Home poker game - need tips

Hey, Im having a poker night with 5 friends next weekend and im hoping some of you can give me some tips.

Ive never played poker face-to-face with other players. Ive been playing poker online for about 6 months so im a bit nervus when it comes to the real thing.

Any tips on keeping a good poker face would be great.

Thanks

Set your limit, stick to it and have fun. Don't know you or your friends will it be exclusively hold'em? No limit? Limit? Do they like playing dealers choice? Baseball,7 Card No Peek, Stud and Draw are just a few variations of what can go on at a home game.

My best advice is in the first line, set your limit, stick to it and have fun. If playing hold'em something your familiar with, remember not to get cocky, don't let emotions rule your play that's a sure fire way to lose. If the cards aren't falling your way and they're drawing out on you remember that's poker, just because you have experience and are pretty good don't mean you'll win at this session. Pokers a lifetime.. not any one session.

Enjoy it, have fun with it , learn from it.

What if you go over your limit, and end up in the hole and don't know how to work your way back?

If I may, I might ad your last two lines to my signature. "Pokers a lifetime...not any one session. Enjoy it, have fun with it, learn from it."

there was an awesome article in pokerplayer magazine a few months back about awesome home games, Ill have a scout through and see if I can scan and PDF it for you

Here are the rules I like to publish (ones that most causal players would likely violate) for a cash game:


House Rules for the game (in the interest of full disclosure and peace on earth):

1. No folding out of turn-- if there is no bet in front of you, check, don't fold.

2. Table stakes-- no "going south" : since it is no-limit all funds have to stay
on the table until the end of the night, including any cash that results from sale
of chips to another player. Cash on table plays.

3. Players may not expose hole cards or discuss their hands (folded or not) if others are
still in action or such information would effect the action still taking place (exception: heads up
players still in the hand together).

4. One player to a hand. No collaborating, asking others advice, or otherwise giving your read or
take on a situation to another player, solicited or not.

5. One short rebuy per full buy in.

6. Raise must be at least the size of the bet or raise in front of you on that street.

7. A single oversized chip will be considered a call if there is a bet in front and the player does
not specify "raise" before the chip is thrown in. A single chip that initiates the action will be
considered as its full value unless the player states otherwise before betting it.

8. No string bets: a player cannot call and/or put out the chips to call and then raise and/or go back
to their stack for more chips unless they first state "raise" prior to any action.

Any rules not covered above will be in accordance with Lou Kreiger's rules book.

Best advice I can give you: hire a professionally qualified dealer to run your game. It will allow you to concentrate on actual game play, and without having to worry about side pots, rules disputes, etc.

Hey, it is a "home poker game".

Don't be too serious about it. What if they somehow picked up a tell? You are there to have fun, not to make money.

Have a drink and a lot of fun.

I liked the tips, if I ever host a home game I will use them.
regards

Exactly, its only a casual game of poker with a £10 ($20) buy in.

aliengenius, i dont think i would hire a professional seen as its home poker and they would cost a lot. but I think i will use some of your rules.

Thanks all

Maybe your home poker games, not mine. People come to my home games looking to take each others' money. We still have a ton of fun, but we are extremely serious about the game rules/protocols. As much as I might do a shot with the guy sitting next to me, I will just as quickly bust him.

LOL, this is kind of funny only because I say the same thing in home games. I'll bust my dad in a heartbeat and he will do the same.

Take your time and make sure everyone knows whatever rules or games your are going to play. That in itself will help you from having some problems. Have fun and try to win some money.

yeah i agree, make sure everyone knows the rules and as far as ur face goes, just be cool have fun talk laugh...and just dont make any sudden movemnets if u come up with pocket rockets

Live games are personally more fun for me than online, Keep in mind though that things will go a lot slower than you are used to online. And make sure all betting and folding is done in turn. Sometimes in live games people will get excited and start throwing chips in the pot out of turn and it can get confusing about who put what in the middle.

You can have fun with friends and take there money too. Now thats a perfect night of hanging out. Drinks cards and of course money on the line to be won. I always play home games for fun but also I know it all is practice for when I hit the casino so I try and take it all as serious as possible.Have fun none the less!!!

I wanna play against you. I'll take your money while you have fun drinking!!!

wear glasses and a hat
and perhaps have a drink or two before you start

its what i do