Private game experiences? (1 Viewer)

[Random Phish]

Curious on people’s experiences with private games.

I played in my first private game last night. It was many of the same people I play with at my local card room. Same stakes, but higher buyin limits.

The good:
- dealer was a pro, he was excellent
- atmosphere was light hearted and fun
- action was good
- pizza, snacks and drinks provided

The bad:
- Table was small and a little wobbly
- Chairs were a mix of folding chairs and kitchen table chairs.
- Raked at same rate as the local card room

Undecided if I’ll play in again. It’s more convenient than going into the city to one of the casinos, but raked home game feel is a turn off.

Would love to hear about your experiences with private games.

 

[Machine]

MI is like IN in the way of the raked home games. I would ask how long the game has been going and if they plan to upgrade the wobbly table with the rake or get some decent chairs with it.

I don't mind a raked game, but I can't stand no food / shit equipment

 

[iLogik]

Best be no wobbly chairs and table

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Been to a few different, New Brunswick NJ and NYC. One was like Dorothy stepping into the color world, upstairs of a lawyer's office but with an external door. Massages, top shelf liquor, screens all over. Ended up dealing here for a bit. Rake was high but this attracted lots of people who didnt want to bother driving to AC. Security was tight though and floor/houseman had your back, felt safe.

One of the others was the classic Upper Bronx, behind the bar bullshit, smokey and full of drunks. The dealer was worse but she was treated like God, even if she was slow and kept taking smoke breaks. When she left you had to watch your stacks, if someone took a few chips from you everyone else would laugh it off so I kept my rack close and handy. Just a $10 entry and tips to the dealer, very tough to lose money in this game. Would buy shots for everyone when I left (reduced for players) to ensure I left a good taste and didnt get followed, but definitely keep your head up.

Could just be the degenerate in me, but the Bronx one was so much more fun. No money flashing, just poker and shooting the shit with some wannabe Sopranos extras.

 

[bmacpoker]

I haven't been to any private games like that, but just the advertisements for them are a turnoff to me. I don't understand the appeal of going to play with people I don't know at casino stakes and a rake. If you're not near a casino at all, I get it. But I'm fine to drive an hour for a better experience, at least for me. And a selection of stakes. I find it weird that people play 2/5 or 5/5 at these games.

I'm down for some 50c-$1 bb type games for a home game, because it can be chill and fun and a different environment.

I know some of it is just me. Not my vibe.

 

[TheYeti]

Wobbly table, janky chairs, sky-high rake....BUT, how were the CHIPS??

 

[Taghkanic]

My private/home game is unraked, as is the other 2/5 game I play in most often. There’s a small suggested food-drink contribution which players can opt out of (no one does). We have a dealer who works for tips. I have nice chips, a nice table, and am getting some nicer chairs delivered tomorrow… No security issues because I’m at the end of a relatively remote dirt road. I do have cameras on the place.

My experience at other private games varies.

The main other game I play in is similarly unraked. The room is not particularly swank but is clean and has a good table. The host is a manager at a gourmet food store and provides nice sandwiches from there. I finally convinced the host to upgrade from dice chips to Apache china clays. No security concerns.

Two other semi-regular games I play in are lightly raked. 1/3 but play pretty big. Both provide food and have dealers. Again no security issues, due to the obscurity of the rural venues.

Many of these games have a least one cop, judge and/or public official in the game. I even play in one featuring the County D.A. This too helps with security.

 

[Random Phish]

Wobbly table, janky chairs, sky-high rake....BUT, how were the CHIPS??

The chips were pretty meh as well. Red and black with some dudes face in the middle. Probably someone famous or notable but I didn’t recognize them.

 

[gopherblue]

That’s a pretty high rake for a private home game. I’m totally on board with tipping the dealer and a food/drink “donation,” but a casino-style rake, even at $6/hand, is BS.

 

[CraigT78]

If I didn't already have a home game, I'd attend games like this solely for trying to poach players to an unranked game. Dallas has plenty of these private games and I don't attend them, I'd rather hit a card house or go play at the Elk's if I weren't hosting myself.

 

[ttowns86]

Went to one private game raked with no dealer but it had food. Don't think I will return.

Most games I play are at the Casino, my house or another buddys law office both the latter games are self dealt and no rake.

 

[allforcharity]

I've never played in a raked home game. Sometimes tips for a regular dealer. Otherwise free if self-dealt.

 

[tabletalker7]

I played at games where you tipped the dealers. That's cool.

I played at games where they raked. That's cool.

I played at one place where they did both. Not cool.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But I look at it like this. If you are in it for the money, go to a card room or casino. If you are in it for the social atmosphere, go to a private game. If a place is both raking and expecting people to tip the dealers, they are in it for the money which means you need to be in it for the money too. Screw them. Just go to a casino for that.

 

[upNdown]

I’d actually forgotten that I played in a raked private game a couple of times, a while ago. They had nice tables and chairs, acceptable secure chips and good dealers.
I was fairly new, so I didn’t even think to track the rake (though honestly I have a hard time doing this as an experienced player.) the clientele was a mix of players and donkeys - there was almost certainly a lot of drug money in the room. Plenty of free drinks and they’d bring in a big spread of food around 11 or 12. Personally I have little use for food when I’m playing poker, so that’s never a deal-maker for me.
That game wasn’t particularly close to home, so I only played a couple of times. The criminal element didn’t bother me but it might bother some people. And it was in a neighborhood that was kind of sketchy - I wouldn’t have felt great leaving there at 3 AM with a pocket full of cash.

 

[Moxie Mike]

Would love to hear about your experiences with private games.

Most private games have a tendency to be a shit-show in my experience. So I usually avoid them.

I run games out of my corporate office after hours when we have the building to ourselves. So it's private & discreet. My office is located in an industrial park, so after business hours there's basically no traffic & security isn't an issue. Plus we have a private bathroom.

I have a dedicated dealer who deals for tips. I take a modest rake just to cover consumables and equipment upgrades. All snacks, spirits, beer and soft drinks are all complimentary. I also often bring in pizzas if the game starts early enough in the evening. No one complains.

I built/upgraded all my poker tables and drink tables, the chairs are all comfortable and the cash game chips are all Paulsons.

 

[BarrieJ3]

Shiiiiiit. I can’t even get two people to drive to my house.

Okay tables, gassers, great chip sets, beer, alcohol, catered food, easy parking, gated community.

I’ve hosted….once in the last year.

Just don’t have any locals really, and too much effort to find em. If I found them, or they me, they’d be in for a treat!

 

[Senzrock]

Shiiiiiit. I can’t even get two people to drive to my house.

Okay tables, gassers, great chip sets, beer, alcohol, catered food, easy parking, gated community.

I’ve hosted….once in the last year.

Just don’t have any locals really, and too much effort to find em. If I found them, or they me, they’d be in for a treat!

View attachment 1304896

Sounds like a dream - you ever think about buying another property in NYC? Could get a good game running for you any time you wanted

 

[TheYeti]

Shiiiiiit. I can’t even get two people to drive to my house.

Okay tables, gassers, great chip sets, beer, alcohol, catered food, easy parking, gated community.

I’ve hosted….once in the last year.

Just don’t have any locals really, and too much effort to find em. If I found them, or they me, they’d be in for a treat!

View attachment 1304896

 

[upNdown]

I don't think anybody has mentioned it and it should probably be shared in every private game thread - from what I've read from first and second hand sources, these games are where the majority of cheating happens in poker. I'd bet a lot of these games exist to cheat. And although there are probably countless ways to cheat in a private game (that can't happen in a regulated casino) apparently the most common one is to simply not pay the winners. It's such a double edged sword in high stakes private games - people don't carry around tens of thousands of dollars in cash because they don't want to get robbed. So payments are done electronically. Which works well until you're the big winner and you don't get paid.

 

[Luckylenny32]

I haven’t gone to many home games only in Chinatown and flushing queens, both were good vibes the Chinatown, you could tell they were in it for the money, hourly fee to have a seat. Great seats and tables at the flushing game

 

[Taghkanic]

It might be useful to define what makes something a private game instead of a home game.

I have assumed that “private game” is a more general term, of which home games are a subset.

However my sense is that many are using “private game” less generally, to mean a non-casino game run more as a business than a social event.

And that the game is held in a venue other than a home (an office, garage, industrial park, basement of a restaurant or bar, or other commercial space); or if held in a home, that the game operator is someone other than the home owner or partners with the home owner.

Likewise it seems “private game” may imply that the players are not necessarily social friends, but more random people who for one reason or another have snagged an invite.

Lastly, are all private games raked? Under the definitions above, that would seem unheard of.

How do others define it?

 

[upNdown]

It might be useful to define what makes something a private game instead of a home game.

I have assumed that private game is a more general term, of which home games are a subset.

My sense is many are using “private game” more specifically to mean a non-casino game run more as a business than a social event.

And that the game is held in a venue other than a home (an office, garage, industrial park, basement of a restaurant or bar, etc.); or if held on a home, that the game operator is other than the home owner.

Likewise it seems private games may suggest that the players are not necessarily social friends, but more random people who for one reason or another have snagged an invite.

How do others define it?

To me it's very simple - a private game is a game operated for profit. Which means a rake. I know there are plenty of guys here who take a small rake or a small fee just to cover expenses - that's fine, they can be an exception; we don't live in a world of black and white.

 

[Sisu41]

I don't really trust any private games on long Island as one was just robbed

 

[Taghkanic]

What would one call a social, unraked game, attended by close friends, and not organized for the host to profit… but held somewhere other than a home?

 

[bmacpoker]

I don't think anybody has mentioned it and it should probably be shared in every private game thread - from what I've read from first and second hand sources, these games are where the majority of cheating happens in poker. I'd bet a lot of these games exist to cheat. And although there are probably countless ways to cheat in a private game (that can't happen in a regulated casino) apparently the most common one is to simply not pay the winners. It's such a double edged sword in high stakes private games - people don't carry around tens of thousands of dollars in cash because they don't want to get robbed. So payments are done electronically. Which works well until you're the big winner and you don't get paid.

This always goes through my head when I see over-adverised games at stakes of 2/5 or higher. You've got people willing to drop thousands at this unknown venue? The incentive to cheat is high as well. I've said it before, I suppose it's a vibe thing, but at those levels why not go to a casino where it will be safer?

And not to criticize anyone who goes to or runs games like that, if they're legit. It's just not what I'm into poker for, I'd rather play lower stakes in good company, or if I want a different quality of play and bump up the stakes, a casino makes more sense to me.

 

[bmacpoker]

When everyone says rake, do they mean percentage of pot or per pot like a casino? Or are you including door/seat fees as a form of rake?

 

[Sisu41]

When everyone says rake, do they mean percentage of pot or per pot like a casino? Or are you including door/seat fees as a form of rake?

I think rake means part of every pot

 

[elemeno]

What would one call a social, unraked game, attended by close friends, and not organized for the host to profit… but held somewhere other than a home?

Still a home game IMO

 

[upNdown]

What would one call a social, unraked game, attended by close friends, and not organized for the host to profit… but held somewhere other than a home?

I guess I'd call it a card game.
I'm not sure what you're getting at. Sounds like a game at a social club maybe? I don't know why it matters what we call it, as long as we understand the conditions of the game. But I guess I'd call it a home game.

 

[Taghkanic]

I suppose it's a vibe thing, but at those levels why not go to a casino where it will be safer?

I think it has a lot to do with how reputable and trustworthy the host is.

If the game uses dealers, that eliminates many cheating opportunities, unless the dealers are colluding with specific players or otherwise creating action to benefit the house.

If I trust the host to hold a legit game, and use honest dealers, and see no signs of funny business, I often prefer “private” games to a casino.

But finding legit venues is tough, at least in my area. There aren’t many options.