Questions for hosting a home poker game.

[h_ven]

I host a home poker game. We actually play several times a week. Mainly on Wednesday's and weekends, but we sometimes play more than that during the week.

I have several questions that I hope someone can answer.
We play for hours on end, and I usually can't deal that long, it's gets boring and tiring and I think it effects my game. I have the stakes of No Limit with a limit on the maximum buy in.

-I usually ask people to deal for me every once in awhile, but they get tired of it quicker than I do. I sometimes pay them around $5.00/hour to deal.

-should I feel bad about taking money from the rake when I deal, because right now I don't pay my self to deal?

-What are my other options for having a dealer? Should someone deal and not play? Or do I have any other options.

-I have a full sized poker table with a dealer rack, money slot, drink holders, nice felt, and nicer chips than most bars have. I'm saying it's pretty profesional except it's in my basement, what else can I do to improve my game and keep them coming back?

When I deal I rake way under %5 when we have about a 7 or 8 handed game. I use that money to buy drinks and food for the players.
And previously we had a 10 person tourney, and I put in $50 from the rake to make the pot bigger.

-And my last question. Should I get any money just for hosting the game in my basement?

[Hedge Henderson]

A lot depends on what kind of game you're hosting. If this is just something for the guys (or gals) to get away from work and significant others and have a good time, I'd feel a little uncomfortable about a rake. There's also the factor that a rake changes the game from legal in most states to illegal nearly everywhere so, if you're not always playing with friends, that's something else to worry about.

A dedicated dealer should be compensated, but generally a dedicated dealer doesn't play. If you're playing with friends, what's wrong with simply rotating the deal? Admittedly, I've only played in about half a dozen home games, but they've all been that way.

Generally, people will play if you provide a comfortable and entertaining atmosphere and don't feel you're just inviting them over so you (or someone else) can take advantage of them. They will probably accept a rake if they know you're not profiting from it and they like the snacks. Still, you can always tell people to bring their own damn snacks (in more polite terms, of course), and just ask for contributions to cover the cost of the table and supplies. I did just such a thing and have received enough donations in the last four months that I'll be starting on a second table in a few weeks.

[Gurney]

I host "Saturday Night" poker every weekend and we rotate the deal around the table. My group is composed of friends who want to have a good time playing poker, talking sports and have a drink or two. Everyone brings something to drink or eat to share with everyone. This is also a great way to sample all different kinds of beer.

It sounds as if you group is not as friendly as mine, but my suggestion would be to offer your group to either pay a rake or hourly charge to have a full time dealer (plus tokes too) or you could discard the dealer button and let everyone deal. I think most Hold'em players would prefer not to deal and wouldn't mind paying for a dealer.

As for the food and drinks, you can either set up a menu or let them bring their own.

Good luck,
Gurney

[LetsRock]

If you're dragging a rake, you're likely breaking the law. The host of a home game is not allowed to profit from the game just by being the host.

You either need to share dealing responsibilities (everyone deals), or have a dedicated dealer (one that doesn't play) and gets tipped for his/her efforts. I wouldn't play in a game where one player was doing all the dealing.

If the players want to pay you "dues" for providing food and drink, that's different than a rake. But it has to be voluntary.

I play in 2 different home games. One is just a bunch of guys out for some fun and poker happens to be the conduit for the evening. We all BYO and we all deal. No tips, no rake. We play once a month (or so) and the poker is very loose and sloppy.

The second is a very well organized game with 2 tables and dedicated dealers (a handful of us take shifts) who are tipped. The hosts have put a lot of effort (and money) into getting the game going and have a donation jar to help recoup their investment. They supply beverages and pizza for nominal (break-even) costs, or you can BYO. The atmosphere is fun, but the poker is very serious and most are generous with tipping and donating. Wee play about every week. One of the hosts spends several hours a week contacting players, reserving seats and setting up the game. It is as close to a card room without a rake that you could find.

It's hard to have something in between the two extremes. If you want a real good regular game, you need to put in some effort. If you just want a fun night with the boys, lighten up and forget the rake. Every one deals, and bring your own stuff to drink.

[Slacker13]

Very well put. Personally when i host a game I have not even considered charging a rake, I would not feel comfortable doing that. If you are supplying food and drinks I would ask that everyone kicks in to cover the cost. I think it would be more important knowing I have a steady game every week than possibly offending someone by charging them a rake.
We are however getting ready to run some $200 - $500 buy in tourny's and we have decided to hire a dealer that I know to run the game. Everyone agreed to kick in 5$ each per tourny to pay the dealer, which will put a few hundred dollars or more in the dealers pocket and at the same time will make it much easier for us to concentrate on playing. I Hate to Deal!

[cferejohn]

What's wrong with just rotating the deal. That's what most home games do. If players *want* to take it in turn to act as designated dealer or they *want* to pay someone to deal, dandy, but why no just have the person with the dealer button in front of them, you know, deal?

[LetsRock]

If you're playing on a big oval table, it can be difficult to deal when you're at one of the ends.

The home game I play (that now has dedicated dealers) experimented with having 4 players share the dealing responsibilities (2 on each side of the middle of the table) and this worked out pretty well. But it truly does make all the difference in the world, having a QUALITY, impartial, dedicated dealer running the show.

[JPNet]

Another suggestion I saw to cover costs and keep things legal is to hold a voluntary raffle. A 50-50 or something. That way, someone wins a little, and the players know that the extra is going to pay for food/beverage and dealer so nobody objects to "voluntarily" buying in to the raffle. Over time, if the same people show up, the winnings should get spread around so that over time it isn't all that expensive a proposition.

[Wiscer]

We've just evolved our regular game a bit. It's a $100 buyin $3-$6 game, and we are asking people to take $90 in chips in return for their $100 buyin. We are using the $10 per player to fund a high hand and bad beat jackpot, as well as covering the cost of equipment and supplies. Plan now is to buy some custom chips to insure chip security and those will be much more expensive than the diamond chips we've been using so far.

We have gone to two tables, and they are classic holdem tables which do not support dealing from the ends of the table. I have my son (high school freshman) deal for tips when he can make it ($70-$100 per night is good money for a 15 year old!) and when he can't make it, we have the players who are in the middle of the table deal (alternating each side of the table each deal), and the players on the end shuffle. Every hour, we shift everyone over one seat so that the dealing rotates.

[cferejohn]

Hmm. I feel that one of the bonuses of playing a home game is *avoiding* the bad beat/high hand jackpots.

I'd give you a hard time about making your 15 year old son deal, but I spent my early 20's buying liquor for my 15 year old sister and her friends... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]