PASTIMES : poker

A new and potentially important development was launched in London this week. The Barracuda in Baker Street and the Victoria in Edgware Road each introduced limit-raise games, on the Vegas model. The idea is to test players' readiness to try low-stake, low-pressure poker, as opposed to the traditional do-or-die style of pot-limit betting.

Pot-limit is like playing with high explosives: the idea is to blast your opponents to smithereens, while running the risk of being busted yourself. Limit-raise games are more like target shooting: you are trying to make, or defend, one more hit at each turn, in the form of an extra bet.

So in 5-and-10 limit Hold 'em, the raises are fixed at pounds 5 and pounds 10 around the flop, with a cap of three raises per card. A typical betting structure is:

Antes: 2-2-5 and 5 to play. Three raises of 10 possible.

Flop: 5 to bet, three raises of 5 possible.

4th and 5th cards: 10 on each, three raises of 10 possible.

Players can see straight away, therefore, what their downside risk on any hand is likely to be. But don't suppose that limit poker is a soft option. If the pros in Las Vegas choose to play this way (albeit up to limits of $300 and $600 per card!) you can be sure it is a tough game. The odds, which may offer over 20-1 for your money, nearly always justify calling an extra bet to hit a straight or a flush at the end. Whereas in pot-limit, going for such outdraws is too costly. The two London clubs' idea in introducing limit-raise games is to attract new players. Many kitchen-table poker players who feel intimidated by the size of pot-limit games may be ready to join a limit-raise game. Unfortunately, unlike like bridge clubs, card rooms may not advertise their wares.

Good news from the Holland Casino, Amsterdam, where the Master Classics of Poker tournament from 6-11 November is sure to attract an enthusiastic landing force of Britons. The house tax on the 10-20 and 20-40- guilders limit-raise games is being cut from 5 per cent to a more reasonable 3 per cent, with a cap of 50 guilders a hand. In poker matters, our Dutch friends are showing the way.