Bad beat jackpot page

[nutN2Lewz]

I have added a new Bad Beat Jackpot page to my site. Many thanks to the HPT Forums members who helped me create this page!

[Midnight Rose]

I like it, but something in the first paragraph doesn't sit right with the nitpicker in me:

"A poker bad beat jackpot is an amount of money that is paid to the player (or all the players at the table) who loses a pot even while holding terrific cards. An example of a hand that might win a bad beat jackpot is Aces Full of Eights losing to Aces Full of Nines. The term "bad beat" is used because this jackpot is meant to soften the financial blow to a player who held a very strong hand and made a big bet only to have an inferior player make a poor call and then get lucky by catching his cards and winning the hand." [emphasis mine].

While I agree with that definition for the term "bad beat" in general, I don't think it applies to your typical BBJ, which in most cases require that each hand involved be a superior hand.  Indeed, with the necessity of having both hole cards to be used by most houses, it would be rare that an "inferior player" ever gets into the strong end of a BBJ.  Unless he backed his way into it, anyway.

Sorry; it's the editor in me coming out again.

[nutN2Lewz]

I changed it to ...

... only to have another player make a questionable call and then get lucky by catching miracle cards and winning the hand.

How's that? nutn

[Midnight Rose]

Most times, it's closer than that, but it works, thanks.

[austin5string]

Most times, it's closer than that, but it works, thanks.

Yeah, to me it's more just a situation where two players have monster hands - I don't think the order of who hit their hand first has anything to do with it, does it?  Someone could flop a Royal Flush and then someone could catch quads, so the winner was ahead the whole way.  No miracle cards or questionable calls involved.

[Midnight Rose]

Yeah, to me it's more just a situation where two players have monster hands - I don't think the order of who hit their hand first has anything to do with it, does it?

That's true, but because Nutn lists two different kinds of BBJ's - one where it's just the best losing hand of the evening and another where there are minimum hand requirements posted - there could very well be a donk factor involved.

I think the issue would be resolved best by separating the two kinds of jackpots as they're usually handled.  The first one would just be a "best hand of the day" jackpot, and the second would be by far the most commonly awarded BBJ jackpot.

[nutN2Lewz]

I surrender to the new HPT Editorial Board ...

"The term "bad beat" is used because this jackpot is meant to soften the financial blow to a player who held a very strong hand but lost to an even stronger hand."

Good luck, nutn

[Midnight Rose]

I surrender to the new HPT Editorial Board ...

"The term "bad beat" is used because this jackpot is meant to soften the financial blow to a player who held a very strong hand but lost to an even stronger hand."

The Board approves this change.

[Wedge Rock]

My BBJ rules are linked off the main page.

They are now located at: http://pokertourney.wedgerock.com/files/bbjrules.pdf

[namakemono69]

Points to consider
Keep in mind that collecting a bad beat jackpot might be illegal where you play. You are taking money from each pot (or entry fee) with the intention that the money taken from the pot will eventually be paid out to the players. Paying it out the same night might not be a problem but "holding" it from one poker session to another might be pushing your luck.
Asking your players to contribute money to a bad beat jackpot, and bounties, and other "distractions" from the true poker game might be too much. Many players don't want to hear that you are keeping a percentage of the buyins for bounties on each player, and a percentage of the buyins for a bad beat jackpot because it lowers the money paid out to the final winner(s). This is especially true when the jackpot is not necessarily going to be awarded during the current session of poker - you might be collecting money from tonight's players but paying out the jackpot(s) to next week's players.

I was thinking about having a jackpot in my homepoker(cashgame) by collecting each game's small blind, which is usually a dime, into a big jar or something. I was planning to accumulate the jackpot to the following homepoker until it gets hit, and then start it over again.

I will be having a big white board on the wall that clearly explains about the jackpot, and I will be confirming each player's agreement to the jackpot.

Will this really be considered illegal?? My poker members are usually the same but sometimes I do have some guest comming over. Since it is illegal, is it possible for someone to, for example, sue on me for raking the pot for each hand?

Any opinion will be appreciated

[nutN2Lewz]

Will this really be considered illegal??

This website does not dispense legal opinions. Please ask a local law enforcement officer and please refrain from asking for legal opinions on this website.

Good luck, nutn