Hosting a home game tomorrow : tips?

[Eric H]

The most important thing in my opinion is to have a set of clearly defined rules in place BEFORE the inevitable problem occurs. I would suggest Roberts Rules of Poker for Home Games by Bob Ciaffone. You can find it here:

http://www.diamondcs.net/%7Ethecoach...rRulesHome.htm

Print out a copy and have it at your game. Players can get very upset if you make rules "on the fly," especially if the rulings are inconsistant with established practices.

If you having a tournament, I would recommend the rules established by the Tournament Directors Association. You can find them here:

http://www.pokerpages.com/articles/b.../tda-rules.htm

At our games, the players each pay the house $10. The host provides pop and sandwiches or some other type of food (more than just snacks). You could just provide pop and snacks and charge a lower amount such as $5. This works well for us. It is a lot of work putting on a game and you have invested in your table(s), chips and quality cards (you have Kems or Copags don't you?). Our playes are happy to pay the small price just to have a place to play, and it is way cheaper than paying the rake at a casino.

Just have fun!