Home Poker Games - A small Rant - Page 3

Lottery Larry · #21 08-18-2004, 11:08 AM

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I can't agree more. I help run a home game. Four of us have bought chips, built tables yada, yada, yada. We have nearly 40 players on the invite list. We play weekly and usually fill one or two tables every week.

We're lucky to have great group of people and the core group is really supportive and great.

My biggest pet peave is those who wait until the last minute to respond to invites. It seems that a lot of people can't commit to something early on and it drives me nuts.

They just don't understand or appreciate how much preparation needs to go into a game, especially when you may need to set up the room for as many as 3 tables.

Appreciate your home game hosts. They're not getting anything out of it except for a fun game. Don't make it hard for them to have fun or may find yourself uninvited.

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Amen to all of that. Most of my regulars are the same way, but I have similar problems getting RSVPs (have to do repeated mailings, always have a few no-replies and often some no-shows).

I've found that this is not endemic to the poker games, but instead seems to be a general lack of regard for RSVP'ing to invitations of any type. I run into this all of the time at work, for other functions, and so on.
Maybe I'm old school, but this falls under basic manners in my mind.

Well, if it were easy, anyone could do it I guess? Props to the long-suffering hosts of the world...

slamdunkpro · #22 08-18-2004, 01:24 PM

Maybe what we need at some point is a home game/tournament hosts only tournament. (Now if we could just find some sucker to host it [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img])

Lottery Larry · #23 08-18-2004, 05:06 PM

Just what we need- 20 players all coming in with a different set of rules, screaming "Mine's the best!".... EVERYONE wanting to be a table captain... constant comments such as "Well, in MY game we serve the fois gras with Camembert, not THAT cheap stuff!"...

Not to mention the travel costs are quite a rake to overcome!

Maybe we can each rake our games and pay for a traveling therapist, who can listen to US whine for an hour!

2planka · #24 08-18-2004, 09:05 PM

Thanks for offering, slam. I'm pretty sure I can make it. I also know about 57 guys who will definately be there. What kind of beer are you serving? Do you have anything to eat? How about we play some Omaha after the second level? Deck change, please. Anyone mind if I smoke/chew/spit? Nice place you have here. Bet you paid a fortune for it. You need insurance? I know a guy....

slamdunkpro · #25 08-19-2004, 04:04 AM

Has anyone ever told you the benefits of AMWAY??? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

El Dukie · #26 08-19-2004, 08:11 PM

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Has anyone ever told you the benefits of AMWAY???

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Dude,

You stole my line!!! I was going to use that one next week at my first SoCal Home Game.... LMAO [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Al Mirpuri · #27 08-20-2004, 02:25 PM

I used to go to a home game. The guy thought he was doing us a big favour hosting it. However, he manipulated the rules to suit himself and the rest of us had to make bus/car journeys to get there and get home.

You are just making it easier on yourself. If you still think you are a martyr then let someone else host it. If no one is willing to host it then let the game die.

Lottery Larry · #28 08-20-2004, 05:30 PM

"I used to go to a home game. The guy thought he was doing us a big favour hosting it. However, he manipulated the rules to suit himself and the rest of us had to make bus/car journeys to get there and get home."

And it was really YOU doing a favor for HIM by showing up? While his attitude was evidently bad and his rule manipulation garbage was unacceptable, you aren't setting a warm and fuzzy standard either.
If he were a good poker host, people would be glad to come. But getting a game to work is not a one-way street either, Mr Leech.

"You are just making it easier on yourself."
Have you ever hosted a game for a large group on a long-term basis that involved anything greater than a "friends come on over, bring some snacks, I'll pull out the Bicycle chips and cards" effort?
It doesn't sound like it, or you wouldn't have made that stupid statement. Or maybe you've never been to a good home game and can claim ignorance.

"If you still think you are a martyr then let someone else host it. "
You think he might not do that if someone else was running a regular game and maintaining it? Sure, hosting may not be entirely selfless and it may appeal to the control side of the host... but "martyr" is a bit strong, no?

"If no one is willing to host it then let the game die"
That will sure help everyone out who's looking for a game. Love your sense of community spirit. Maybe options aren't as flexible as yours are.

Al Mirpuri · #29 08-21-2004, 03:51 AM

[ QUOTE ]
"I used to go to a home game. The guy thought he was doing us a big favour hosting it. However, he manipulated the rules to suit himself and the rest of us had to make bus/car journeys to get there and get home."

And it was really YOU doing a favor for HIM by showing up? While his attitude was evidently bad and his rule manipulation garbage was unacceptable, you aren't setting a warm and fuzzy standard either.
If he were a good poker host, people would be glad to come. But getting a game to work is not a one-way street either, Mr Leech.

"You are just making it easier on yourself."
Have you ever hosted a game for a large group on a long-term basis that involved anything greater than a "friends come on over, bring some snacks, I'll pull out the Bicycle chips and cards" effort?
It doesn't sound like it, or you wouldn't have made that stupid statement. Or maybe you've never been to a good home game and can claim ignorance.

"If you still think you are a martyr then let someone else host it. "
You think he might not do that if someone else was running a regular game and maintaining it? Sure, hosting may not be entirely selfless and it may appeal to the control side of the host... but "martyr" is a bit strong, no?

"If no one is willing to host it then let the game die"
That will sure help everyone out who's looking for a game. Love your sense of community spirit. Maybe options aren't as flexible as yours are.

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This guy does not have to travel for the game and can call it off whenever he wants for any reason on any particular game night. Moreover, he is probably a winning player and that more than anything is being facilitated.

slamdunkpro · #30 08-21-2004, 11:20 AM

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This guy does not have to travel for the game and can call it off whenever he wants for any reason on any particular game night. Moreover, he is probably a winning player and that more than anything is being facilitated.

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Al,

Your last 2 posts indicate a lack of experience in dealing with home games from a host’s perspective, let me try and enlighten you.

First my post was not intended as a “woe is me – I’m a Martyr” post. It was more on the lighter side of home games and, by the way hosts do put in a lot of effort and a thank you now and then is not out of line. Most people got this.

In my case, you are incorrect – I DID have to travel, as our room was located some distance from my house. So this should put me on the same footing as the rest of the players who braved the elements to attend our games.

Second, a host of an established game can’t “just call it off”. If you do that once or twice your game is history. Once a game grows to a certain point it tends to take on a life of it’s own and self perpetuate.

Lastly – what does being a winning player or not have to do with anything. If you’re going to host a game, odds are you’re going to do it win or lose.