There are variants of poker games that have mechanisms that are not very common to most of us. Here we are going to translate an article that reports on a mechanism used to give a different dynamic to live games and if you travel to play in casinos, you may find yourself in this kind of situation.
In this mini-series, I've been discussing all the different types of buttons you can find on casino poker tables. There's a lot more to explain, so let's get straight to it.
KILL / HALF KILL
"Kill" is one of those words that has a specific and non-obvious meaning in poker that seems completely separate from its more familiar use outside the game. In poker, a "kill pot" means a hand in which the game's bets are double their usual value. For example, the bets of $2/$4 Omaha Hi-Lo suddenly become $4 and $8 when the "kill" is turned on, although generally the blinds remain the same.
In addition, the player who caused the situation is obliged to provide the pot with a certain amount, usually double the regular big blind. The "half-kill" means that the stacks are increased by 50% - in the example given, to $3/$6. You'll never find both Full Kill and Half Kill being employed in the same game; it's one or the other, never both.
What makes a Kill or Half Kill take effect? The most common mechanisms are (1) a player winning two pots in a row, or (2) a player winning a pot over a certain limit amount. Again, these will never be used simultaneously
On the other side of the "kill" button it will usually say "no-kill" or "Leg up". Leg up is the term used for a player who has just won a pot; it means that if he wins the next hand, too, he will be obliged to "kill" the pot after that extra double blind. If this happens, the dealer will turn the knob so that the "kill" (or "half kill") is up.
If the casino is using the pot size trigger, the dealer will normally keep the "kill" button on his table until a player wins a pot that qualifies him, or will keep it near him with the "no-kill" side, until the kill is in effect.
I understand that it all sounds complicated just reading about it, if you haven't encountered this kind of game before. Once you've done it once or twice, however, you'll find that it all makes perfect sense.
ALL IN / CALL
I lived and played poker in Las Vegas for a few years before I saw the first "All In" and "Call" buttons. They are quite new in terms of development, and seem to be becoming more widely accepted, in both cash games and tournaments.
There is no mystery about these buttons. The dealer places the "All In" button on the table in front of a player who has moved all his chips forward, or has made a verbal declaration that he is "all in". If another player calls that bet, he will get the "Call" button
Their purpose is simply to add a visual cue to these important actions, so that no player misses them due to lack of attention, excessive ambient noise in the poker room, etc. It is hoped that placing these markers on the table will reduce the number of times an extra argument gets in the way of hand dynamics such as: "I didn't hear you were all in! I wouldn't have called if I'd known that's what it was!"
OVERS
The use of the "overs" button is rare enough that you'll probably have to "battle" to find it. In six years of regular gambling in Las Vegas, I've only seen it used in two casinos.
The basic idea is that these buttons turn a limit game into a no-limit game under certain conditions. Each player can choose to have or not have an "overs" button. If at some point in the hand, the only remaining players contest the pot, they all have an "overs" button, to promote changes in the betting to no-limit
Personally, I don't like playing this way. I want my game to be limit or no-limit. I don't mind if it changes between hands, like in a mixed game, but I don't want the betting structure to change in the middle of a hand. But some people find it a lot of fun to suddenly have it become a big pot.
THIRD MAN WALKING
Fortunately, the "Third Man Walking" button has nothing to do with a depressing Sean Penn movie. Instead, some casinos have what they call a "third man walking" rule, and this is signaled with the button that the rule is in effect.
The rule is intended to prevent a cascading or domino effect of players stopping. Some players absolutely do not like playing with several empty seats at the table. These players will want to take a break or simply refuse to participate if three or more other players are simultaneously absent. Naturally, each of these refusals reduces the size of the game and is likely to provoke other sit outs, too. In this way, three people who have had a lively game can come to an immediate halt.
To combat this, the "third man standing" rule states that a maximum of two players can be absent from the game at the same time. If a third person also decides to take a break, the player can only go until it's time for the big blind. If the player hasn't returned by then, the chips are taken and their place is given to whoever is next on the waiting list. That way, even if a game has three people missing, it's not for more than one orbit/round of the game.
The "third man walking" button is then placed in front of the third player's seat when two other players are already absent. It serves as both a warning that the rule is in force, and a promise to the remaining players that they won't be three people for long. Only a minority of casinos have this rule, so you probably won't encounter this situation, but it's best to be aware in these cases.
Original article: Casino Poker for Beginners: All In, Call, and Kill Buttons (& More)
Translated and adapted by: prof_anselmo
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I really liked the explanations, I understood almost everything, except for the Kill - Half Kill, it was very vague and complicated, I couldn't understand how it would work!!! :/