How to set up a regular home game

[therossman20]

I was thinking about setting up a regular home game at my place. I need some advice from people with experience in this area. Chips, cards, keeping tabs on money, dealing, cash float and so on. Any help would be great.

Ross.

[eMarkM]

If you're going to do it, try to simulate a casino as much as possible. Use real chips, not that interlocking crap you find at K-Mart. You don't want players going out and buying your table currency for $5.95 and then cashing in.

When dealing, do like a casino and deal burn cards (to prevent people marking the deck) and have the little plastic thingie on the bottom of the deck so no one can deal from the bottom.

This may seem a bit paranoid and, in fact, may go too far if it's just you and your buddies. But if you're having any strangers come and sit, I think you need to do it. Not just to protect you from cheating, but the reassure players sitting in your game that you don't tolerate it. I know I've hooked up with games through the net and I always feel more comfortable in games with total strangers where the person running it takes these precautions.

You'll probably want to create a 2-3 page document of your house rules so everyone is on the same page when they come to play. Decide on which game you're going to play and perhaps disallow some of the sillier crap shoot home games people play.

Then you have to decide if you want to charge a rake. If you pick up the tab for food and beers you'll probably want to do that. Like a $1 off each pot greater than $10 for your expenses, something like that. Other games I've been the rake is a bit more and they use it to buy improved equipment, e.g., real poker table.

[therossman20]

I agree with you that thats the best way to run it. What sort of rake do you think should be made? Like a percentage of the ante of from the total pot or what. I mean they may be your buddies but your the one who falkes out $500+ on equipment.

What would you do?

Plus i know where to get custom chips but not custome cards or do you just stamp the cards?

Ross.

[hutz]

You can get used KEM cards on eBay for less than half of what new ones cost. I bought three set-ups (six decks) and expect them to last for a very long time.

I went to a fabric store, bought two pieces of felt and some batting (7'x4' dimensions) and took them to a seamstress. She sewed the felt pieces over the batting to make a portable table top. The total cost was $55. It works really well and is more practical than the pre-constructed table tops that cost 50-100% more because it fits virtually any size of table and is easily stored and transported.

Invest in a nice set of 11g chips. You'll be glad you did!

Agreeing in advance to rules (e.g., what "trash" games can be called, whether five of a kind beats a straight flush in wild card games, etc.) is imperative. One rule I strongly suggest is that the game that is called must be completed in one hand (e.g., no jacks or better to open, no guts, no kill card games, etc.).

These are just some thoughts. Post another message if you have any other specific follow-up questions.

[AlanBostick]

Making a home poker game "simulate a casino as much as possible" is a really bad idea, in my experience, unless the people with whom you expect to play are experienced cardroom players.

Someone whose prior experience of poker has been the family kitchen table or the college dorm is very likely going to react to the strange-seeming rules intended to protect against cheating or angle-shooting with confusion or hostility.

The first time I called a home-game opponent on a string raise, for example, I was met with bafflement, resentment, and a sense that I was being insanely anal-retentive.

You are going to need rules, of course, but they had best be simple ones, ones with which newcomers to the game will find easy to cope.

my 2(or 3) cents:
game calling. we have a white board and the game is written up to avoid "wait--what game is this again?". we use this because we call several hi/lo games that have different rules. the last thing you want is to get to the showdown of a game and have a guy (or two) think you are playing a completely different game. we used to use flash cards that would actually sit on the table while we dealt. we've since moved up in the world to the white board.

one guy calls a game and its dealt around. ie, everyone deals it once, then its the next guy's call. again, a home game that goes on for several hours, everyone gets to call and it makes it much easier to follow the flow of the game.

if the stakes are high enough that people care about winning/losing, i totally agree to run it like a casino. those rules, such as string betting and having to call your raise if its not clear, are made for a reason: to prevent anyone from gaining an advantage. trust me, if the stakes are right, your friends will quickly learn these rules.

suggestion: have people keep their bets on any given round in front of them. do not make change until the betting round is finished. this reduces confusion when there are raises and it comes around and people think they've put in more/less than is needed. after the round is complete, then you can toss your chips in the middle. i strongly advise for this to avoid pot splashing problems and those who are poor at math, or at least act like they are.

rake: you can rake every pot, or just charge a sitting fee. when they buy in to start, simply give them chips minus the fee. that way, you don't have to be constantly raking all night long. just make sure you collect enough to cover your costs.

chips. custom made at plenty of sites online. pokerchips.com might be the best. hey, you'll have them forever. might as well make the purchase.

hope this helps.

11g chips are well worth the cost. 4 colors is enough. Establish a written set of rules. Only let etablished players discuss rules. This is not a democracy,guests or strangers are to be treated as such, they are welcome but should not be allowed an opinion or influence. Avoid games which may have to be dealt over[jacks or better]Avoid loud and ill-mannered players. They are a vexation to the soul. Establish some type of rake or cover charge to reward the host. Be respectful of the hosts wife , kids, and dog.Remember to have fun.