The nit game is a side game that turns the table's tightest players into its biggest losers. Nobody can wait for premium hands, because the clock is running and the penalty goes to whoever's left.
A "nit" is poker slang for someone who only plays very strong hands. This game punishes that.
How it works
Everyone starts with a marker, usually a red button, though a spare chip or a bottle cap works. You get rid of yours by winning a pot, whether at showdown or by making everyone else fold.
The game runs until an agreed point. Whoever is still holding a button then pays each other player a set amount. Normal play carries on afterwards.
That's all of it. The game ends in one of two ways, depending on how your group plays it: when only one player is left holding a button, or when a time or hand limit runs out.
The part that makes it work
The penalty is paid to every other player, not into a pot. That means the loser's bill is the amount times the number of other players. With six players and a toll of 4, the last player pays 20.
Most groups set the toll at one to three big blinds per player. That's enough to matter without being painful. Remember that it multiplies by the number of players, so check the total, not just the per-person number.
Rules to agree first
- Split pots. Most games clear both players' buttons on a chop.
- Walks. If the big blind wins because everyone folded, most groups say that doesn't count. Otherwise a player could clear their button without playing a hand.
- Time or hand limit. Thirty hands or an hour works well. Without a limit, one stubborn player can drag it on.
- Players leaving. If someone leaves while holding a button, decide whether they pay on the way out or the game stops.
A variation: the stand-up game
In the older version, you stay standing at the table until you win a pot. The last player standing pays. Same idea, with a bit more theatre, and a sore back for the loser.
Why people like it
It changes how people play. Tight players get pulled into hands they'd normally fold, loose players are rewarded for aggression, and the final stretch, with two or three buttons left, is genuinely tense. Announce how many are left; it adds to the fun.
Run it regularly, keep it small
It works best as a regular feature that everyone expects, not a surprise. Keep the stakes small so it adds action without adding stress. One bad run shouldn't cost more than a drink.
Settling it
Treat the toll as part of the night's results. If Tom is last with a toll of 4 and five other players:
- Tom's buy-in goes up by 20.
- Each of the other five players' cash-outs go up by 4.
Then settle once at the end. The overview of home poker side games explains the method, and the free calculator works it out.