Biggest challenge Hosting a home poker game? (9 Viewers)

[LeCoq]

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 ?

Finding enough players and then the opposite of deciding who doesn't get to play when I have too many.

 

[travelgirl]

We have a regular poker game at our house on Thursday night. And another couple hosts on Saturday night. We send out a text the morning of as a reminder, and get a count of players. We live in a tiny town with limited entertainment and distractions, so everyone looks forward to the game. Sometimes we don’t have enough players, but we try every week we are here. And when we are not, someone usually steps up and hosts at their house.

The regular schedule, low buy-in, and the friendly nature of our game keeps it going. We put out snacks, and others bring extras if they want. Sometimes we have an easy meal. Kevin puts out the booze, others bring their own beer or booze, and we eat and visit before the game starts.

Agree with Zombies - invite the spouses! They can play or hang out, we don’t care. If they’ve never played, we teach them. The more the merrier!

 

[AutoDonk5000]

I'm new but so far,
Getting players
Suffering through other people dealing, especially those at the end of the table.
Designated dealing while playing
Enforcing rules in a friendly way (fucking string bets)

 

[Poker Zombie]

I'm new but so far,
Getting players
Suffering through other people dealing, especially those at the end of the table.
Designated dealing while playing
Enforcing rules in a friendly way (fucking string bets)

Getting players This is always a challenge when getting started out. Even though my game has a solid core now, there was a time when it fizzled and died. Lots of posts on PCF discussing how to grow games.
Dealing How do I get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. For years, I would ask ask players new to shuffling "would you like a bucket and a stick?" But unless they have a legitimate disability (broken hand and Multiple Sclerosis have both come up), I make them shuffle when it's their turn to shuffle - deal when it's on them to deal. Repetition won't turn them into casino dealers, but they will get better. Sure, sometimes players on the ends will "need help" passing the card along. This isn't a bad thing, and it actually keeps "Chatty McTalk-Talk" focused on the game more often.
Enforcing rules Always tell them why the rule exists. String bets allow a player to gauge another players reaction. "I bet and see you reach for more chips, I can stop betting, my bluff wont get through. I see you recheck your cards, I know your hand is questionable, and I bet more on my bluff." New players understand better when they know why the rule is in place, instead of it being a nit-picky rule - and almost all rules are made to prevent angle-shooting or cheating.

 

[AutoDonk5000]

Getting players This is always a challenge when getting started out. Even though my game has a solid core now, there was a time when it fizzled and died. Lots of posts on PCF discussing how to grow games.
Dealing How do I get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. For years, I would ask ask players new to shuffling "would you like a bucket and a stick?" But unless they have a legitimate disability (broken hand and Multiple Sclerosis have both come up), I make them shuffle when it's their turn to shuffle - deal when it's on them to deal. Repetition won't turn them into casino dealers, but they will get better. Sure, sometimes players on the ends will "need help" passing the card along. This isn't a bad thing, and it actually keeps "Chatty McTalk-Talk" focused on the game more often.
Enforcing rules Always tell them why the rule exists. String bets allow a player to gauge another players reaction. "I bet and see you reach for more chips, I can stop betting, my bluff wont get through. I see you recheck your cards, I know your hand is questionable, and I bet more on my bluff." New players understand better when they know why the rule is in place, instead of it being a nit-picky rule - and almost all rules are made to prevent angle-shooting or cheating.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[DeadheadDave]

Once a year or so, I host a "Date Night Tournament"

MEN: If you bring a date, she gets 5K extra chips... LADIES, if you bring a date then YOU get 5K in extra chips.

Most of my crew is married or coupled up already, so this is really just a way to get them to bring their SO's and hope that they enjoy it, and they will come back.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Once a year or so, I host a "Date Night Tournament"

MEN: If you bring a date, she gets 5K extra chips... LADIES, if you bring a date then YOU get 5K in extra chips.

Most of my crew is married or coupled up already, so this is really just a way to get them to bring their SO's and hope that they enjoy it, and they will come back.

We host a ladies night event. Men are only allowed if escorted by a woman. Women play a tournament in the main room, men play a cash game in the kitchen (we have a poker table there). Men serve the women drinks, and the whole thing is a laughter fest.

It really helped boost the attendance of some female players who later converted to regulars, as they learned the folly of the stereotypical poker culture.

 

[DeadheadDave]

We host a ladies night event. Men are only allowed if escorted by a woman. Women play a tournament in the main room, men play a cash game in the kitchen (we have a poker table there). Men serve the women drinks, and the whole thing is a laughter fest.

It really helped boost the attendance of some female players who later converted to regulars, as they learned the folly of the stereotypical poker culture.

I might just implement something close to this for a college try.

 

[kwsteve]

As most people say, it's finding players that show up when they say they're going to show up. So many times I've had 6 confirmed turn into 4. It's bullshit. If you can't make it at least give a heads up.

 

[Poker Zombie]

As most people say, it's finding players that show up when they say they're going to show up. So many times I've had 6 confirmed turn into 4. It's bullshit. If you can't make it at least give a heads up.

I've mentioned this before, but I'll reiterate, because it's been a while.

People view a poker invite like a kegger party. If you don't show, it's not going to matter. F*cking kid's birthday parties are held in a higher regard. Tossing cards has to be secondary to building a group. Build the comraderie. Make an effort. If I showed at a PCF meetup on a Thursday, and we did something other than play cards, I would not be disappointed, because poker is secondary to meeting up with friends.

I don't refer to my poker nights as a "game". It's an "event". My games struggled at 6 players. My events have grown to 3 tables consistently.

 

[erdried]

Yea, players just don't understand the host struggle, its the worst.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Yea, players just don't understand the host struggle, its the worst.

I agree, but it would be better written as "Yea, players just don't understand the concerned host's struggle..."

I've had players that later went on to host their own games. While they don't host anymore (for various, legitimate reasons) they still fail to notify or do much more than reply "maybe". Did they have the only run of games where nobody ever cancelled, or did they simply not care if people dropped or showed unconfirmed?

 

[Taghkanic]

One minor challenge I might add is player impatience when cashing out.

A lot of players just want to get their money fast and hit the road. They want to tell me how much they have, and for me to take their word for it, and get their cash right away.

As a host, on the other hand, I want to count their chips at least twice to verify the amount of their stack. Way too often I find barrels with a chip short, and other issues. This annoys the guys in a hurry, especially when it turns out they have less than claimed.

Ditto the actual payout. I’m going to count it at least twice, and then ask them to double-check my count before leaving.

Oh. And then there are my least favorite types of winners, the ones who want to get paid in the biggest bills used by anyone in the game (usually hundos in my 2/5 game).

Nevermind if they bought in with a messy stack of 20s, 10s, 5s and 1s. They still want the nice crisp 100s brought by other players.

I have gently reminded these folks that it’s all legal tender, and I cannot guarantee that they will get their payout in exactly the denominations they prefer. They can go to the bank and exchange them on their own time if they like.

Now, if someone is cashing out for about the same amount they bought in for or less, I will do my best to pay them out with the same type of bills they bought in for. But if it’s the end of the night and a bunch of people have already checked out, I can't guarantee that those at the tail end won't get some smaller stuff. Generally I try to give everyone cashing out a mix of whatever I’ve got, with no one getting a lot of small bills unless that’s how they came in.

 

[Poker Zombie]

One minor challenge I might add is player impatience when cashing out.

A lot of players just want to get their money fast and hit the road. They want to tell me how much they have, and for me to take their word for it, and get their cash right away.

As a host, on the other hand, I want to count their chips at least twice to verify the amount of their stack. Way too often I find barrels with a chip short, and other issues. This annoys the guys in a hurry, especially when it turns out they have less than claimed.

Ditto the actual payout. I’m going to count it at least twice, and then ask them to double-check my count before leaving.

Oh. And then there are my least favorite types of winners, the ones who want to get paid in the biggest bills used by anyone in the game (usually hundos in my 2/5 game).

Nevermind if they bought in with a messy stack of 20s, 10s, 5s and 1s. They still want the nice crisp 100s brought by other players.

I have gently reminded these folks that it’s all legal tender, and I cannot guarantee that they will get their payout in exactly the denominations they prefer. They can go to the bank and exchange them on their own time if they like.

Now, if someone is cashing out for about the same amount they bought in for or less, I will do my best to pay them out with the same type of bills they bought in for. But if it’s the end of the night and a bunch of people have already checked out, I can't guarantee that those at the tail end won't get some smaller stuff. Generally I try to give everyone cashing out a mix of whatever I’ve got, with no one getting a lot of small bills unless that’s how they came in.

^^^ This

Yes, it's minor, but it is truly an annoyance - especially for tournament payouts. I'm in a hand and you ask me if you can get paid out? We're down to the final 4 (or maybe even less)! Sure, I understand, if it's a long drive or you have something pressing (at midnight ). I hope you also understand that my focus is on the game. Even if I'm knocked out of the tournament, it doesn't mean that I'm not watching the table as we are now in the money and mistakes/rule irregularities can cost someone a larger payout.

I try to run my game as close as possible to a casino experience, but I'm still a home game.