Biggest challenge Hosting a home poker game? (2 Viewers)

[Poker Zombie]

Wow, this is eye opening. I know @krafticus runs a top-notch game, and packs them in. It sounds like @Moxie Mike also runs a solid game and packs them in. I haven't had an issue with "not enough players" since 2008 (and probably before, but I didn't keep records before then). I figured that since the poker boom, getting a game going was actually pretty easy.

I cant speak to the other's games, but here are some solid tips that have worked for me...

1. Invite spouses. Some men are really insecure and hate losing to a lady. F* them. Bringing in a couple means 2 players. 2 people that want to go to the game. No "hall pass" needed when it is an evening out. Stop acting like it's a dick-measuring contest and treat it like a night of fun.
2. Keep it friendly. You are looking to build a game, not turn a profit. Our stakes are low enough to compete with dinner and a movie.
3. Tournaments. In tournaments, a handful go home with "big" wins, while the losers lose very little. Plus there are always fish min-cashing or bubbling. There is a psychological effect associated with slot machines and lottery tickets. Big payout possible, lots of little wins, and the player will consistently forget all the losses.
4. Tournaments. With a tournament, you can set a structure that keeps players "in the action" without losing any money. A deep-stacked event will give all players at least 2 hours of fun for their money. There is also a stack preservation mindset that will prevent a lot of the early shoves, especially is rebuys are limited.
5. Tournaments. New players associate cash chips with actual money. It's not hard to do when it's right on the chip. Every $3 bet is $3 out of pocket, $3 lost. Tournaments feel like a game, and nobody has the feeling of loss until they are very short on chips.
6. Tournaments. Look, I'm not opposed to cash games (I'm hosting cash games the both of the next 2 weekends), but tournaments give the host complete control. Start times, late buy-in time/penalty, end time, breaks, % of field to be paid. You can literally tailor a tournament to your group. Cash games are run by the players. 25¢-50¢ cash games will play like $2-$5 games with the right (or wrong) group.
7. We set a schedule at the start of the year. No variation. If we get a foot of snow, we'll still host (and provide sleeping space) to all who dare. We had a flight home delayed before a game, so we made sure one of our players had a key (the tables and chips were set up before we left). Host a game, stick to it. Build it and they will come. Hell, we have 4 players that live out of state. They plan their trips back into town around our game. You can't do that with a few days notice.
8. League play. Points systems and a end of the year prize make things even more special. The World Series would be about as popular as Olympic baseball if it wasn't for the whole league running up to the series.
9. Eat, drink, socialize. We start at 5:30, but cards don't fly until 7. People bring food, we serve a main, and people can arrive late and still be on time. Moreover, this become less of a card game and more of a full evening out. Nobody arriving a hour before gametime gets less than an hour of fun, and that goes back to keeping it friendly.

 

[doublebooyah85]

Wow, this is eye opening. I know @krafticus runs a top-notch game, and packs them in. It sounds like @Moxie Mike also runs a solid game and packs them in. I haven't had an issue with "not enough players" since 2008 (and probably before, but I didn't keep records before then). I figured that since the poker boom, getting a game going was actually pretty easy.

I cant speak to the other's games, but here are some solid tips that have worked for me...

1. Invite spouses. Some men are really insecure and hate losing to a lady. F* them. Bringing in a couple means 2 players. 2 people that want to go to the game. No "hall pass" needed when it is an evening out. Stop acting like it's a dick-measuring contest and treat it like a night of fun.
2. Keep it friendly. You are looking to build a game, not turn a profit. Our stakes are low enough to compete with dinner and a movie.
3. Tournaments. In tournaments, a handful go home with "big" wins, while the losers lose very little. Plus there are always fish min-cashing or bubbling. There is a psychological effect associated with slot machines and lottery tickets. Big payout possible, lots of little wins, and the player will consistently forget all the losses.
4. Tournaments. With a tournament, you can set a structure that keeps players "in the action" without losing any money. A deep-stacked event will give all players at least 2 hours of fun for their money. There is also a stack preservation mindset that will prevent a lot of the early shoves, especially is rebuys are limited.
5. Tournaments. New players associate cash chips with actual money. It's not hard to do when it's right on the chip. Every $3 bet is $3 out of pocket, $3 lost. Tournaments feel like a game, and nobody has the feeling of loss until they are very short on chips.
6. Tournaments. Look, I'm not opposed to cash games (I'm hosting cash games the both of the next 2 weekends), but tournaments give the host complete control. Start times, late buy-in time/penalty, end time, breaks, % of field to be paid. You can literally tailor a tournament to your group. Cash games are run by the players. 25¢-50¢ cash games will play like $2-$5 games with the right (or wrong) group.
7. We set a schedule at the start of the year. No variation. If we get a foot of snow, we'll still host (and provide sleeping space) to all who dare. We had a flight home delayed before a game, so we made sure one of our players had a key (the tables and chips were set up before we left). Host a game, stick to it. Build it and they will come. Hell, we have 4 players that live out of state. They plan their trips back into town around our game. You can't do that with a few days notice.
8. League play. Points systems and a end of the year prize make things even more special. The World Series would be about as popular as Olympic baseball if it wasn't for the whole league running up to the series.
9. Eat, drink, socialize. We start at 5:30, but cards don't fly until 7. People bring food, we serve a main, and people can arrive late and still be on time. Moreover, this become less of a card game and more of a full evening out. Nobody arriving a hour before gametime gets less than an hour of fun, and that goes back to keeping it friendly.

Great intel!

Much easier to sustain tournaments than cash games. I rotate between the two. We also started doing mixed game tournaments. That’s a lot of fun. @Moxie Mike

(Tourneys are also nice bc people gradually leave your home and it’s not 5 handed at 2am with a few players trying to get even)

And I agree ask the spouses. You can still have your locker room talk and be “guys night out”. All the girls I play poker with are badasses! Only problem is most of them are good too lol

 

[doublebooyah85]

Also I’ve had a lot of success planning poker nights around UFC fights. Seems to be a good UFC fight 1x a month.

 

[doublebooyah85]

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

4-5 days notice for a weekday is usually higher success for me than a weekend weeks out. Try a Thur night with NFL coming up. People are going to stay up anyways to watch the game…

 

[krafticus]

Yeah .. thanks @Poker Zombie

My game has been running since 2008, and I have a great player pool. At the same time, I've lost probably 50-80 players over those 16 years, but I still have a list of 70+ players. You really need to learn your player base as well, and ensure that the game(s) you are running are what most of what people want. We've been a tournament game since the beginning, and I've stayed with that. I've got the buy-in where everyone is comfortable, and payouts are reasonable enough to play to cash. I added other items into the games later on, and now have what I consider to be a great model. My small games are usually around 24 players, with the larger ones going up to 36-38 players (I can't handle more than 40 -- as I only have 4 tables).

I also have a pretty solid group of local PCF players that have been playing in the game for a long time. They help out whenever they can, and that is a HUGE bonus with tournaments; color-ups, busting players out, moving players, etc. Getting your players learning what goes on when hosting is huge, and anything they can do to help really makes hosting that much better.

Here are my things that I find are the most important

1) Player pool -- You need players, but you need the right players in your game. I've seen it said before, but always be recruiting. Sometimes you get the friend of a friend, and they just don't gel with the group. It's ok to cut them loose after 1 game, because you know then whether they will be a good fit or not. You never want to keep a player as a "number" especially if they irritate a larger group of your regs. At the same time, you can usually get some good people through friends. My rule when a player wants to bring a new player... "would you allow them to stay in your house without anyone being there?" If they aren't sure .. I say no thanks. Be selective, and when you get good players, that brings more good players. before you know it, you'll not have a player pool problem .. or you'll need to expand.

2) Comfort -- If you are going to be in a space for a while, might as well make it welcoming. I still need to update my old chairs (but am not ready to drop thousands on that yet). Make sure you have a safe space, comfortable chairs, a bathroom that's accessible, etc. Sounds like basic thing, but they really go a long way.

3) Set your rules, and stick with them -- Make sure you set your rules and make them known. While this includes the poker stuff, this also refers to parking, house etiquette, RSVP'ing, etc. For example, our neighborhood had some parking issues (not from my game), and put up signs. I've made sure that everyone knows that, and where to park. I'm not going to be the one that gets the cops/towing company called. I also have a FIRM rule .. you RSVP yes and don't show .. you get a warning. Do it a second time, you are off my list. I've removed a few players this year already. I am ok with that. I don't care if you've been here since 2008 or 2024 -- its my rule, and I make that well known to everyone. Stick with your rules. If you bend them for one, you lose your credibility to others.

4) Equipment -- Silly to say this, but of all of the equipment, the chips are probably the lowest on the list. If you serve food, have it out and available for people to easily access it. If you have a roller, make sure its filled and you have the condiments people want. If you can get a nice table .. awesome. Get plastic cards of some sort. You don't need to spend a ton of $$ to have nice equipment. Again, it's about making the space a place people want to come too.

5) Be a good host -- Hey, people ask for weird things. Try to accommodate as much as you can. "can you put on the XX game?" "can I get a better seat to see the TV?" "Can I sit closer to the middle of the table?" Little things like this make people want to come back. you can't make everything happen of course, but do what you can. If your food runs out, and you have more .. try to keep it up, even if you have to miss a hand. Also, be honest with your players. If you need things, ask. If you want things to change, poll your players to see if they agree, or have suggestions. Look, you can't make everyone happy, but you can try.

I'm very fortunate, again. I have a big player pool, and never have to worry about getting a game going.
(I sent my September invite out at 7am today, here's where I am at just under 3 hours later -- the .5 is a maybe)

Always willing to offer help and suggestions to anyone that wants to host more. I can tell you what I've done that works well, and what didn't work as well as hoped. Not going to lie .. I don't do much well in this world .. but I've got this down pretty well.

I have plans to make improvements. I have no time to do them for now. One day, I'll have even more to offer.

Mark

 

[Poker Zombie]

Yeah .. thanks @Poker Zombie

My game has been running since 2008, and I have a great player pool. At the same time, I've lost probably 50-80 players over those 16 years, but I still have a list of 70+ players. You really need to learn your player base as well, and ensure that the game(s) you are running are what most of what people want. We've been a tournament game since the beginning, and I've stayed with that. I've got the buy-in where everyone is comfortable, and payouts are reasonable enough to play to cash. I added other items into the games later on, and now have what I consider to be a great model. My small games are usually around 24 players, with the larger ones going up to 36-38 players (I can't handle more than 40 -- as I only have 4 tables).

I also have a pretty solid group of local PCF players that have been playing in the game for a long time. They help out whenever they can, and that is a HUGE bonus with tournaments; color-ups, busting players out, moving players, etc. Getting your players learning what goes on when hosting is huge, and anything they can do to help really makes hosting that much better.

Here are my things that I find are the most important

1) Player pool -- You need players, but you need the right players in your game. I've seen it said before, but always be recruiting. Sometimes you get the friend of a friend, and they just don't gel with the group. It's ok to cut them loose after 1 game, because you know then whether they will be a good fit or not. You never want to keep a player as a "number" especially if they irritate a larger group of your regs. At the same time, you can usually get some good people through friends. My rule when a player wants to bring a new player... "would you allow them to stay in your house without anyone being there?" If they aren't sure .. I say no thanks. Be selective, and when you get good players, that brings more good players. before you know it, you'll not have a player pool problem .. or you'll need to expand.

2) Comfort -- If you are going to be in a space for a while, might as well make it welcoming. I still need to update my old chairs (but am not ready to drop thousands on that yet). Make sure you have a safe space, comfortable chairs, a bathroom that's accessible, etc. Sounds like basic thing, but they really go a long way.

3) Set your rules, and stick with them -- Make sure you set your rules and make them known. While this includes the poker stuff, this also refers to parking, house etiquette, RSVP'ing, etc. For example, our neighborhood had some parking issues (not from my game), and put up signs. I've made sure that everyone knows that, and where to park. I'm not going to be the one that gets the cops/towing company called. I also have a FIRM rule .. you RSVP yes and don't show .. you get a warning. Do it a second time, you are off my list. I've removed a few players this year already. I am ok with that. I don't care if you've been here since 2008 or 2024 -- its my rule, and I make that well known to everyone. Stick with your rules. If you bend them for one, you lose your credibility to others.

4) Equipment -- Silly to say this, but of all of the equipment, the chips are probably the lowest on the list. If you serve food, have it out and available for people to easily access it. If you have a roller, make sure its filled and you have the condiments people want. If you can get a nice table .. awesome. Get plastic cards of some sort. You don't need to spend a ton of $$ to have nice equipment. Again, it's about making the space a place people want to come too.

5) Be a good host -- Hey, people ask for weird things. Try to accommodate as much as you can. "can you put on the XX game?" "can I get a better seat to see the TV?" "Can I sit closer to the middle of the table?" Little things like this make people want to come back. you can't make everything happen of course, but do what you can. If your food runs out, and you have more .. try to keep it up, even if you have to miss a hand. Also, be honest with your players. If you need things, ask. If you want things to change, poll your players to see if they agree, or have suggestions. Look, you can't make everyone happy, but you can try.

I'm very fortunate, again. I have a big player pool, and never have to worry about getting a game going.
(I sent my September invite out at 7am today, here's where I am at just under 3 hours later -- the .5 is a maybe)
View attachment 1372632

Always willing to offer help and suggestions to anyone that wants to host more. I can tell you what I've done that works well, and what didn't work as well as hoped. Not going to lie .. I don't do much well in this world .. but I've got this down pretty well.

I have plans to make improvements. I have no time to do them for now. One day, I'll have even more to offer.

Mark

All of this ^^^

If you see something at a home game (or even a casino) that you like, try to incorporate it into your game. Anybody can pitch cards on a dining table. A great host never says "my game is good enough now". Always look to improve.

 

[merkong]

Believe it or not, player pool has always been the least of my concerns. I have a Rolodex 30+ players deep that see action on the reg.

It’s not getting burned out. It takes about 5 hours of tinkering around each week from sprucing the room, the bathroom, shopping for and cooking the food (sloppy joes and the hot dog roller), making sure the chip/dorito rack is ready, stocking the beverages, sending out the notices, and tracking who’s coming. Then there’s the 1-2 hours of mucking around tidying up.

I’ve spread this version of my hosting legacy for two years now and am spreading Game 120 this week. I’ve taken the occasional week off and even thought about a short stretch of every other week to get juiced up personally for the Fall/Winter sessions where I could spread a full table twice week easy. It can be exhausting and I get salty that nobody other than other hosts get it.

Yet, I forge ahead.

The player pool solution? Spread the game consistently, always be recruiting (duh), and don’t be afraid to play 5 or so handed. I way prefer less than 10 at my games. I’m even considering building another Cadillac style octagon (had one in the old days) just so I can close the book at 8 players.

Good luck and don’t burn out.

 

[Taghkanic]

I haven't had an issue with "not enough players" since 2008 (and probably before, but I didn't keep records before then).

I think a lot depends on (A) your local population and (B) what stage of life your posters see at.

(A): If I lived in a big city or metro area, getting games together ought to be a snap. The town I live in has fewer adults than your average city block.

(B): Old age and life changes can lead to a lot of attrition.

In the past decade, I’ve had two regs with near-perfect attendance die, both in their mid-60s, cancer and heart attack.

I’ve had one elderly (80s) reg, another steady attendee, retire because in his words “I can’t stay awake late enough to win anything.”

Another had a baby and she hasn’t played since.

Another got a job in another state.

Another, once the richest guy in the group, lost his house and went bankrupt (not from poker, though his bad play in retrospect was a symptom of his much more disastrous decision-making in the rest of his life).

There are other examples, but you get the point… If one is not always recruiting it is possible for a game to fall apart for reasons not related to how you run it.

It’s been a lot of work to keep mine going. The last couple of months I’ve been oversubscribed, was having problems just 6-8 months ago.

 

[Taghkanic]

… Anyway, in my area as far as regs the most likely prospects are guys (sadly, yes, mostly guys) in their mid-30s through mid-50s who have reached a point of financial and family stability.

I have some older and a few much younger players. But the main people with the disposable income to risk, who are able to find time for a game, and also like to gamble it up, fit the above description.

Retirees are also a good bunch but they have expiration dates (we’ll all get there). Also tend to travel more, or spend winters in another climate.

 

[Nymor]

Then there’s the 1-2 hours of mucking around tidying up.

And the hour or two making the starting stacks look just so

I also spent a few hours cleaning all my chips and cards recently, not that they were dirty but the cards certainly pitch better now. My cloth got a retension too, which always helps in that regard.

Having a (very) deepstack Holdem/Omaha tournie this Sunday with 3 new players, one of which is a PCFer so a VIP in my book, so wanted everything tip-top.

 

[krafticus]

Also, find a good frequency. I find that for MY game, monthly works. I know some would play weekly if the opportunity arose, but that's even too much for me. Maybe you have 2 groups of players .. the monthly group and the more than monthly group.

I wanted to add a cash game in to my lineup as well, but there are others that are hosting that I don't want to take away their joy of hosting. There is usually a game 3/4 weekends per month around me. (mostly PCF guys)

 

[Poker Zombie]

I think a lot depends on (A) your local population and (B) what stage of life your posters see at.

(A): If I lived in a big city or metro area, getting games together ought to be a snap. The town I live in has fewer adults than your average city block.

(B): Old age and life changes can lead to a lot of attrition.

In the past decade, I’ve had two regs with near-perfect attendance die, both in their mid-60s, cancer and heart attack.

I’ve had one elderly (80s) reg, another steady attendee, retire because in his words “I can’t stay awake late enough to win anything.”

Another had a baby and she hasn’t played since.

Another got a job in another state.

Another, once the richest guy in the group, lost his house and went bankrupt (not from poker, though his bad play in retrospect was a symptom of his much more disastrous decision-making in the rest of his life).

There are other examples, but you get the point… If one is not always recruiting it is possible for a game to fall apart for reasons not related to how you run it.

It’s been a lot of work to keep mine going. The last couple of months I’ve been oversubscribed, was having problems just 6-8 months ago.

I literally live in an area where the human population is outnumbered by dogs, horses, goats, and donkeys. Not by the 4 of them combined, Humans are 5th on that list. We may be outnumbered by cows too, but they have a much higher (and tastier) rate of turnover. 2 people live "close" (15 minutes or less) to me, and I'm married to one of them.

But sure, Always recruit. The only year I did not add a new name to our player pool was 2020 (COVID was not a big time for recruitment). We have added 115 players since 2009, and 17 since 2021 all via the friend of a friend system. Like @krafticus, if a player wants to invite someone new, I ask if they would trust them with their kids (or with the keys to their house if they don't have kids). People will move out of state - and have. One flies in for the occasional game from Buffalo, one flies in a couple time a year from Phoenix, and 2 make the drive every 6 weeks from Arkansas, a 5 hour drive each way (assuming no accident, which is not always the case). Make the game about friendship. Poker is a social game.

The deeper player pool may be key as well. 20 friends inviting friends is going to be more sustainable than 6 friends inviting friends. Getting that first group may be the hardest, but Mrs Zombie is very social. When someone asks about here weekend and they appear interested in poker, she invites them. The latest player is her nurse from chemotherapy. Just because life throws a beanball at your head, doesn't mean you cant take something good out of it.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Also, find a good frequency. I find that for MY game, monthly works. I know some would play weekly if the opportunity arose, but that's even too much for me. Maybe you have 2 groups of players .. the monthly group and the more than monthly group.

I wanted to add a cash game in to my lineup as well, but there are others that are hosting that I don't want to take away their joy of hosting. There is usually a game 3/4 weekends per month around me. (mostly PCF guys)

Ditto.

I host every 6 weeks, because my work schedule only gives me a weekend every 3 weeks. Once a year we have a 3-week gap between games. I started the 3-week gap because one guy only got visitation with his son every other week, so to make sure he didn't miss a whole year, threw in the odd-week gap and kept it, just in case. That odd-week gap is when we play our "Special Format Game", which is usually a cash game, and it allowed me to introduce Omaha, Pineapple, Stud, and Razz. This year it will be Pot Limit games and Bomb Pots.

I also have players that would play every week, so as a friend/PCFer is visiting the week after my regular game I can throw a non-league game together, just for fun.

 

[merkong]

And the hour or two making the starting stacks look just so

I also spent a few hours cleaning all my chips and cards recently, not that they were dirty but the cards certainly pitch better now. My cloth got a retension too, which always helps in that regard.

Having a (very) deepstack Holdem/Omaha tournie this Sunday with 3 new players, one of which is a PCFer so a VIP in my book, so wanted everything tip-top.

That’s it. I might have to start raking my game if I get this point.

 

[Taghkanic]

Stakes are the other obvious impediment or inducement to play.

Before the pandemic, I ran a 2-3 table $100 tourney (with rebuys and add-ons) with some staying for 1/2 cash later.

It was pretty easy to get a tourney off twice a month at those stakes.

When I resumed at the tail end of the pandemic, I really didn’t want that many mouth-breathers coming to my place at once, and preferred to focus on the most trusted regs (the types who would actually not play if they felt sick or thought they’d be exposed).

So I switched to cash. And it seemed that the core group wanted to play higher, at 2/5.

Which has worked out… but the higher cash stakes definitely meant that some of the old tourney regs were really not going to last, or cole at all. It’s one thing to lose $100 or even $300 on a bad night, but those players were not ready to bring as much as $2-$3K.

One of these guys comes very occasionally with one $300 min buyin, and rarely lasts more than 90 minutes. I’m sorry not to see him more often but he’s really not good for the game and it’s not good for him either. Life Is Full of Choices™

I could probably drop it down to 1/3 and get a few of the old faces back, but I’d lose as many or more 2/5 guys. Since I only want one table of cash it makes more sense to evolve upward over time.

 

[Goldfish]

Based on all the responses in this thread, I am starting to think I really suck at poker cause I have never had much of a problem filling a game. In fact, when I decide to host, the game fills pretty quickly. Hmmmmm…… gonna have to think about that.

My biggest issues seem to be starting the game on time and getting everyone to leave. To deal with the first, I typically have dinner waiting for everyone so the first half hour or so is spent eating and socializing. That gives late comers time to arrive before playing. Dealing with the second issue is tougher. Nobody ever wants to leave. Although I can’t say I mind that much especially if I am stuck.

The other issue is dealing with the players…. a/k/a squirrels. Very demanding, never satisfied, always messy squirrels…….. for more on that read the below old post……

Post in thread 'Asking for one time donations...'
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/asking-for-one-time-donations.73900/post-1497472

 

[merkong]

Based on all the responses in this thread, I am starting to think I really suck at poker cause I have never had much of a problem filling a game. In fact, when I decide to host, the game fills pretty quickly. Hmmmmm…… gonna have to think about that.

My biggest issues seem to be starting the game on time and getting everyone to leave. To deal with the first, I typically have dinner waiting for everyone so the first half hour or so is spent eating and socializing. That gives late comers time to arrive before playing. Dealing with the second issue is tougher. Nobody ever wants to leave. Although I can’t say I mind that much especially if I am stuck.

The other issue is dealing with the players…. a/k/a squirrels. Very demanding, never satisfied, always messy squirrels…….. for more on that read the below old post……

Post in thread 'Asking for one time donations...'
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/asking-for-one-time-donations.73900/post-1497472

Unless it’s a tourney, strictly cash games at The Godfather Club on the weekly, we race horses at 1915 and first flop at 1930. This whether we’re at 5/10 or 8/10. As far as the end point, games end on their own volition. Some will speak up somewhere between 0100 and 0200 and we make a decision. Then after cash out they still want to visit for an hour; The Director’s Cut. This is a place to riff and cover anything that needs covering. It’s always only the inner circle. After getting chips off the table at least, I’m never to bed much before 0400 on Fridays. Brutal.

 

[GoJo_Dingo]

Finding enough players

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

I'm down and have at least 2 solid players!

 

[Booshme]

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

I live in Indy my friend! What stakes are you looking to play?

Finding enough players

I'm down and have at least 2 solid players!

What stakes??? I literally joined this forum to help with this lol. I live in Indy and have at least a couple of guys who would be down!

 

[GoJo_Dingo]

For the game I host its a friendly 1/1 no limit because about half are newer players learning the game. They are not necessarily opposed to 1/3 I just don't want to burn them out too soon, I want them to keep coming back.

 

[Booshme]

For the game I host its a friendly 1/1 no limit because about half are newer players learning the game. They are not necessarily opposed to 1/3 I just don't want to burn them out too soon, I want them to keep coming back.

I’d be open to play at least once a month. I’m getting my own started at lower stakes, .25/.25, and once it gets rolling and if you’re up for a lower stakes game I’d love to invite you

 

[GoJo_Dingo]

Sure thing! I'm always interested in playing!

I suggested at our game to do a .50/ 1.00 but the dealer said no, she didn't want to make change lol!

 

[Booshme]

Sure thing! I'm always interested in playing!

I suggested at our game to do a .50/ 1.00 but the dealer said no, she didn't want to make change lol!

Good for her! What do people usually buy in for??

 

[GoJo_Dingo]

Anywhere from $40 to $100 or so, the lower buy-in guys usually rebuy for another $50 or so, I usually do $60

 

[UncleMilty]

For sure the biggest challenge is finding 6 to 10 people to agree on a day/night to play. For years and years i tried to make it happen without any success. Until this year. I started a private Facebook group called “All In For Poker” about 10 months ago. Last week I changed the name to “Surf City Poker Club”. 48 members and still growing. Point is, since the beginning of this group, we have played games of 6 to 10 players almost every weekend this year. Pretty much the only weekends we didn’t play, were weekends I wasn’t available to host. The group page makes it easy to check interest every week and also decide if Friday, Saturday, or Sunday works best. Now, I have people that have never played before asking me how they can get involved. For us, it’s been a game changer. Or better said, “A game maker”.

 

[GoJo_Dingo]

For sure the biggest challenge is finding 6 to 10 people to agree on a day/night to play. For years and years i tried to make it happen without any success. Until this year. I started a private Facebook group called “All In For Poker” about 10 months ago. Last week I changed the name to “Surf City Poker Club”. 48 members and still growing. Point is, since the beginning of this group, we have played games of 6 to 10 players almost every weekend this year. Pretty much the only weekends we didn’t play, were weekends I wasn’t available to host. The group page makes it easy to check interest every week and also decide if Friday, Saturday, or Sunday works best. Now, I have people that have never played before asking me how they can get involved. For us, it’s been a game changer. Or better said, “A game maker”.
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What do you think of the Invite Tracker? Have you used this?

 

[UncleMilty]

What do you think of the Invite Tracker? Have you used this?

I have tried it. Could be that I don’t know how to use it right, but I didn’t like it. For me it’s much easier to just check interest early in the week then post a game and start a roster on the post and keep it updated. You are more than welcome to join the group and check it out. This system works out well with my softball games, so I thought I’d give it a whirl with poker games.

 

[Booshme]

What do you think of the Invite Tracker? Have you used this?

I have tried it. Could be that I don’t know how to use it right, but I didn’t like it. For me it’s much easier to just check interest early in the week then post a game and start a roster on the post and keep it updated. You are more than welcome to join the group and check it out. This system works out well with my softball games, so I thought I’d give it a whirl with poker games.

I’m thinking about making a webpage where I can incorporate wait lists / rsvps etc. I tried using the tracker just a little bit from my phone but it wasn’t smooth so ima try on my laptop later and see if it’s a tool that I can use properly

 

[Chubbs]

Combination of finding enough players and the right kind of players. We have a group of regulars who are great to play with if we can get them all together. But more often than not, especially over the summer, it’s tough to get more than 4 or 5 of the regulars together. We have some great alternates as well, but again, availability can be tough. When you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for people to invite you end up playing with less than ideal table mates.

 

[Booshme]

What do you think of the Invite Tracker? Have you used this?

I tried the tracker but the texts didn’t send out in a timely manner, and my email link got spammed. What I did instead was make a Google Form, and it’s a lot easier for me tbh. Here’s what it looks like, I sent them out to my buds just an hour ago and have responses already. Thanks to the guy who posted his in another thread! I copied how he did it, just search Google Forms and you’ll find it quick