecked).

We've steered away from wilds in the current setup.
There are enough games with quads and straight flushes already 😉

I do like the wrecking aspect of it and not being able to protect your wilds.
I occasionally deal Oklahoma, 3 board Omaha h/l where the lowest river on the boards wipes out those boards.
Love the idea of wrecking stuff!

We've played that as 7-stud, no reason we couldn't play it 5-stud with 8 players.

In a similar vein, we don't do wilds anymore, so that's out.

Hold 'em - Hold 'em - Hold 'em has made a resurgence in our game. With 6 cards to each player and a 5 card board we can't play it with 8.

So, wanting to tweak/change all our games one more time, we played Pineapple - Hold 'em - Hold 'em with 8. 5 cards to each player. Pitch one and set 2 hands preflop. Then Crazy Pineapple - Hold 'em - Hold 'em where we pitched and set after the flop.

Some nights we only play poker 1 or 2 games per round 😀

What I think you're saying is a game is called, and played until the button goes around.

What we used to do is have the button call a genre. Say, 'Omaha games', or whatever. Then. each dealer could pick O/8, lowmaha, tic-tac-toe-maha, or whatever. Seems like it made the game go a little faster, rather than each dealer figuring out what they wanted to play.

Just attempted self-deprecation.

I was chatting with a buddy about the games we played this past week.
I commented that I thought we played less "poker" that usual.
Then I mentally had to break down the games into "Poker", "Close to Poker", and "Cards" categories.

I have thought that we should do full round of whatever dealers choice game is called, but nobody is really that interested in balancing things, and only a couple players routinely play games that have larger dealer edges.