Biggest challenge Hosting a home poker game? (1 Viewer)

[Munchies11]

Hey Guys just wondering as a newer member and poker enthusiast who loves playing home poker games, what is the biggest difficulty you have hosting a poker game ?? I.E finding enough players , too time consuming to put on ,etc… I love hosting games but find it to be challenging especially trying to organize a game to fit everyone schedule also it can be very time consuming. What do you guys think ?

 

[rustycheerio]

always finding enough players

 

[BatteredAggie]

Definitely finding enough players. I typically get about a 50% show rate just because people my age are busy with careers, family, traveling, etc. So getting 6-8 players means inviting almost 16 people.

 

[wickedwonka121]

Yup. I've canceled more games than I've hosted because of flakes and lack of players. I need more poker playing friends. Lol

 

[Sparkynutz]

Finding the players you want to play with close by that actually show up is the biggest challenge. I only have 3-4 ideal regular players. Rest should and would be replaced if that was an option.

An acquaintance I play with often that hosts often never ever gives more than 15 minutes notice and most of us live 15-30 minutes away so showing up by time they start is almost impossible and frustrating to the rest of us.
Whenever I host a week ahead there's about 90% chance he won't respond till an hour or less before if at all and hit or miss if he comes. Same with rest of his friends
and family.

Canceled more games than actually got played here too.

I know there's gotta be local guys that play but finding out who or getting an invite is just about impossible.

Hopefully someday.

 

[CraigT78]

My biggest challenge is playing until closing time stuck a college fund.

 

[Machine]

My biggest challenge is trying to convince PCF members to move to Indy so we can have a regular game.

 

[krafticus]

Cleaning up the day/week/month after

 

[DrunkleWade]

Much like 99% of the comments above, I'm finding that rounding up enough players is the biggest hurdle. I can usually get all my mates together at one time about once a year, so not a regular game by any means. I'm having more luck with a group that live in my building but it's full of retirees that prefer a micro stakes game and it's very casual.

If and when I punt the dice chips to the curb maybe the guys will come around more often.

 

[cpac54]

Player pool without question.

Always be recruiting.

 

[SwissChip]

Finding a date that works for 7-9 players!
Half of the group got family/kids.
A lot to organize…

No fix host don‘t make it easier.

 

[doublebooyah85]

Early on, go ahead and try to book poker night 2-3 weeks out. While it’s “new” to your friends and family they may plan for it since it’s only happened 1-2x a year. Plan it around a birthday or a sporting event, something people could commit to.

Then once you have maybe two-three games over 3-4 months, start inviting the week of.

At that point to get a regular game going you will try to find people looking for something to do vs planning for a poker night. Reason being…most other activities are going to take priority, hence cancellations even if you planned weeks out. Almost anything will take priority over poker. And sure poker sounds good 3 weeks out on that Friday, but as it gets closer kid now has a sleepover, wife made plans with the couple next door, work shift opens up etc.

I’m not a fan of league poker but I think if you do find enough people for it, the benefit of having a consistent game is enough for me to justify it!

 

[JustDave]

Either too few people show up or too many. Invite 6 people, 3 show up. Invite 8 people, 10 show up.

Also, banking can be kinda weird if only because old guys only have cash and young guys only have Venmo.

Oh, and PLEASE don't help try and put the chips away afterwards. I appreciate the offer, but 22 chips REALLY don't fit into that rack no matter how hard you push.

 

[Munchies11]

Hahaha some good input !! I’m on the same page with you fellas. Love the input also I’m going to be starting something catering around home game players shortly which will solve all these problems I’m working on something and will be happy to share in the near future with you all !

 

[BatteredAggie]

Does it involve a hot dog roller? I hear those are all the rage around here.

 

[Mushmanchuman]

100% agree with everyone on the getting steady players.

I like my game to be a small enough structure to be comfortable for newer players. My goal is to bring new players into the game. Hopefully they find the game as fun as I do and they get hooked and become degens.

Idk maybe my friends are turned off because they think I am trying to get them over so we can take their money. Nobody likes being a “mark” or thinking that they are the sucker.

My stakes are lower than what most “real players” prefer. While I have all the bells and whistles that would attract a casino player, the stakes are just too low. If I raise the stakes then my pals aren’t gonna wanna play and now I have a room full of players I don’t really know. That is an issue when I’m at my house with my family there.

I put a lot of energy into hosting and I don’t want to have to be watching for cheating, wondering where dude went, etc. It’s nice to be at a home game that is totally chill.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Idk maybe my friends are turned off because they think I am trying to get them over so we can take their money. Nobody likes being a “mark” or thinking that they are the sucker.

Definitely hear this. I jealously guard my fish game lol. All my players are intelligent but very few put time into thinking about poker outside of my little games. No one plays optimally including myself but we love it.

At one point a new guy joked that I was just inviting people over to take their money after I won a big pot; I made sure he realized the bourbon he was sipping on was worth more than the $15 buyin!

 

[QuailValley]

Definitely hear this. I jealously guard my fish game lol. All my players are intelligent but very few put time into thinking about poker outside of my little games. No one plays optimally including myself but we love it.

At one point a new guy joked that I was just inviting people over to take their money after I won a big pot; I made sure he realized the bourbon he was sipping on was worth more than the $15 buyin!

Yeah I have had some internal thoughts on winning some bigger pots recently. And I'm like I cook BBQ, just bought brand new chips, usually supply some beer and host, if I win a few times I'm likely still out quite a bit more than a $25 buy in every month or so.

To answer OPs question player pool. Hands down. I've also had to cancel some games, I've had short hand games as well due to lack of interest and flakes. I have found that asking people to RSVP over a group text is too hit and miss and I've started texting/contacting invitees directly and they usually answer within a day or so. That way I can invite the next person on my list, until I get a solid group of commits for the game.

Really all the other 'problems' dont mean much if you have a solid group to play with. Hell with a good group, you can drink cheap beer and play with dollar store poker chips and still have a great time.

 

[Beakertwang]

We are fortunate enough to basically have 3 small groups combined for one weekly game. We have about 16 regular players, with about 4 or 5 who are there nearly every week, and then a few stragglers who will play occasionally. We almost never have to cancel for lack of players.

 

[SixSeven]

I'd agree with most everyone here. Finding players & having them commit to a date. We have 3-4 regulars who are always down to commit, even 4 weeks out and calendar it. And they show. But having to find the others takes the time of personally texting each person and seeing if they have the day available. But once they commit, it's 90 percent they will show. We have a a pool of 30 or so players, so I have a list to go down and see who will jump in. I started with a game bi yearly, then quarterly, then bi monthly, and now almost every month. So sort of as @doublebooyah85 said.

To find players, I recommend checking out bar leagues and Eagles and Elks club places, like others have said on this forum in other threads. I have had great times in the bar leagues, made some good friends and found some good players. The Eagles clubs have paid games, and you can find players that want to play for higher stakes. Look on Facebook for poker groups in your area, and search Meetup for free poker. Maybe others can suggest other place to find players that aren't your high school/college buddy.

 

[exodus]

Biggest challenge outside of the poker game is finding players and scheduling.

Biggest challenges during the poker game is being a “good” host.

 

[bmacpoker]

Obviously finding players, but in our case it's so many factors. I have a core group that consists of two friends, one of their wives, and my teenage son. So even if we get no one else and try to play 5 handed, it's three families of funds haha.

We have one friend who claims to be a serious player, former semi-pro that never seems to commit and when he does, seems to be done after dusting his first bullet (even if we play microstakes). There's also a weird mix. Degen gamblers and vanilla microstakes kinda don't work at the same table, and our pool has both.

It sort of comes down to me and one of my friends, he and I are always willing to play and try different stakes, side games, prop bets, the sort of stuff others find complicated or potentially expensive. Others seem to have to be "feeling" it.

I think this is where almost everyone runs into issues finding players. Poker is my priority hobby and pastime. I would rather do that than chill at home, play video games, watch movies, etc. I have one buddy who feels the same, everyone else needs to take breaks or would rather just stay home if they aren't in the mood. Or they find a way to overcomplicate it. And I respect that, if I was constantly invited to go clubbing I wouldn't have interest most of the time.

 

[SixSeven]

I think this is where almost everyone runs into issues finding players. Poker is my priority hobby and pastime. I would rather do that than chill at home, play video games, watch movies, etc. I have one buddy who feels the same, everyone else needs to take breaks or would rather just stay home if they aren't in the mood. Or they find a way to overcomplicate it. And I respect that, if I was constantly invited to go clubbing I wouldn't have interest most of the time.

This! A lot my players have other priority interests, while my main interest in poker over movies video games etc. So getting those who feel this way to want to play regularly is not their priority. Respecting that is important like @bmacpoker says.

 

[krafticus]

Staying sober..

 

[Moxie Mike]

Hey Guys just wondering as a newer member and poker enthusiast who loves playing home poker games, what is the biggest difficulty you have hosting a poker game ?? I.E finding enough players , too time consuming to put on ,etc… I love hosting games but find it to be challenging especially trying to organize a game to fit everyone schedule also it can be very time consuming. What do you guys think ?

Depends on the type of game. For tournaments, I have zero problem getting a 3-table game going on short notice. It took a while, but I have a mailing list of over 100 players so rounding people up isn't an issue.

My biggest challenge is finding players willing to play crazy circus games for any decent stakes. We play $4-8 with a 1/2 kill - and I have about 12-15 regs to where we've consistently been able to get a weekly or at worst a bi-weekly game going. But it took 5 years to even get this far.

So I'd love it if we could even get an occasional $10-20 game going - but that seems like a longshot at this stage. I'm probably just going to have to be content with where we're at.

 

[Timmah]

I host a monthly game and play in another monthly game.

For me, hosting is fun. I enjoy having people over. The challenge, as others have stated, is getting regular players and having room for a second table if more players show up than expected. It’s also nice to have a second table to get the cash game going as people get knocked out of the tournament. Having the right stakes for the game is key. Too expensive, people back pit. Too low, too many undesirables. My game I host starts with a $60 tournament followed by a dealers choice cash game (wild card games, screw you neighbor, in between, etc.) with a max buy in of $60. I usually get a good turn out. 10-16 players.

The game I attend is a $200 tournament with a cash game that follows. The cash game is $300-$500 buy in. That game is inconsistent with players. Some games you have two tables, others we’re lucky to get 7 players. I feel if he lowered the stakes a bit, there would be a consistent flow of players.

 

[bmacpoker]

I host a monthly game and play in another monthly game.

For me, hosting is fun. I enjoy having people over. The challenge, as others have stated, is getting regular players and having room for a second table if more players show up than expected. It’s also nice to have a second table to get the cash game going as people get knocked out of the tournament. Having the right stakes for the game is key. Too expensive, people back pit. Too low, too many undesirables. My game I host starts with a $60 tournament followed by a dealers choice cash game (wild card games, screw you neighbor, in between, etc.) with a max buy in of $60. I usually get a good turn out. 10-16 players.

The game I attend is a $200 tournament with a cash game that follows. The cash game is $300-$500 buy in. That game is inconsistent with players. Some games you have two tables, others we’re lucky to get 7 players. I feel if he lowered the stakes a bit, there would be a consistent flow of players.

With you on the stakes... I don't think I'd ever play a $200 tournament in a home game, just too many issues there. It'd have to be a pretty professional setup. Granted I have local casinos that host tons of tournaments, so I don't find myself yearning for that at a home game. Would rather it be chill with friends.

 

[Taghkanic]

It’s not so much getting players for any given game, though we all have issues with that sometimes.

I’d say the bigger challenge is keeping the game going for the long term.

Players lose interest, or recognize that they are not good enough to ever break even, or run out of money entirely, or choose a different game with different stakes and atmosphere, or move away, or get sick, or die.

I’ve found it’s best to be constantly on the lookout for new blood, even if your game seems to have “made it” and has steady attendance. Shit/life happens. Having more interest than you need is never a bad thing; suddenly finding yourself short of players always is.

After a long period of having a full table, I lost several steady regs to illness and job changes. I also decided to disinvite two other longtime players who became a problem. So it was a struggle to get the game off for some months. But I really worked on recruitment, with a lot of help from someone else in the game, and now am back to full attendance and even having to waitlist people.

I also am constantly trying to up the quality of the “product” to sustain interest. Small improvements over time really add up.

 

[Lunettesman]

Same as everyone. Having enough players. If I ask 4-5 days ahead it's not enough. If I ask 2-3 weeks in advance it's too early. People show up late. Annoying

 

[surfik]

In my opinion it's more troublesome to find "right" players than players in general.
Let me explain. In Poland there are very few options to play poker live so if you organize homegame there are more people willing to come than seats you can provide. Unfortunetely not all people know how to behave properly and when they visit your home they behave like at the casino or club. They unnecasary loud, get drank and so on.
The hardest part is to assamble six to eight players you can tolerate privately and say "NO" to everyone else....