5-5 vs. 2-5 spread on the hill

[Vandal99]

I always play 2-5 when I go up there, I guess somewhere way back someone told me 5-5 was impossible to turn a profit and I believed it. Now, I have watched quite a few 5-5 games, and there does seem to be a lot of gamblers and very few card players at those tables, but I still think that tight, solid play could have good results. Does anyone out there usually play 5-5 and are they successfull at turning a profit?

-Nick

[pseudoswede]

There always seems to be the prevailing rumour that the 5-5 tables attract the "cheaters". Groups of 2-4 players that always cap it if one of them has a good hand, then they go split the profits afterwards elsewhere.

[Vandal99]

Wow, I haven't heard that, but watching the tables at the lodge (although both times I did the bad beat bonus was huge) It seemed like a lot of Kamikaze hold'em, capped before the flop and people are showing terrible cards at the end, which they manage to make into something on the turn or river after calling 6-8 bets cold..... I can definatly see where the rumor you mention comes in, whether its intentional or not, I think it would drive me crazy....

[tjholdem]

It seemed like a lot of Kamikaze hold'em, capped before the flop and people are showing terrible cards at the end, which they manage to make into something on the turn or river after calling 6-8 bets cold..... I can definatly see where the rumor you mention comes in, whether its intentional or not, I think it would drive me crazy....

I noticed that last week when I went up to the Lodge. every hand seemed to be capped before the flop, and players were turning up 4-2o at the end. I watched for about 45 minutes, then I played 2-5 for about 5 hours.

[Vandal99]

I agree TJ, just terrible hands.... In 5-5 you would want to only start with premium hands I would think. I think I'll leave the gambeling to them, I'll stick with the 2-5.

[AdamC008]

i found the same situation at the 2-5 table at The Station. Couldn't believe some of the hands. but tournament was cool.

[mike12025]

I have always stuck with 2-5 but I have also noticed how often the 5-5 tables are maxed with bets before the flops comes out with 5 players in the hand. Just seems to be a hard game to play even when you are playing the correct way, no matter how tight you play...you are bound to run into some horrible beats against crap cards.

[Patrick]

It seems to me that the key to beating these games is just being able to hang in long enough to drag a couple huge pots. They will come. I personally hate the 5/5 at the lodge. It's just ridiculous and I honestly wouldn't doubt the conspiracy theory here. I've only played the 30/30 (sorry - 5/5) a few times there, but every time, there's a group of guys that seems to always run together jamming the pot and winning with ridiculous cards. There's also a lot of non English being spoken between the hands. Whether you can attribute that to just them liking to gamboooool it up, I don't know, but it is pretty craptastic. That being said, I've run into an employee of The Lodge a few times at other casinos who seems to be friends with these guys (to be fair, he seems to be friends with everybody) and he's played the same way all by himself. The problem in the end is the $5 limit.

You won't find me playing at The Lodge any more.

[Wiley]

Just found this site - really enjoy it.

I was particularly interested in the 5/5 Lodge discussion. I was up there a few weeks ago, did pretty well at the 2/5 and decided to try 5/5. Yikes.

We made up a new table and a male/female couple sat down next to each other. They began to cap each others bets virtually every time one of them played, which was at least 25% of the hands. You would have to have been in a coma to not see a problem. I looked around and noone seemed to care and 2 or 3 other players (who did not seem to be playing together) usually merrily joined in the capfest. Mr. Chicken here was usually sent crawling preflop or pre-turn out of the few pots he tentatively entered.

The couple played all kinds of hands, good and mediocre, and had to rebuy a few times, which did not seem to bother them at all. The other players either won big or lost big, mainly depending on turn or river luck. The couple then started to win pretty big and were probably up a fair amount. Mr. Chicken here in the meantime was leaking pretty good from the blinds and the meekly folded attempts to enter. I was about to call it quits when I flopped a straight, was capped of course and lost to one of the non-couple players who hit a a full house on the turn (and I would have split the pot to the couple whose female part flopped the same straight). That was it for my 5/5 at the Lodge.

Thinking about it I have no problem with the game as it was obvious to anyone what was going on. The couple were giving action on practically any type of hand and you took your chances knowing you were likely to be capped if you played. It would be different if they only played the nuts and snuck in the caps then. It was, in reality, usually a 30/30 game with $5 blinds (as one of the other posters observed). The other players didn't mind, I imagine, because it got around the $5 limits, was fun and they could win with a little luck and selective play.

I would be interested if anyone has any insight into the Lodge 5/5 game as it would be fun to play if a regular player can win at it. For starters, I think someone would need at least a $1k roll or more and be ready to play aggressively when the cards come.

[idh78]

Just found this site - really enjoy it.

I was particularly interested in the 5/5 Lodge discussion. I was up there a few weeks ago, did pretty well at the 2/5 and decided to try 5/5. Yikes.

We made up a new table and a male/female couple sat down next to each other. They began to cap each others bets virtually every time one of them played, which was at least 25% of the hands. You would have to have been in a coma to not see a problem. I looked around and noone seemed to care and 2 or 3 other players (who did not seem to be playing together) usually merrily joined in the capfest. Mr. Chicken here was usually sent crawling preflop or pre-turn out of the few pots he tentatively entered.

The couple played all kinds of hands, good and mediocre, and had to rebuy a few times, which did not seem to bother them at all. The other players either won big or lost big, mainly depending on turn or river luck. The couple then started to win pretty big and were probably up a fair amount. Mr. Chicken here in the meantime was leaking pretty good from the blinds and the meekly folded attempts to enter. I was about to call it quits when I flopped a straight, was capped of course and lost to one of the non-couple players who hit a a full house on the turn (and I would have split the pot to the couple whose female part flopped the same straight). That was it for my 5/5 at the Lodge.

Thinking about it I have no problem with the game as it was obvious to anyone what was going on. The couple were giving action on practically any type of hand and you took your chances knowing you were likely to be capped if you played. It would be different if they only played the nuts and snuck in the caps then. It was, in reality, usually a 30/30 game with $5 blinds (as one of the other posters observed). The other players didn't mind, I imagine, because it got around the $5 limits, was fun and they could win with a little luck and selective play.

I would be interested if anyone has any insight into the Lodge 5/5 game as it would be fun to play if a regular player can win at it. For starters, I think someone would need at least a $1k roll or more and be ready to play aggressively when the cards come.

limit poker bah! :D

[tjholdem]

limit poker bah! :D

Not Bah!!!!! Good practice in patience and reading people. Discipline!!!! that is what it is about.

[idh78]

I was kidding, I've actually never played it before....nor does it sound like I would want to if people just play anything all the way to the river...tough to play 'quality' poker like that...

[sarge0103]

As with all games you must make the proper adjustment. When playing what I like to call the 5/30 game at the lodge, you have to play a much different stategy. If your waiting on only high pairs and big slick, plan on leaving your money there. Think of the hands that hold up well in multi-way pots. You may find that playing proper statagy for many players in the pot will get you cash healthy in one good pot. I play on 200.00 all day and watch guys drop 1000.00 in the same time frame and I'll walk away with the money more times than not. Remember adjust, adjust, adjust. Good Luck

[Wiley]

Makes sense, Sarge. Thanks.

[Vandal99]

I think I finally saw the technique for playing 5/5. Pairs, suited connectors, Ax and Kx. I watched a guy who seemed to play nothing but these four types on 5/5. It took some patience, but he ended up winning a significant amount. Any thoughts?
-Nick