Arrrggghhh!!!!! Home Game Cancellations HELP!

[grandgnu]

Geesh. I run a home game which seats up to 16 players on two tables. Two events are held each month, one Friday night and one Saturday afternoon.

To get into an event, you must RSVP for a seat. Lately I've been filling up all 16 seats, and having anywhere from 4-6 players on the wait list. But then, by the time the event rolls around, I find my wait list is emptied and I have 13-14 players only.

How can I keep going from 20-22 players interested down to 13-14? It's friggin ridiculous!

I'm keeping track of all the players who cancel, and when they cancel (i.e. 2 days before the event, the day of the event, 2 hours before the event, 30 minutes before, etc)

And I've warned my email list that I'm keeping track, and that if I see a pattern develop I will not allow that player to RSVP for an open seat, but instead they'll get stuck on the wait list, even if there's open seating.

I'm really not sure how to combat this problem, but it's certainly putting me on tilt. It's bad enough I have to plan an event for so many players, but then right before the event, everyone and their brother cancels out on me and I get frustrated. I can't be a winning player if people keep bailing out on me like this, it's really irritating.

Anyone have any advice on how they handle these home game wreckers?

[jalsing]

Well, you can make anyone who habitually cancels, or new players pay in advance to reserve the seat...if they don't show or cancel, the money stays in the prize pool. Kind of harsh, but not much else you can do.

[StevieG]

[ QUOTE ]

I'm really not sure how to combat this problem, but it's certainly putting me on tilt. It's bad enough I have to plan an event for so many players, but then right before the event, everyone and their brother cancels out on me and I get frustrated. I can't be a winning player if people keep bailing out on me like this, it's really irritating.

[/ QUOTE ]

13-14 players each time is good. You're running a nice series of events.

Just realize that some people are going to flake and that from your pool of 20, you get about 2/3 each time.

Relax and enjoy your hard work. Trying to change other people's inconsiderate behavior is extremely -EV.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
13-14 players each time is good. You're running a nice series of events.

Just realize that some people are going to flake and that from your pool of 20, you get about 2/3 each time.

Relax and enjoy your hard work. Trying to change other people's inconsiderate behavior is extremely -EV.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, it doesn't help that Verizon managed to delete my home poker website TWICE within the past week (I paid $10 to upgrade my 1.5MB DSL to 3.0MB) Needless to say, I'm switching to Comcast, after spending hours on hold, and being transferred from tech support to billing, back and forth with Verizon.

I understand stuff can come up last minute, but when I've got 1/3 of my potential players having stuff come up last minute, it's friggin irritating as all holy hell!

Plus, a lot of them use the "oh, I have to work" line. Well, you RSVP'd a month ago, you couldn't have arranged to have this day off? Grrrrr! [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[Ghazban]

If this is a tournament, you can try making people pay the entry fee (or part of it) up front. If they pay the whole thing, just blind them off until they show up. If they only pay part, you'll end up running a smaller tournament but with a greater prize pool for those who did show up. People will be more likely to make an effort to come if they've already put up some money.

If its a cash game, I honestly don't see what the problem is as people ought to be comfortable playing 6- or 7-handed if there aren't enough people to play a full ring.

Oh, and if you're anywhere near Boston (I see you're in MA), let me know if you've got seats at the last minute-- I have no life and can show up to play poker any time [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Slow Play Ray]

I'd bail you out one spot tonight, but I've got plans already...sorry bud.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
If this is a tournament, you can try making people pay the entry fee (or part of it) up front. If they pay the whole thing, just blind them off until they show up. If they only pay part, you'll end up running a smaller tournament but with a greater prize pool for those who did show up. People will be more likely to make an effort to come if they've already put up some money.

If its a cash game, I honestly don't see what the problem is as people ought to be comfortable playing 6- or 7-handed if there aren't enough people to play a full ring.

Oh, and if you're anywhere near Boston (I see you're in MA), let me know if you've got seats at the last minute-- I have no life and can show up to play poker any time [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

It is a tournament. I run events with either a $20 +$10 optional add-on or a $50 or $100 total buy-in. As far as people paying me upfront, that might be difficult. Some of them come from 45+ minutes away, so that would be difficult for people to do. Plus, why penalize the players who do show up (i.e. 2/3 of them) because of what one part of the group is doing?

I wish my poker website was still up, it had pictures of the events, rules, tournament structure, etc. It was just friggin awesome. Then I upgrade my service with Verizon and they wipe out my account in the process. Then I rebuild it, and they wipe it out again, and blame it on a "known issue" that they're working on. Thank god I'm switching to Comcast.

Anyway, I'm in Gardner, MA. Which is about 40 minutes west of Worcester, and an hour west of Boston.

email is anthonymartino@verizon.net (for now) if you're ever in the area.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd bail you out one spot tonight, but I've got plans already...sorry bud.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's ok man, it'll still be a good time. Supposed to have my new poker table in action tonight, can't wait!

[bigbrett]

I feel like cancellations are kind of inevitable. I have a different twist on the same thread. My weekly game is pretty tough and there are a couple of standout players. We usually play with somewhere between 6-10 players and usually play tournament style. There are a couple of guys that were playing every week, but now they won't play because they haven't won in 8 months or something like that. They are actually about as good as everyone else.

Does anyone have any advice for keeping people interested in playing? It's not like we all don't get along. They still socialize with us. We pay the top two or three depending on the size of the game.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like cancellations are kind of inevitable. I have a different twist on the same thread. My weekly game is pretty tough and there are a couple of standout players. We usually play with somewhere between 6-10 players and usually play tournament style. There are a couple of guys that were playing every week, but now they won't play because they haven't won in 8 months or something like that. They are actually about as good as everyone else.

Does anyone have any advice for keeping people interested in playing? It's not like we all don't get along. They still socialize with us. We pay the top two or three depending on the size of the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, what I've done is start a Tournament Leader Board. For every event you play, you get 2 points. Then, depending on where you finish, you earn more points.

Let's say you've got a player who consistantly finishes in the top half of the field, maybe even top 25-30%, but misses the money or barely makes any money. They're still playing well, and playing a lot. So they'll earn a good amount of points, and at the end of the year, the top five point leaders play for some money in a special championship event.

I've got a trophy (donated by a player) to give to the winner of the event. I take out 5% of every events prize pool and sock it aside in a separate interest-bearing bank accout. At the end of the year, they'll play for this money (estimated between $500-$1,000 by years end)

This gives everyone something to compete for, and also makes the "losing" players who still play fairly well, feel like they've got a shot at something. It encourages people to attend frequently, while not hurting each events prize pool by any significant margin.

Another possible alternative: Maybe you've got a player who doesn't make the money, but he takes out a few other players during the event. Take a portion of the prize pool, and designate it as "bounty" money. Each player you personally eliminate, you get "x" amount of dollars.