Raking a home game

[Lebowski]

I'm sure they're not "half-assed." I was just saying it depends on what your players expect. Pizza is fine for a small group, but if you have players coming at all hours and when sessions can last 10-12 hours, things add up fast. It's all how you look at it. I guess it just depends on the home game.

[Blackjackgod]

I have been running a home game now once a week for two years now. I have absolutely no worries over my game ever being busted. Over the past two years I have had about 15-20 different players in my game and the all have been personal friends or fellow co-workers.
I have bought a casino style hold 'em table and personal chips as well as tons of other supplies. I supply the drinks which is the most important thing the players want anyways.
The way I run my rake is for the first 4 hours of the game the drop is $1 at a $10 pot max. Then in hours 4-8 The rake is $1 at $10 and another $1 at $20. After eight hours the rake is capped at $1 at 10, $1 at 20, and $1 at $30.
You want to run a big enough game to get enough money on the table to make the rake not be noticed too much but not too big of a game that people get scared away by the stakes or suffer to big of a loss. I love no-limit games but those will soon grow and grow beyand where you want them to be. A nice 3/6 or spread limit hold 'em game gets money on the table but won't burn the game out.
While I obviously do this to make money I always use common sense. I don't let outsiders in the games...period. I make in a night what I make in more than a weeks pay at work and have fun doing it. I have built a poker room in my basement with a big screen TV and a nice bar. I put alot of money back into the whole operation to make the players feel comfortable. Anyways feel free to write me at blackjackgod21@yahoo.com if you need any advice on running your own home game.

[SumDumFoo]

Thanks for all the input guys. I am not really concerned with getting busted. We have 4-5 games in our city that run several nights a week out of warehouses and fronts for higher stakes. Most of these have gone on for some time with out any problems.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues...l/1/index.html

I am not say we are above the law but we are definately low on the radar.


We have switched to .50/1.00 pot limit game and have gone with the following: 1 @ 10, 1 @ 20, 1 @ 30, and 1 @ 50. Capped at $4.

Last Friday, we had a full 10 person game. We raked $140 in 7 hours. Our expenses for the night(drinks and pizza) were about 60 so we made back $80.

I think this was pretty fair and everyone else seemed happy with it. Of course, we are not going to get rich but we aren't trying to.

[Redhotman]

$700 on a home game? Is Pammy Anderson waitressing?

[oneeye13]

maybe those are setup costs?

[Rainbow Warrior]

Pretty sure she paid $4,000+ for that set up

[SirRaleigh]

I think raking a home game opens yourself up to a lot of trouble, not to mention legally. All it takes is one pissed off person to get you into trouble with the IRS. I suggest either charging people a small fee for say food and drink. Tony Soprano ran his own games and for a fee provided food, and protection, see what I am getting at.

[Blackjackgod]

You open yourself up for trouble when you don't use common sense. Only invite players you know. I am lucky, I work for a huge company with many people who love to gamble. My game filling up is never a problem...The cops in my area wouldn't care, heck they probably sit in on the game...A nice weekly home game at reasonable stakes will never cause a problem for me...And by the way I do know of one person who ran an illegal card room 24 hours a day in my area and got busted...He got a slap on the wrists and was on probation for one year with a small fine and he didn't even have good lawyers...He says he was scared Sh**less when he got busted but was suprised in how easy it was to avoid any huge trouble...P.S. His game is better than ever now.