As I've mentioned a couple of times lately, my nephew has started playing poker online, and it's fun to get into heads-up sit-and-go matches with him for low stakes. We're using Full Tilt, since that's where he has a little money stashed.
The first time we played, we had an IM chat going on the side. I found a table, then sent him an "OK," he did a player search for my screen name to find the table, and claimed the other seat. No problem. He's quick--took him less than 10 seconds. And after the first game, rematches are easy because FTP has cleverly built in a feature that automatically offers another match to both participants.
But the next time we tried it, twice in a row some stranger (different one each time) sat down before he could get in. I didn't want to play anybody else, so I just clicked the "sit out next hand" button and let the other person win by not playing. I'm not terribly bothered by losing $2 that way, but it's annoying not to be able to have any control when I want another specific player to join me. If we were to be playing for higher stakes, then it would start to be a serious annoyance to have to either forfeit the entry fee or battle somebody else for it when I want to be focusing on the game I came to play.
I know about setting up private tournaments through Full Tilt, but that requires emailing them in advance with a particular start time. We need the flexibility to be able to play whenever we both happen to be available simultaneously. If it were a cash game, of course, I could just leave after one hand and move to another table, until we got into one in which my nephew successfully grabbed the other seat before anybody else horned in on the action. But with a tournament format, that doesn't work.
I emailed FTP support, and they had no other suggestions for handling this. But surely there are lots of other people who have faced a similar situation--wanting to play a one-on-one tournament against a specific other person. If you have figured out a way to make this happen, or have heard of a good solution, please post it in the comments section.
Thanks.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Request for suggestions
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3 comments:
I don't know if this will work on Full Tilt, but I have used this method on other sites. As soon as you sit down at an empty table click on the "Sit Out" button. If you are at a heads up table now the game will not start. If someone other than the person you are waiting for sits down explain to them through chat that you are waiting for a specific opponent. If they won't leave the table you can leave the table without the game having started and without spending any money. Good luck.
Shane
Shane that only works in cash games. Sorry Grump, no other way to do it other than e-mailing FTP.
Why don't you just find another site with less traffic or even play for play money (not sure if that option is available for heads up SNGs) and transfer the $ afterwards. UB used to have the best system, where players can "challenge" a specific other opponent. The game would start automatically when two players "challenged" each other.
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