Hands per hour at your live games

[frob23]

With automatic shufflers in a limit game, I swear we once were doing almost 40 hands an hour at the local card room. We were flying. Even though it went to the river most of the time, it was limit so there wasn't a lot of delay. One deck would be shuffled while we were playing the hand. BOOM, push the pot and the next hand is coming out. All the players were focused and it was so perfect.

I wasn't keeping perfect count... but it was significantly faster and I probably hit the big blind about 4-5 times in that hour (10 handed). So it's close enough. And then... about 90 minutes into this well oiled groove... one of the players has the audacity to hit a royal flush.

I'm happy for her. I am. But the game was shutdown. The floor had to be called over. Pictures taken of the hand. The deck reconstructed and boxed and new decks brought into play. She had to wait for the check... her boyfriend came over and was chatting with her. I mean, the game just flat out STOPPED for 30 minutes or so. And, of course, I'm stuck like 20xbb and I just want to start playing again so I can make it back before I have to leave.

When the game started again, it never reached that pace again. Everyone was too distracted and we had a couple new players join who took their time on every hand -- as if it's hard to know what to do in limit.

But... it is possible to get up there. Have a few good dealers rotate through a table with an automatic shuffler and focused players... and it will happen.

[AceMulhall]

We got a new shuffler put in our table at our home game and it really speeds up play. It shuffles 1 deck while you are playing with the other and is ready by the end of the hand. Anyone who has an ongoing home game should consider getting one of these shufflers, as they really speed up the game.

Matt