Tourney Whats a good buy in for non-die hard poker players? (1 Viewer)

[MaxB]

I am hosting another poker charity event next February. Unlike the last one which most of the money went to the family (in fact all the winnings ended up being donated...I'd rather have the title of winner than the cash) , this one is a school fundraiser. It will split the money 50/50 (required by NH law), and be made up of parents, family, and friends. Its also opening up to anyone else that knows about it.

My concern is what to set the buy in and rebuys. Also to include a bounty and allow an add-on at the end of the rebuy rounds. I want to maximize the money brought in for a big payoff, however I don't want to price out the more casual players.

I'd be curious as to everyone's opinions on the amounts. My thought is $50 buyin .... would rebuys also have to be 50, or could they be 25? Would a $5 bounty make for more action, or should I go $10 (or skip it altogether)? Is 50 too much, go 25 or 30?

Thanks in advance for any suggestion. I have no idea how many will sign up for this, so assume any amount of people.

 

[jbutler]

Whatever amount you make it, make it divisible by $20. Last thing you want to do is be breaking bills all night for the buy-in.

I think $40 buy-in is a good cheap figure for people who don't gamble.

 

[MaxB]

Last thing you want to do is be breaking bills all night for the buy-in.

I didn't think of that..... and I have $20 chips for cash games for that reason (don't want to deal with 5's)

 

[QuiQuog]

Whatever amount you make it, make it divisible by $20. Last thing you want to do is be breaking bills all night for the buy-in.

I think $40 buy-in is a good cheap figure for people who don't gamble.

I think that as a regular player, your perception of "cheap" to non gamblers may be skewed. Kind of like Trump's small loan from his father of a million dollars when he was just starting out. But I agree with the multiples of 20.

People who don't play poker don't see the possibility of winning, they view it as paying X amount of money to play poker for a couple of hours. At $40 and weighed against a movie, they may opt to sit out of something they're basically afraid of.

Looking at it from another angle, if a man is negotiating with his wife for a night out without her, he's much more likely to come to an agreeable arrangement at $20. And less likely to incure wrath if he decides to rebuy in the event of an early bust. If they both want to play so that they can spend the evening together with friends in the community, $80 seems to be way too much given the possibility of an early bust. It's also less likely to attract rebuys, which could total $160.

 

[QuiQuog]

Adding to what I said about couples playing, they may also have to factor in the cost of a babysitter.

 

[BGinGA]

$20 entry with $20 re-buys. Skip the bounties.

 

[Anthony Martino]

$20 entry with $20 re-buys. Skip the bounties.

This will fill your seats no problem

 

[MaxB]

Ok, so go cheap.....20 it is

 

[illmil]

For what it's worth coming from someone who really needs to watch how much I spend on poker, I prefer $20 entry with $20 entries when I want to play fun cash home games. For charity? Even better to price it in at $20 increments to maximize poker fun for a good cause (y) :thumbsup:

 

[trever]

If it is parents/family/friends mostly, then you should have a pretty decent idea about what their tolerance for spending money might be.
If your gang all drives Porsches, make it $1,000; if you all take the bus, make it $10. You also want to think about whether you want to maximize the crowd (big, fun, cheap night), or maximize the money you raise (smaller, more serious night). 10 players at $100 a pop will raise more money than 40 players at $20 a pop.

You might also want to look into any extras that you can offer (raffle, split the pot, silent auction, sell food/drinks etc.) as your sundries can add up fast. Just be sure that you are aware of your local gambling laws...

 

[trever]

delete

 

[MaxB]

ust be sure that you are aware of your local gambling laws...

Already checked with the state....I need to get a license if I make it a business, but as a charity event, I am in the clear....I have to give at least 50% to the charity (which any less would defeat the purpose), and I can not take a rake for myself (which also defeats the purpose of a charity game). The parents of the kids are a mix of Toyota and Hyundai drivers with BMW and Lexus drivers.

 

[Psypher1000]

Totally agree w/Dave on this one - no bounties necessary for a charity tourney.

What I would probably do is $20 entry w/unlimited rebuys.

 

[Anthony Martino]

The parents of the kids are a mix of Toyota and Hyundai drivers with BMW and Lexus drivers.

Even Bill Gates only bets $5/hand on blackjack. People will think nothing of reaching into their pockets over and over for another $20 bill.

 

[Poker Zombie]

$20, unlimited rebuys. While I typically dislike unlimited rebuys, tracking rebuys may be more of an issue than it's worth if you're looking at a hundred players.

Skip the bounties - again, it's an extra headache (lots of $5's may be needed), and the intent here isn't poker, its having fun while raising money for a good cause.

 

[NayNay]

40. With a cash game option .25/.50 after so they can spend their other 60. Doesn't break 100 which is a big psychological wall


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