Tourney Non-obvious advice for hosting a good home game tournament (single table)? (2 Viewers)

[Defarse]

Small bills. Go to bank and get bunch of $1s, $5s.

This is a good one!

 

[Poker Zombie]

Small bills. Go to bank and get bunch of $1s, $5s.

...or round the payouts to the nearest increment you need.

For our tournaments, the pay table is handled by Excel. The payout percentages round to the nearest $5 increment in games with 10 or fewer players, nearest $10 increment when 11 or more are in attendance. The only time I need singles are for cash games, and only Ladies night has 10 or less at the table. Since our buy-in is $30, we naturally build a supply of $5s and $10s, so I haven't had to go to the bank is quite some time.

 

[Taghkanic]

What are some things you guys have learned that make a home game tournament great, that aren't necessarily obvious?

Looking to start hosting a 6-8 player home game with friends & colleagues.

Since it’s only a single-table tourney, you might consider making it a league… The players compete for points. Some portion of the prize pool in each game goes to the top two players, but the rest is held over to the end of the season to be awarded to the points leader(s).

Some consideration has to put into how to keep those who become mathematically eliminated from winning from dropping out. Still I think this makes for more excitement when the player pool is small.

One way I’ve used to maintain attendance is to have an end-of-year “special” tourney where the regular prize pool is juiced up with a purse which has built up from a small subtraction from each buy-in. So the final tourney prize may be double the usual or more. The kicker being that only players who attend a certain amount (I used 60% attendance iirc) get to play.

 

[ef28]

Since it’s only a single-table tourney, you might consider making it a league… The players compete for points. Some portion of the prize pool in each game goes to the top two players, but the rest is held over to the end of the season to be awarded to the points leader(s).

Some consideration has to put into how to keep those who become mathematically eliminated from winning from dropping out. Still I think this makes for more excitement when the player pool is small.

In our league we put down a 3 month deposit. We play for 10 months so the last 3 months are paid upfront. So the buy in is accounted for those at the bottom of the league standings who don't want to show up.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I also like the league format. I cannot say definitively if that was the change that really made the game take off, but it helped me to stay engaged.

As for attendance, we put roughly 10% of the pot into a bonus for the end of the year. At the last event (the Zombie Poker Classic), the player with the highest finish that also attended 51% or more of the events wins the bonus. It is incentive to make over 1/2 the games without punishing parents that have sports-centric children.

Note: This can be viewed as a rake in some jurisdictions (and thus illegal), so plan accordingly.

 

[ekricket]

Consider an end of year tourney where everyone plays, but the league leaders and regular attendees get starting stack bonuses. That keeps everyone engaged while rewarding good play and regular attendance.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Consider an end of year tourney where everyone plays, but the league leaders and regular attendees get starting stack bonuses. That keeps everyone engaged while rewarding good play and regular attendance.

How big a stack bonus are you talking? If I were starting with 1/2 the big stack, I would be disincentivized to attend - unless the final event is a freeroll, in which case, great - but it excludes a new player from attending that last event.

 

[ekricket]

How big a stack bonus are you talking? If I were starting with 1/2 the big stack, I would be disincentivized to attend - unless the final event is a freeroll, in which case, great - but it excludes a new player from attending that last event.

Just spitballing. It would be a freeroll of course.
The bonuses would have to make paying for playing in the league worth it.
Set a minimum number of games to play to qualify for the end of year tournament.

I think not having enough points left to qualify for an end of year game is a pretty big disincentive to continue to pay and play for some players . Just trying to think of ways to keep the interest. But yeah, fuck’em. Who needs losers?

 

[Poker Zombie]

But yeah, fuck’em. Who needs losers?

I'd hate to be uninvited to my own game.

 

[HiveKueen]

If you allow rebuys have those stacks ready to go.

Do what you indicate you will do and don’t make exceptions cause then everyone expects them!

Make print outs of the rules available to the players and know at least the organization of them so you can look a situation up fast! In my league we use the TDA rules.

Have towels ready for drinks spills.
Don’t let players put drinks in the table.

Seems like enough for now.
Good luck!

 

[Defarse]

If you allow rebuys have those stacks ready to go.

I used to do this but learned quickly that there are already enough smaller denomination chips on the table so rebuys are only with 5k chips.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I used to do this but learned quickly that there are already enough smaller denomination chips on the table so rebuys are only with 5k chips.

This can be done, but the first minute after a rebuy is wasted as that player is hunting for change. 7-8 rebuys is 7-8 minutes (roughly 1/2 a level) wasted. Preset the chips in chip tubes, with the smallest denomination equal to the smallest denomination in play when the rebuy period ends and don't waste valuable tournament time.

 

[Defarse]

This can be done, but the first minute after a rebuy is wasted as that player is hunting for change. 7-8 rebuys is 7-8 minutes (roughly 1/2 a level) wasted. Preset the chips in chip tubes, with the smallest denomination equal to the smallest denomination in play when the rebuy period ends and don't waste valuable tournament time.

Big stack has change made in a few seconds for some lower denom chips........while play is still ongoing, so not much time wasted, if at all.

 

[SSTB2213]

This is a good one!

Yep, I always keep $200 in small bills in an envelope. It’s also my cash game buy-in.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Big stack has change made in a few seconds for some lower denom chips........while play is still ongoing, so not much time wasted, if at all.

New players, or experienced? There is a huge difference. Since this was a thread for someone new to hosting, I was also giving advice for players that are also likely new.

That said, even in casino environments, it takes close to 30 seconds for a dealer to get the attention of the big stack (who is probably stacking chips from the player he just knocked out), and get them to exchange the correct value of bet-sized chips.

 

[Preditor]

Enforce rules early and consistently. DBAD about it, but be consistent. WAY harder to claw things back later on.