Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

A friend is adding hold'em poker to her annual "Vegas night" fundraiser. This is a charity event where people get chips with their admission fee and try to win enough chips to compete for auctioned off prizes at the end of the night. Also, the organizers are a litle concerned that th 2 hold'em tables will overshadow the BJ, craps and roulette tables (I wonder why...)

That being said, what would you suggest as the most fun format for the poker tables?

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

Some sort of sit'n go for this would be best and it's not even close. If you have a lot of players that want to play, you would have to make the tournaments go fast by having a fast rising blind structure. This would give everyone a chance to play some cards and maximize the amount raised for the charity. Fast structured sit'n go's would also give everyone a reasonable chance of winning no matter how bad they played, a no limit cash game may not.

As a side note, you may want to consider doing blackjack tournaments as well, where the person with the most chips after a predetermined # of hands is the winner and gets X number of chips for the auction.

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

I would suggest a ring game (NL or limit) vs. a SNG. Although SNG's are more fun, I think with only 2 tables, you would have too much time with empty seats. With a ring game, people can come or go as they please and all seats will be utilized. At our company Christmas party we had 4 Hold Em tables and they were full all the time. Good luck.
G$

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

[ QUOTE ]
Although SNG's are more fun, I think with only 2 tables, you would have too much time with empty seats. With a ring game, people can come or go as they please and all seats will be utilized.

[/ QUOTE ]

I voted SnG before I read this, but it is a very good point.

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

This is one of the weak parts of the Sit 'n Go format. I figured that if we did all Sit 'n Gos, we would stagger them so one table started on the hour and the other table on the 1/2 hour. We would need a fast enough schedule to finish it in 55 minutes in time for the next group.

If we do No-limit game, I would just need to figure out a good amount for blinds and a minimum buy in. If each person comes in with $5000 and can buy more chips, I would probably do a $1000 minimum buy-in with $25 and $50 blinds. Also, I was thinking that if you go broke, you have to give up the seat to the next person on the list to make sure everyone gets a chance.

Re: Check local laws to be sure
 

Noticed you are in IL. You may want to check local laws, especially if this event is going to be advertised.

Illinois is very strict about poker. A couple of "charity" games were busted earlier this year in Southern Illinois near St. Louis.

There was an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reviewing local laws. Free (no buy-in) poker games that offer any sort of prize to the winner (the kind that are hosted often at bars on weeknights) is illegal in Illinois.

You may be fine, but a little homework may save some big embarassment.

Re: Check local laws to be sure
 

Thanks, Arch. It seems like this group goes out of their way to run through the "hoops" of running a casino night. As a dealer, I needed to give her my SS#. But it is a good point the there may be special restrictions concerning poker beyond the rules for other games that we may need to wory about.

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

i'd recommend you not try to do a 'real' hold em poker game.

I attended one of these fundraisers a few months ago and they too added hld em this year. It wasn't all that great. i'd recommend adding other table games instead (Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride® Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Big Six, Three-Card Poker, and baccarat, etc.)

One of the reasons is that the quality of poker will be awful and the players will be winning chips from one another and not the house like the other games.

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

The play No Limit ring games at church picnics around here.

The rake $1 per person per hand. Someone told me a different place raked $2 per hand per person but I didn't see it.

They are making SICK amounts of money and the people can't get enough. There are people waiting to get on every table.

Re: Help me plan a \"No real money\" charity game
 

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the players will be winning chips from one another and not the house like the other games.

[/ QUOTE ]I don't think you understood him. The chips aren't actually WORTH anything. The players put money in and take only (donated) prizes out. The house doesn't care who has the chips.
-Sam