How to make sure enough players show up for poker night?

crabsgalore · #1 02-26-2005, 06:02 AM

I'm fairly new to the game. I just started hosting some home poker games about once a week. I usually e-mail my friends a week in advance the type of game, buy-in, etc. Then I e-mail them again the day before to remind them. Last week only 3 people showed up on time, and my roomate invited some people who arrived about 45 minutes late. So frustrating!! Do you guys have advice on how to make people show up and come on time?
Also, I want to provide some snacks and drinks. Any advice on specific kinds of food or drinks? Let me know and thanks [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

RPMick · #2 02-26-2005, 07:42 AM

I can speak from a tournament standpoint only. We don't mind playing short handed $ games.

I take a 10% rake off the tournament buyin and that $ goes to a Player of the Year pool. To reserve your seat I need your fee paid before 10 others get it to me.

That said, I usually have someone who either tags along or is in the standby slot. (The wife is even learning to play.) If someone doesn't show, the standby falls in and their fee still goes into the POY pool.

Win, win situation.

Other than that, you need a nice table, nice chips, nice cards. Then people will come.

-Ryan

SenecaJim · #3 02-26-2005, 07:48 AM

spread it..and they will come. My approach is we are gonna play hold'em and after reasonable wait we start seven card stud. Late arrivals can join until game is full and then " too bad". sounds good, huh? i'm not that tough. Play a game like stud and make sure lates have to wait until deal comes back around before start planned game.

SenecaJim · #4 02-26-2005, 07:50 AM

however, i'm thinking of having late arrivals kick in 5 buck late fee and designate that money as badbeat jackpot.

smoore · #5 02-26-2005, 03:04 PM

Make your game dependable and you'll get people. As you start a new game it seems you never have enough players. If it's a friendly, well run game that's dependable you'll eventually have to get another table. Make sure you're playing stakes that everyone is comfortable with. I pass on the $5 buyin games anymore just because it feels like pennies to me but there are players that jump at that game that don't want to come to my $25 games and would never consider a $100 game.

Eric H · #6 02-26-2005, 03:05 PM

This can be frustrating at times. I host cash games and tourneys once or twice a month. I have just started emailing and it helps but that can not be relied on. The only way to be sure you will have the players is to call each one and get a committment. There will always be a few that can never seem to "committ" to being there, but most will just say yes or no.

For tourneys, I also do a flyer. I send it to some via email and mail it to others. I will mail several copies to certain players that I know may bring other players. I put my cell phone number on the flyer and ask that they call me if they are going to play. I generally have between 20 and 30 for tourneys.

I charge a $5 house fee and they get pop, bottled water and a place to play. I never base it off a percentage of the buy-in. I used to charge $10 and fix a bunch of food but it bacame too much work! Most just prefer the $5 fee and get drinks.

Onaflag · #7 02-26-2005, 06:26 PM

Food and Drinks: I've made it clear for the last couple months that I will provide coolers with ice. That's it. You can't buy enough beer. They'll drink it until it's gone. Life is just easier when they bring their own stuff.

Not enough regular players: I'm still battling this. I've started 2 things that I hope will help improve turnout. 1) Bad Beat Jackpot. .25 from every pot gets dumped in. Any FH beaten using both hole cards takes 100%. 2) Tournament Leader Board. With luck, people will be more motivated to come when they know points are on the line.

I'm lucky in that if the weekly game looks like it won't materialize, I head to the local B&M.

Onaflag.............

csuf_gambler · #8 02-27-2005, 12:56 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I'm fairly new to the game. I just started hosting some home poker games about once a week. I usually e-mail my friends a week in advance the type of game, buy-in, etc. Then I e-mail them again the day before to remind them. Last week only 3 people showed up on time, and my roomate invited some people who arrived about 45 minutes late. So frustrating!! Do you guys have advice on how to make people show up and come on time?
Also, I want to provide some snacks and drinks. Any advice on specific kinds of food or drinks? Let me know and thanks [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

invite double the amount of people you want because half of them will flake.

Etaipo · #9 02-27-2005, 01:09 AM

[ QUOTE ]

invite double the amount of people you want because half of them will flake.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you risk the inverse problem....now you have 16 people playing poker in your house where you can relatively comfortably seat 10 max.

grandgnu · #10 02-27-2005, 07:59 AM

I host two events monthly (tournament style, 16 players on two tables max) and my events are on an RSVP basis.

I've had 16 players signed up AND 6 players on the wait list and wound up with only 12 people playing. Found out my problem was holding the games on Friday nights (work was too much of a last-minute problem for a lot of people) so I moved both games to Saturdays (1-5pm and 6-10pm) and it seems to be working out.

Granted I've been doing this since 2002, and back when I was right with ya. 3 players, maybe 4-6 if I was lucky. But over time as my home game improved and word got out (and I advertised on homepokergames.com) it became quite popular and took off. Now I regularly have 10-16 players for each event.

I recommend you try the RSVP thing, and keep track of those who cancel on you, or who don't show at all. If they persist in being problematic, then relegate them to wait-list only status (even if there's open-seating) and let them prove their loyalty to your game by showing up and hoping there is a seat available for them. Then they can earn their way back into your event.

It's a LOT of work putting on home games, I've been ready to just give it all up from frustration before. Oftentimes all the hard work you do isn't appreciated. But hang in there and it'll be a good time. I also take 5% of the prize pool of each event, dump it into a separate interest-bearing bank account and at the end of the year the top five players (based on a leader board point system) play for this extra money and a trophy. Incentive to keep coming back and be competitive.

www.triplethreatpoker.com is my home game site. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]