[ballen]

Played at a liove table for the 1st time this weekend first hand I took with a QfullJ the next hand was a Ahi straight. The problem became... how do play a kill game? I got the point that you win 2 hands in a row you get the kill button and option to play a kill game. I need info on, when do yopu place the bet and do you HAVE to place th e bet.

[pritz]

A kill is played many different ways depending on the "house" rules but I will give you the generalites of a kill.

Anytime a player wins two hands in a row, which must include a flop on both hands and the player must outright win both hands, no split pots, then the next hand played will double in limits for just that hand. IE you win two hands in a row in a $4/8 limit game then the next hand becomes $8/16 for all players involved.

The blinds are placed normal by both the small and big blind so for our $4/8 example there is a SB of $2 and a BB of $4. The person on the Kill must place $8 (The BB size in a $8/16 game,) on the kill button as a forced blind. The first player to act (UTG) after the cards are dealt must call for $8 and the betting continues around the table but skips the player with the kill button. The SB and BB have to complete the betting to $8 to come in and then the Kill button is given the option the check or raise which would normally go to the BB.

Basically, a kill is just a way to increase the limit of the game for one hand every once in awhile. There are multiple versions of a Kill including a Half-Kill where my example of a $4/8 game would be half-killed to $6/12 under the same win two pots in a row scenario. Another version, usually used in private games includes making a hand a kill pot for the winner if the pot exceded a certain pre-deteremined dollar amount...I play a $5/10 kill game that includes two winning hands in a row or the pot exceeding $125 on any given hand. The bonus of the pot size is that whenenver you go on a kill with a pot sized kill option the game usually remains a kill for many consecutive hands because it is very easy to excede $125 in a $10/20 game on almost every hand.

I hope I was able to give you some info on how a kill button works...if not fire away and I will see if I can help out.

[arcfinn]

alright, that explains the rules pretty well, on UB the kill games seem to be full of fish, very passive and 60%+ seeing the flop... so i'l hafta check those games out, although it does cost u one BB if u win 2 hands in a row, but u can see the flop for cheap the next hand... seems like a fair trade off... i think i can handle the larger swings when the limit doubles, this oughto be intesting... i assume the fish will play the kill game just to win more money... an extra chance to win 2x the money! is what they think...

[pritz]

A couple of ideas to keep in mind during kill pots.

1. Your statement that it costs you an extra BB b/c you won two in a row...you could only be so lucky to always be on the kill button...meaning your always winning every pot...it does cost a 2x blind forced bet but only b/c you just won two consecutive pots.

2. You must play extremely straight forward when your on the kill button since it can happen from any position and you only act last on the pre-flop betting round. Many times LP players are going to raise with any two cards to try and knock you out...let them if your holding weak starting cards...you don't want to play a bad hand out of position just to protect.

3. You must be able to recoginize the type of player who is on the kill button. Are they able to release a weak hand or are they the protect any two cards player? Your starting cards shouldn't lower in standards but based on position you need to raise much more often during a kill pot. A couple of reasons for this: A. Many players are afraid of kill pots and will fold incredible hands b/c they don't want to play at the increased limit, thus less players in the pot making your pocket pairs go up in value. B. You want to raise the players who will release a hand to trap their forced bet into the pot so they cannot defend it, and you want to raise the players who will defend with any two to trap them in this pot with trash hands that your hand dominates.

[ballen]

Thanks for the great info. Being a new player, playing very conservative, is there a way to pass on playing a kill pot or must it always be played?

[pritz]

I'm pretty sure you must play your kill...don't worry about it...you just won two hands in a row and have increased your chip stack...you can afford to play one hand thats double the norm...besides, its only one hand and you can always get away from a bad hand pretty ealily...In my opinion kill pots are incredibly fun to play.

[ThomasR]

They are, it's a nice little adrenaline kick and as pritz said, you can afford it.

It's no excuse to get reckless, of course, though they are called kill's for a reason