Bubble Etiquette...

Played in a tourney in AC today. 75 players - 7 paid. Make it to the final table and when we get down to 8 players. I, of course, asked what everyone wants to do for the bubble. Everyone but the dealer looks at me like I'm crazy and 4 of them said they have never heard of such a thing. Since I was way shortstacked I lobbied for 30 seconds, then gave up. I don't have to tell you the rest of the story...

I was really shocked some people had never heard of this and some just straight up refused. I've never refused a bubble payout (regardless of chip stack).

Just wanted to vent I guess.

The only time I've heard anything about paying bubble is in CC games...perhaps it was unheard of outside of CC! It would have been nice if they had paid, but sorry it wasn't the case for you.

Let me re-phrase. deal making that early....hmmm. never heard of it.

I've played a lot, live and online, although never in AC or Vegas and never heard of doing this. I can't imagine why it would be expected. I probably wouldn't agree either. I don't make deals either.

Really...you guys have really never heard of everyone putting up say...$10 a piece when you're 1 away from the money for the guy that busts out on the bubble? It's not "making a deal"...it's just something that's usually done where I play.

I play in alot of tournaments in AC and we do this all the time...I was just surprised that THIS table didn't want to.

I've never heard of such a thing and probably wouldn't take that suggestion very seriously.

thejuanupsman said:

I've played a lot, live and online, although never in AC or Vegas and never heard of doing this. I can't imagine why it would be expected. I probably wouldn't agree either. I don't make deals either.

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First off, yah I hear of folks paying off the bubble in many small tournaments I've played in locally. It's usually such a negligible amount to those who are cashing that it is nothing to pay off the bubbleboy.

For above poster "I don't make deals either". You might want to re-consider one day when you're on the final table of a big payout with very high blinds. Variance is a huge factor in these situations, hence the reasoning behind deal-making. I don't know how many people I've seen on Fulltilt final tables who refused to make a deal because they held a marginal chip advantage, only to end up losing out on 10's of thousands of dollars. Even if one's stack is double of another's... it means very little. One double thru and the tides have turned completely.

I recall a few years ago during the Main Event when the casino decided they would give the bubble boy a free buy-in for the ME following year. But I can't remember anyone ever speaking or posting of the type of deal you were suggesting. Chipping in to make the bubble less painful and pop faster? I would have to think this type of thing defeats the whole purpose of the bubble in the first place.

We done a deal last night on the bubble of the MTT I played in. Having said that the OP has no right to be upset if one or more players refuse, they are under no obligation to do it.

I've only ever heard of it during the CC games, looks like CC is leaving its imprint everywhere.

I've done it in games were the winner will pay the bubble their buy in back

Very Strange why a lot of them wouldn't agree to give the bubble anything

It`s fairly common in CC games, but not elsewhere in my experience.

Even in CC games, it is entirely voluntary and the mods ruled long ago that "lobbying" for it (as you put it) is out of order. Agreement must be unanimous and, if one or more players decline, they are 100% entitled to do so and that is the end of the discussion.

I, too, have never encountered any sort of bubble bargaining in live play. Mike and I are going on our monthly two day riverboat jaunt Monday and if the opportunity arises I'll propose it just to see what happens!

As far as making deals goes, early on I was adamantly opposed like thejuanupsman but over time I have mellowed. Like rcrocketman said, more often than not there are some damn good reasons for doing so.

The strangest chop I've ever been involved in was during a live tourney that paid the top 7 and was brought up by, of all people, the chip leader who had a massive stack. I was in 6th place and more than pleased to go along with his suggestion. Amazingly enough, the player in 7th place said no. She went out on the next hand and then we chopped. Though I was a very happy camper, to this day I don't understand why he did that. Even the dealer was shaking his head. Maybe the guy was tired or something...

wsorbust said:

I recall a few years ago during the Main Event when the casino decided they would give the bubble boy a free buy-in for the ME following year. But I can't remember anyone ever speaking or posting of the type of deal you were suggesting. Chipping in to make the bubble less painful and pop faster? I would have to think this type of thing defeats the whole purpose of the bubble in the first place.

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I totally agree. The bouble is part of poker. Its like asking why dont we give money to the person who came in dead last? Maybe Im a tight wad but Im not in the business of just giving away hard earned money. Sorry if my comments upset any CC members who do this regularly but to me this is just crazy.

The twice daily tournament at the local casino almost always ends in a chop/ Bubble money back.

Maybe it depends on where you play, but I certainly didn't think deals like that were common outside of CC online tournaments.

If it's you as the major short stack lobbying for it, I can definitely understand why nobody went for it - the other players have no reasonable expectation of benefiting from the deal, the only one who really stands to gain anything is you.

OK gang, I just got back from my monthly jaunt to the southern Indiana riverboats. The dealers and floor on both of the boats I visited said that this sort of thing was quite common. They were surprised I had never seen it happen before because of my tournament history.

I asked them the percentages of how often a deal is struck and they said it usually had to do with the size and stakes of the tourney. When the buy-ins are under a hundred, very few bubbles get any kind of cut. The bigger the money, the more likely the bubble will get some sort of token share.

They also said this happens the most when all stacks are relatively even and it's basically anybody's game.

LarkMarlow said:

They also said this happens the most when all stacks are relatively even and it's basically anybody's game.

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This sounds more like it.

Deals in live tournaments are common - much more common than online because they're so much easier to facilitate. Often they're made after the bubble has broken and the table has gotten short handed though, which is why I wasn't surprised many of the players had never done the deal OP was suggesting.

yea sadly we have all hit that dreaded bubble.. there is nothing worse really...

New one to me... but I think the bubble should be just that-the last guy out with no money. Been there many times myself.

Bubble is bubble, and bubbleboy goes empty...
Never heard of anything else...
GL
aC

I have never heard of this outside of cardschat. And tho I agree when in a tournament with cc because it seems to be expected, I really don't like it.

Why are so many of you surprised that this happens in live tournaments but accept it with CC? Some of you need to get out there and play some live poker. It happens all the time.

LeanAndMean said:

I have never heard of this outside of cardschat. And tho I agree when in a tournament with cc because it seems to be expected, I really don't like it.

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So don`t agree, if that is your strong preference. As I stated earlier, the rule here is that all must agree voluntarily and it is not permitted to put pressure on another player to change his opinion.

I hate becoming the bubble