Pokerpalooza FAQ

Welcome 'loozers! Please read the FAQ. Now with rounded corners!
What is Pokerpalooza?
Pokerpalooza is the name of Nate's home poker game and it is played in Nate's backyard game shed, pictured at right.
How big is the game?
It's very small, wafer thin. The buy-in is $20 and the way the game goes, most players end up/down about $50. Sometimes a big winner or loozer can be up or down as much as $100 but rarely more than that.



I'm a beginner and/or not very good at poker, should I be worried about you sharks taking all my money?
In short, no. Beginners have won as often as - if not more often than - regulars.

Some players have more experience than others but overall it's just a fun game and no one is trying to maximize their winnings off you. Also just bluff Tom as much as you can you'll do great.



When you bluff Tom

And you can't possibly play worse than Barrett who just doesn't care one bit.


Barrett playing poker

What games do you play?
No limit texas hold'em with two 25¢ blinds.
Do you use a weird or unusual chip denomination?
Yes! For your $20 you get 400 units worth of chips.

a 5 chip (25¢)
a 25 chip
a 100 chip
another 5 chip
And you only play texas hold'em?
Yup, but there is a way to change the game to something different. See below about the Bad Beat Jackpot for that.
There's a Bad Beat Jackpot??
Yes! The jackpot is paid when you or your opponent get all in after the flop and you end up losing to them when there were only two cards left in the deck left to save them. Man it sucks when that happens!


Losing to a two outer

Then realizing you won the Pokerpalooza Bad Beat Jackpot!

Let me explain it in Communismo: Life isn't fair but don't worry we've pre-charged you for a safety net you didn't ask for and can't opt out of!

How does the jackpot grow?
There are three ways the jackpot grows:
  1. NEW!The max jackpot is $100. A backup jackup starts after the main jackpot becomes $100. The backup jackpot is ALSO capped at $100. After than I stop donating $10 per game
  2. Nate adds $10 at the start of the game.
  3. Cashouts are rounded down to the nearest $5 and the remainder is thrown into the bad beat jackpot.
  4. Bust'em pots take a $2 tax if won.
  5. When the button comes to you, you can choose a new game for one round by contributing into the bad beat jackpot. Default betting format is pot limit or no limit, but for an extra $50 you can make it limit. So, for example, you can call Omaha hi/lo 8 or better limit for $82. Prices subject to change:
Hey what happened to your old FAQ, with the cool mugshot of you?
New FAQ. But same old mugshot: Don't drink and drive while famous.
natedogg
Wait, what is a "bust'em" pot?
Barrett invented this bounty and it's just not Pokerpalooza anymore without at least one bust'em pot going down. First, you pick a player that you want to see go bust (usually Tom). Then anyone who wants in on it can contribute to a bust'em pot and whoever busts that target player (again, I recommend picking Tom) also gets the bust'em pot when it happens. If it doesn't happen, all contributors get their contribution redistributed back at the end of the game.


Busting Tom is fun

Do you tend to talk smack the whole game and sometimes cross the line?
Yes.
What time do you start and end?
We usually start around 7pm and end by midnight. It's ok if you come for only the first half or only for the second half. You will not be judged.
Can I smoke and vape?
Yes.
Anything else I should know?
Jasper won some money in his first try at Pokerpalooza. Bad beats are coming sir but in the meantime...

(this FAQ entry updated for each game)