Stand Up Game & Squid Game | Poker Penalty Side Games
Learn the rules of the Stand Up Game (Nit Game) and Squid Game in poker cash games. Covers penalties, how each game works, and the key differences between them.
What Is a Stand Up Game? — A Penalty-Based Poker Side Game
The Stand Up Game is a side game played on top of a regular cash game. Everyone at the table receives a button (a chip), and players return their button once they win a hand.
The last person still holding a button pays a penalty to everyone else — it's that simple.
Also known as the "Nit Game," it gained popularity after well-known players like Brad Owen and Doug Polk featured it on their streams.
📝 The name comes from the rule where everyone physically stands up from their chair at the start, and sits back down after winning a hand. The last person left standing loses — a visual that makes it perfect for streaming.
Stand Up Game Rules
Setup
Each player at the table receives one button (a marker chip). In the physical version, everyone stands up from their chair.
Win Condition
You must win the main pot outright to clear your button. Chopping (splitting) the pot doesn't count — you need to win it solo.
Once you win, you return your button and are no longer part of the Stand Up Game. In the standing version, this is when you get to sit back down.
⚠️ Watch out for accidental sit-downs: At some tables, if you sit down before returning your button, you must immediately pay the penalty (the same amount as the last person standing). Stay focused while you're still in the game.
End & Penalty
The game ends when only one player remains. That player pays each other player a predetermined amount, typically 2–5 BB.
For example, in a 10 game with a 50 × 7 = $350.
What Is the Squid Game? — The Reverse Stand Up
The Squid Game is a variation that reverses the Stand Up Game mechanic.
📝 The name is inspired by the elimination concept from the Netflix series "Squid Game." While the game itself is unique to poker, the idea that "players who can't win get punished" gave it the name.
Setup
Everyone starts with no buttons. The opposite of the Stand Up Game — nobody has a button at the beginning.
Earning Buttons
You earn one button each time you win a hand. The more you win, the more buttons you collect.
End Condition
The game ends once a predetermined number of buttons have all been distributed. For example, if the group decides on 10 buttons, the game ends after 10 total wins.
How Penalties Work
At the end of the game, players with zero buttons pay the penalty. The amount owed to each button holder is calculated as that player's button count × a predetermined unit price.
Let's say the unit price is $20 per button:
- Player A has 4 buttons → penalty payer owes A $80
- Player B has 3 buttons → penalty payer owes B $60
- Player C has 2 buttons → penalty payer owes C $40
- Player D has 1 button → penalty payer owes D $20
That's a total penalty of $200. Since penalties scale with button count, the Squid Game can produce much larger penalties than the Stand Up Game.
The key point: the fewer players who hold buttons, the more each button holder receives. As an extreme example, if one player collects all 10 buttons, every penalty payer owes them $200 each.
Conversely, when buttons are spread across many players, each person's share is smaller. The more you win and stack up buttons, the bigger your payout — a structure that rewards aggressive play.
Comparing the Two Games
| Category | Stand Up Game | Squid Game |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Everyone has a button | No one has a button |
| When you win | Return your button (escape) | Earn a button |
| Who pays | Last button holder | Players with zero buttons |
| Penalty calculation | Fixed amount per player | Opponent's button count × unit price |
| Penalty variance | Low (fixed) | High (scales with buttons) |
| Game length | Until 1 button remains | Until all buttons are distributed |
The Stand Up Game has a predictable penalty since the amount is fixed in advance. The Squid Game, on the other hand, creates more thrilling moments because penalties grow with button count.
Strategic Impact — Playing Tight Gets Punished
In a normal cash game, playing tight — only entering pots with strong hands — is standard strategy. But in Stand Up and Squid Games, the tighter you play, the higher your penalty risk.
If you keep folding, you can never return (or earn) a button. As other players clear their buttons one by one, the risk of being the last one standing increases.
This creates several tendencies while these side games are running:
- Higher participation: Players enter pots with hands they'd normally fold
- More aggression: Stronger bets and raises to win pots outright
- More bluffs: Since you just need one win, there's extra incentive to take shots
The result is a livelier table with bigger pots. This is what makes these games great for streaming, and casinos benefit from increased rake (house commission) as well.
💡 Mindset during a Stand Up Game: The penalty is usually just a few BB, so there's no need to fight for huge pots with weak hands. A slight increase in your participation rate is the rational adjustment. Don't make -EV plays just to avoid the penalty.
Summary
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Stand Up Game: Everyone gets a button, return it by winning. The last person pays a fixed penalty to all players
- Squid Game: The reverse — earn buttons by winning. Players with zero buttons pay penalties proportional to others' button counts
- Both games punish tight play, making the entire table more action-heavy
- Penalties are usually just a few BB. These are fun side games, so there's no need to drastically change your core cash game strategy
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