Running it twice

[Spence]

I  was digging through my card rooms old rules updating a few and adding a few more when I came across something funny: "Dealing twice (or three times) when all-in is permitted at big-bet poker." This is actually in our house rules! Full Tilt Poker just started to do it on their big games as well. While I'm not 100% sure what they do, as far as I know we would rake it twice or three times, or whatever the agreement was. What do you guys think about running it twice in a brick and mortar casino? I'd love to hear from other casino professionals as well as people who run house games and and anyone who plays enough poker to want to be able to run it twice in a casino.
Our rule is not actually in play right now. We don't run the games that would warrant use of the rule often enough to have it in place. The reason I bring this up is do you think we should open it up to the smaller games as well. This may defeat the purpose of running it twice though. We would rake it as many times as we run it, so would that change your EV enough to not be worth it? Do players care? How rake aware are your players? Too many questions for one thread...

[Nick C]

Spence,
 I am in no way an expert when it comes to "running it twice." I do know that management would frown on dragging out a hand longer than you should. If your poker room was using a "time session fee" for the rake, then the players would be complaining because they would be getting short-changed on the number of hands being dealt. I would not allow it unless it were used in a special game, and it was agreeable to all players before the game begins. In our jurisdiction one of the casinos would get the same group of players together on a Tuesday night and spread a higher limit game with a kill, and some other different buy-in requirements. It was by invitation so, if any player did not show up on Tuesday at 7pm he would not be allowed the next week.
 My advise would be to not use it in a "brick and mortar." I would also say NO, to any thought of raking the pot more than once. It might not be legal. That's just my opinion. I like to "play the hand I'm dealt," and I punish myself enough rehashing some "bad beats." I'd hate to think of losing $$$$$$$ because I ran-it-twice, when I would have won it all if I didn't.
 If you decide to allow running it twice or more, I would consider the following:
                   Only specific higher stake games (not low limit)
                   The rake would be a time session fee, or use a time pot.
                   It is for All-in players only
                   It must be agreeable to all players
Like I said, I've never used it, so I don't know that much about it. Hope this gives you something to consider.

[Brian Vickers]

Having worked in a room that allowed running it twice, I would suggest using the following rules if you decide to implement it:

Running it twice is only allowed when players are all-in.
*All players in the hand must agree to run it twice.  You may consider only allowing it when there is a heads up pot, although as long as all players are in agreement I am for allowing it in multi-way pots.
*Only allow running it twice on Pot Limit Omaha and on larger No Limit Hold'em games (depending on the size and play of your room, this could be $2-5NL or $5-10 NL, but def not $1-2NL.)
*You may also consider only allowing the running of the only the turn and/or river twice, and not the flop, in order to save time... although I think the whole board should be allowed.

When you get to the actual time to run the pot twice, you should just run the board out with burn cards like you normally do, then go through the same procedure again from whatever point the players agreed to run it twice.  SO if they get all-in on the flop then you would burn, turn, burn, river.  Then push up those cards and burn, turn, burn, river again.  Probably better not to split the pot until you need to, because if one person wins you can save time and push him the whole pot.  If it is a split, then just chop it up evenly, odd chip left of dealer or to the first hand, either way just pick one.

[mooredog]

Brian summed it up pretty well. I worked high stakes where all in players ran it twice more often than they didn't. All these games were on a time rake so the house could care less how many hands an hour were dealt. The players were the ones pushing for speed in the dealers.