Home Poker Games - A small Rant

[slamdunkpro]

Just as an aside to all of raiding going on in home poker. I wonder how many people stop and truly appreciate the work and expense that goes into hosting a home poker game.

I not only bought chips, but built tables and the facility that we had our games in. As the host I had to worry about keeping the game full, friendly, and secure. In addition I was providing drinks and snacks to all the players.

You have to keep your facility clean; you have to listen to the endless streams of complaints disguised as “suggestions”: why don’t we play {more/less} {stud/hold’em/Omaha} for {bigger/smaller stakes}?? And so on and so on.

In the end – at least in my case even if I took a MASSIVE rake, I’d be in the red for more than 2 years.

Why did I do it? Because my friends and I like playing cards in a live environment.

So the next home game you are at – remember to thank the host/hostess for all the crap they go through and the risk they run every time you “shuffle up and deal” in their game.

[JayCo]

2 ideas for you:

1) We instituted a "Whiners Tax" in our home game. Anyone could call a Whine on a player who was both ahead and moaned about a bad beat/play- the offending Whiner paid the guy down the most $ at the time a buck. 2x in one hour, the Whine Tax became $2, etc. This could be expanded to tax any & all whines for $1 to go into the "Pizzabeer Fund".

2) We also have a Socialist/Communist house rule of wealth redistribution: Big Winner as of midnight pays for everyone's food & drinks for the night. Spares the host from having to look like a cheap-ass and ask everyone to pitch in $, the guy winning doesn't mind being generous, and losers appreciate the freebie.

[brer]

Even though I look forward to hosting games every week (with the chipset and the table I built, and at my place, etc), I consistently have to check to my temper. Is there something about poker players that they just can't stop complaining?

[toots]

I'm pretty sure there is. I just haven't yet figured out precisely what it is.

[AlphaMeridian]

Interesting, since I'm nearly on the cusp of such a "suggestion" to my home game host that we write down all the rules we play as recently, there have been a number of diagreements over play. Then again, reading your post, I'm not quite sure it would be appropriate. How could I make this suggestion in a way that woudln't offend him? (oddly enough, it seems your home game is closer to me than any I have found, do you need another player? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

For example, we were playing some NLHE, and since we don't have a lot of chips, rebuys have to be done from someone at the table. I was up at the time, and sold $10 worth of chips to another player, and then put the money in my pocket (not on the table). This spawned a 5 minute argument over if the money in my pocket would play on a potential all in call from me (I didn't want it to, another player wanted it to)

-Alpha

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
For example, we were playing some NLHE, and since we don't have a lot of chips, rebuys have to be done from someone at the table. I was up at the time, and sold $10 worth of chips to another player, and then put the money in my pocket (not on the table). This spawned a 5 minute argument over if the money in my pocket would play on a potential all in call from me (I didn't want it to, another player wanted it to)

-Alpha

[/ QUOTE ]


this is bogus. you have to keep it on the table.

unless your game allows cashing out money in the middle of the game. if it does, that's one strange game, but if it does then what you did wasn't wrong.

[AlphaMeridian]

Which is fine, I guess. No one really knew. However, defining a rule about it would prevent such arguments in the future. If i'm wrong, i'm wrong, that's fine. I'm more interested in the long term, and I don't want to seem like an errant complainer if i direct the host to the rule sheets at homepokertourneys.com to print and adopt.

-Alpha

[The Armchair]

The problem you're having is balancing "full" with "secure." Obviously, as you add more players, you go further and further away from your core group of friends. Our rules are simply that in order to play w/us, you have to have either played with us twice before, or you have to be brought by someone who has.

Recording your rules is a good idea. Another idea is to enlist one of your closer friends, and as people arrive, as him to go out on a beer run and hand him a 20 or something like that. Have him ask if anyone else wants anything. They may follow suit with cash too.

I'd also advise strongly against using your own items (like your chips) at other people's games. I was in a situation last week where, 90 min before I had to go, the group voted to play a low-stakes NLHE tourney. Being down a bit at a rather week limit table, I had a lot of reasons to be against it -- especially given my time pressure. They also voted against rebuys. 20 minutes later I was out, but because they were using my chips, I ended up sitting around for the rest of the night. I could have done the playground-boor maneuver and refused to play the tourney ("okay, I'll leave then"). . . right.

[Lottery Larry]

[ QUOTE ]

I'd also advise strongly against using your own items (like your chips) at other people's games. I was in a situation last week where, 90 min before I had to go, the group voted to play a low-stakes NLHE tourney. Being down a bit at a rather week limit table, I had a lot of reasons to be against it -- especially given my time pressure. They also voted against rebuys. 20 minutes later I was out, but because they were using my chips, I ended up sitting around for the rest of the night. I could have done the playground-boor maneuver and refused to play the tourney ("okay, I'll leave then"). . . right.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or you could have let someone you know bring the chips back to you when they were done?

[Lottery Larry]

"I not only bought chips, but built tables and the facility that we had our games in. As the host I had to worry about keeping the game full, friendly, and secure. In addition I was providing drinks and snacks to all the players."

The first few things were your choice. The refreshments, that was dumb. I have everyone contribute a set amount that goes to refreshments and eqpt replacement, to which I also contribute equally. That way it only costs me a little to host the games.

"You have to keep your facility clean; you have to listen to the endless streams of complaints disguised as “suggestions”: why don’t we play {more/less} {stud/hold’em/Omaha} for {bigger/smaller stakes}?? And so on and so on."

So?

"Why did I do it? Because my friends and I like playing cards in a live environment."
Okay, so you invested in a hobby because you wanted to. Again, your choice. If you wanted people to help out with costs, ask them to contribute to 30-40$ of the total cost for future purchases. the initial ones are long gone.

"So the next home game you are at – remember to thank the host/hostess for all the crap they go through and the risk they run every time you “shuffle up and deal” in their game."
Now that sentiment I can get behind. If there's a risk involved, you know you're taking it so there isn't much to say