tuscl

Chopping the Pot

skibum609
Massachusetts
What do you think of chopping the pot in a hold-em tournament? Last weekend, 100 players, so it pays 10 spots. The first chop comes with 12 left when all involved (I go with the majority all the time) agree that we should deduct money from first and pay 11 and 12 as well. Ok. Now we are down to six and one player suggests, lets chop and go home and we do. On the way home I am smoking some ganja with the sunroof open and it dawns on me that at this particular casino I have either chopped for first or not made final table. I have no money finishes in 5 years other than by chopping. I cannot stand chopping and would rather have finished sixth, but in the Northeast and Mississippi, eople always chop. Do you chop?

11 comments

  • whodey
    •
    7 years ago
    Only time I have ever chopped was when we were heads up and had almost equal stacks at a smaller (50 player $100 buy in) charity fundraiser tournament. We had been going back and forth for a while and realized it wasn't worth continuing given the small difference between the two payouts.
  • founder
    •
    7 years ago
    I love playing all tournaments to the end. You don't get much practice shorthanded otherwise. (Of course I piss off a lot of people when I refuse to chop)
  • skibum609
    •
    7 years ago
    Founder: We could use you around here. people went beserk on one guy who refused to chop and he ended up caving in, although he did get 11th and 12th more money as retribution.
  • twentyfive
    •
    7 years ago
    I also am not a big fan of chopping, but what can you do when at the end there 8 or 10 people that have loser mindsets. And if being on TUSCL has fought you nothing else if a guys mind is made up you won't be able to change it.
  • shailynn
    •
    7 years ago
    I go with the table majority. If the payout is good, I have no problem chopping, if it's bad then I prefer to play longer to whittle it down the final 4, 3, or 2.

    I prefer to chop when it's the final two, because that can take forever, and at times you might as well just flip a coin if both players are solid.

    It also depends on where my stack is. A few months ago I was in a tournament and it was down to 4 people. 1, chip leader, 2nd, half of chip leader, me at 3rd about 75% of the 2nd guy and a 4th who had about 6 blinds left. 2nd place guy says "lets chop", amazingly the 1st guy agrees, so I quickly do as well as it was going to take a miracle to catch the chip leader.
  • Mate27
    •
    7 years ago
    Chopping the pot is a chumps game. Short hand friendliness until your pants are ready to come down and take over the entire pot!
  • a21985
    •
    7 years ago
    Heads up NL hold 'em is poker at its best where it becomes a chessgame like battle of the mibds. It is pure strategy, and who is buckling under the pressure and the suspense and who isn't. If I'm in a tourney and am in the final 2, I am playing it through to the end.

    Oddly enough, I used to play in chess tourneys in my younger years and would occassionally call for a draw if I couldn't clearly see myself winning or if it was too close to call. In heads up poker, there's always a way to win no matter the odds.
  • jester214
    •
    7 years ago
    It's all situational to me, if I think it benefits me or only slightly impacts me negatively I'll take it. At the same time I'm not going to throw away a huge chip lead to help out a couple of guys on the bubble. I personally don't bring it up unless we got to small numbers and stacks were relatively equal.

    That said I don't play nearly as much poker as I used to.

  • JohnSmith69
    •
    7 years ago
    I have no clue what chopping is. I don't gamble. But Meat's answer is clearly the best.
  • MrDeuce
    •
    7 years ago
    ^ What JS69 said. I'm impressed with all the hold-em knowledge on this board but have no idea what you're talking about. But Meat72's answer was classic!
  • Uprightcitizen
    •
    7 years ago
    If its a charity donkament and everyone is super short then variance (luck) is the main determinant since the structure is super fast (15 min or so). Chopping there can make sense if you just want to go home early with a profit. If you dont give a shit about making $200 and are just playing for fun the screw it and play to the bitter end.

    In an actual major tournament with serious stakes are involved and you dont have a dominant stack, play is getting short and you feel the players are equal or better than you then a partial or full chop is not a bad plan. Especially when you get down to 3 or 4 players the pay jumps can be substantial. Using ICM (implied chip model) to determine chop payout ammounts is standard. Lots of apps for tjat on your smartphone store. Now saying that some casinos will not allow public chops (WSOP) or will not adjust payouts if you do for tax reporting which gets complicated vs. places like The Venetian who will give you an adjusted W2G.

    So I guess I am ok with both but I rarely propose a chop. Heads up is fun but so is gauranteed money. But I will never do a chop with like 6 or 7 players and will be "that guy" even if I am short.

    Poker is at its purest w/o chops and is much more interesting which is one reason why WSOP bans it
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