Biggest challenge Hosting a home poker game? (2 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.

 

[snowman7777]

definitely managing the player pool. People lose interest over time for whatever reason. Gotta keep recruiting

 

[fishandchips]

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!

My whisky is in the poker room (otherwise known as the dining room). It will be available at £1 a shot which covers the cost on average (no expensive ones), but do I allow it to be bought with chips from the table?

 

[SpaceMonkey420]

If your game is not growing it’s dying. My big issue is finding new players (fish) after they get eaten by sharks.

 

[detroitdad]

always finding enough players

This used to be the challenge. With my current state of games. I would have to answer that there isn't any challenges. If you run a consistent game that is fun to be at. You will be fine. It will take a little bit to get there. You have to always be on the look out for players. Attend other players games. See what works for them.

I was lucky. There were already some great hosts in my area. I watched how they ran their games and tried to mimic it. Thanks @mike32 @ChaosRock and @WedgeRock

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

My whisky is in the poker room (otherwise known as the dining room). It will be available at £1 a shot which covers the cost on average (no expensive ones), but do I allow it to be bought with chips from the table?

Its up to you, but Im not charging buddies to drink my bourbon. I guess I'd allow chips off the table to pay for it but thats also money leaving the game which I would prefer not to.

Whatever works. $1 per shot is also really low, to the point where it wouldn't be worth it for me to make them pay it.

 

[Tonystark137]

Its up to you, but Im not charging buddies to drink my bourbon. I guess I'd allow chips off the table to pay for it but thats also money leaving the game which I would prefer not to.

Whatever works. $1 per shot is also really low, to the point where it wouldn't be worth it for me to make them pay it.

I have started to let players pay for food/ drinks at the end of the night. At that point I don't see it as taking money off the table.

 

[SSTB2213]

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’m doing the same, but thinking about bumping to 1/2. Current buyin for 1/1 is 60 min, 200 max. What’s your min/max?

 

[fishandchips]

Its up to you, but Im not charging buddies to drink my bourbon. I guess I'd allow chips off the table to pay for it but thats also money leaving the game which I would prefer not to.

Whatever works. $1 per shot is also really low, to the point where it wouldn't be worth it for me to make them pay it.

This is only £10 buyin, if I give out free drinks I would lose every week, and I like playing, but not to that extent !

 

[detroitdad]

Its up to you, but Im not charging buddies to drink my bourbon. I guess I'd allow chips off the table to pay for it but thats also money leaving the game which I would prefer not to.

Whatever works. $1 per shot is also really low, to the point where it wouldn't be worth it for me to make them pay it.

I agree. I also have guys that will occasionally bring a bottle to donate to the game. About half the guys offer to bring ice, chips, ect....

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

This is only £10 buyin, if I give out free drinks I would lose every week, and I like playing, but not to that extent !

I understand that, but I host the same stakes sometimes ($10 buyin, 5c/10c) and I don't quantify the bourbon as part of my gaming, the drinks are for sharing, that's why I buy alcohol. I track my wins and losses in poker but I'm not counting snacks I buy for the game towards my bankroll lol. I do "lose" money damn near every time I host those stakes but we enjoy having people over and creating that environment and choosing the chips/cards/snacks/music/players and consider that worth it.

If it works for you guys that's wonderful and I know everyone's situation is different.

I agree. I also have guys that will occasionally bring a bottle to donate to the game. About half the guys offer to bring ice, chips, ect....

This is a big part of it as well, agreed. Players will bring or share stuff. I even see tipping a few bucks off the cashout as fine, feels different than paying per shot.

 

[fishandchips]

I agree. I also have guys that will occasionally bring a bottle to donate to the game. About half the guys offer to bring ice, chips, ect....

I understand that, but I host the same stakes sometimes ($10 buyin, 5c/10c) and I don't quantify the bourbon as part of my gaming, the drinks are for sharing, that's why I buy alcohol. I track my wins and losses in poker but I'm not counting snacks I buy for the game towards my bankroll lol. I do "lose" money damn near every time I host those stakes but we enjoy having people over and creating that environment and choosing the chips/cards/snacks/music/players and consider that worth it.

If it works for you guys that's wonderful and I know everyone's situation is different.


This is a big part of it as well, agreed. Players will bring or share stuff. I even see tipping a few bucks off the cashout as fine, feels different than paying per shot.

Interesting, I assumed it was a bigger game. I was thinking that I couldn't separate the cost of hosting from my winnings, but that's not true because when we played at the pub I ignored the cost of the beer.

So it must be a fairness thing. Everyone pays for what they get, and then I don't have to worry about freeloaders. And I would worry about freeloaders, maybe it's because I'm a bit spectrumy or whatever the proper term is, but after a few months of whisky drinking I would have a tally in my head of drinks drunk versus bottles brung, whether I want to or not.

 

[Tonystark137]

I host 5/10c games to see old friends and gamble around and vpip 95% of hands. I think I lose more playing than the drink cost. But all in all I host to host. I buy alcohol to share with my friends. If someone has a drink or two that's the goal. If someone is consistently drinking half a bottle of whiskey everytime I be more concerned about their liver and life choice than the cost.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Interesting, I assumed it was a bigger game. I was thinking that I couldn't separate the cost of hosting from my winnings, but that's not true because when we played at the pub I ignored the cost of the beer.

So it must be a fairness thing. Everyone pays for what they get, and then I don't have to worry about freeloaders. And I would worry about freeloaders, maybe it's because I'm a bit spectrumy or whatever the proper term is, but after a few months of whisky drinking I would have a tally in my head of drinks drunk versus bottles brung, whether I want to or not.

I believe that good friends will always be worth their weight in food and drinks. Yes, your wallet will be a little lighter after hosting. Theirs will be a little lighter after paying for gas to drive to your place. It's the cost of entertainment.

I hosted for a few years, providing an entire dinner for everyone. Then, without asking, one player brought a side dish. Then a few others. Now, every player or couple arrives with a dish to pass, and I only pay for the main course - and at the end of the night my fridge is stocked with leftovers for the next couple days. Last night, we only opened one bottle of our wine, but a guest left 1/2 a bottle of bourbon.

When you have good friends, they will repay your generosity. It's what friends do.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Interesting, I assumed it was a bigger game. I was thinking that I couldn't separate the cost of hosting from my winnings, but that's not true because when we played at the pub I ignored the cost of the beer.

So it must be a fairness thing. Everyone pays for what they get, and then I don't have to worry about freeloaders. And I would worry about freeloaders, maybe it's because I'm a bit spectrumy or whatever the proper term is, but after a few months of whisky drinking I would have a tally in my head of drinks drunk versus bottles brung, whether I want to or not.

Totally! I do host some bigger games but that's less of an issue, I figured the lower stakes was why it seemed odd to spend so much on food/drink because it was more than your buy-in. When we've got $500+ in play you're less worried about the cost of the pizza rolls.

The fairness resonates, I get that, we all know people that bring more than they take and others that always show up empty handed. My advice would be to just separate the poker money and the hosting money. They're not drinking at your poker game they're drinking at your home, same with snacks, just consumables. Price of doing business.

I'll echo @Poker Zombie : its not just ego, its a great feeling to be known as a generous and warm host and it'll be noticed. Feel free to reach out to the group and just ask them to bring some small snacks or drinks to share, many times players will jump all over that. I still have some goddamn Strawberry foo-foo White Claws because one of my players brought a 12 pack, drank 1 and then switched to my bourbon for the rest of the night.

 

[TomC727]

After reading through this thread, I feel extremely lucky.

Here is my experience.

I host on average a Saturday a month, give or take depending on work schedule.

I only get 1 weekend off a month so when I get my work schedule, I find the Saturday that I can host and send a group text out. Within minutes, I usually get about 6-8 confirmations.

This is what I have noticed over the past couple years of hosting. From the beginning, I could get 4-6, then 6-8, then 8-10, to now the game has grown to 14-16 regularly with two tables of cash games. I make sure I put on a solid game. This means my bar is stocked, and I always have an excellent spread. If I am going to host, I'm going to do it right.

When the players know you put on a great experience, they will want to continue to return, whether they win or lose. This is why I think my game has grown like it has. I've had a few of my regulars even tell me they rearrange their schedule to play.

The stakes aren't massive. Buy in is usually 100-300 and it's mixed circus game dealer call its with the second table usually 1/2 NLHE and PLO.

On top of all of this, I still refuse to take money for food, and no matter how many times I tell my regulars to not bring anything, they almost always still bring either desserts, drinks, or both.

Or a short summary - "If you build it, they will come."

 

[TudiscoKid]

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.

Same here about express cash outs. I've had a couple of players literally ordering an Uber right when they announced they were cashing out. I told them not to do so and to wait to have the money in their hands before ordering an Uber (I live in a popular area in a big city, so you can get a car to you within 3 minutes of ordering).

I think this is a mistake on their part and not yours (the host/director), as indeed you do not want to screw up any cash out amounts, sometimes you miscount one $20 chip and it's money you'll spend from your own pocket.

What I do is ask them to count their chips, tell me how much it is in total and then I count the chips myself and make sure to note it down on my sheet. Crossing information is the way to go. It's happened to me once that a player told me a number that was like $30 short of what it really was, so it's also in their interest to wait 3-4 minutes rather than running off.