How to get my friends into poker?

[MediaBLITZ]

But i tell them all, the difference between games vs. automats (no chance) or vs. humans (they make mistakes, good chances) and the full program. Its hopeless ! Especially to girls lol. Now i use other topics.

I don't even know what in the hell you just said...?!?!!??!

 

[quintass]

I don't even know what in the hell you just said...?!?!!??!

me too :dontknow: roflmao

 

[NeverEnough]

My friends won't play either. I wish I knew of some decent live games around here outside of the casino

 

[ovitoo]

Expand your range of friends.

This.

I used to have a home game with my friends. From my experience 90% of them aren't going to care enough to learn and eventually will get sick of losing. The other 10%, in my situation, was unable to accept variance and reached a quitting point. This isn't to say you shouldn't try. If you can get one person eager enough to improve their game it would be great for you. Having a friend on the same level as you and being able to sweat, discuss, support one another is a valuable thing. I still have none irl Probly why I enjoy it here so much. I hope the best for you. GL

 

[Beanfacekilla]

DJ is right. I was thinking about this. I got into it via a home game a few short years ago my boss threw at his place. I only went as a social/political insure I have a job move. My buddy (referred to above) had to explain to me what blinds were about 10 minutes before we started playing. It was a $30 BI and I took second for almost $200. I spent the next month thinking - "I can do this" and then made my first trip to the casino (my buddy had to take me - I was scared) - spazzed out trying to keep track of all the things I had read about and went all in with a weak pair of kings and was out after 20 minutes. The next time decided to play like I was at the kitchen table and made the final table - "I can do this".

I would make sure you have and distribute some clarifying "house rules" before the game to avoid any difficult situations that could turn some guys off for good. Just a one sheet should do it. Stuff like,

"If all the players in a hand are all-in, they must flip their cards over for all to see."

"Verbal declarations are binding."

"String bets are not allowed."

You will also probably have to define some things. Some will read "String bets are not allowed" and have no idea what string bet is.

A Google search should reveal something like -


Please check your firearms at the door.
No smoking. No spitting. No farting upwind.
The house has the authority to close any game at any time.
The house has the authority to remove any player, at any time, for any period of time.
The 'dead button' rule will be used.
Do not place anything on the poker table except your cards, your chips, and your drink.
Keep your cards and chips on the poker table and in plain view. Keep your big chips out front.
Never touch another player's cards or chips.
Do not splash the pot.
Do not bend or mark the cards.
Only one player to a hand.
Players may not show their live cards.
Players who are all-in must reveal their hands when no further action is possible.
The cards speak for themselves.
Do not reveal your folded cards, either physically or verbally.
String bets are not allowed.
Check-raising is acceptable and ... encouraged!
Unless you suspect cheating, please do not ask to view a hand that has been called.
No rabbit hunting (seeing what the next cards would have been).
Chopping (splitting) blinds is not permitted.
Straddle bets are not permitted.
Insurance is not permitted.
Only the English language may be spoken at the table.
No speaking on the phone at a table.
Be kind to the dealer and to other players.
Immediately inform the Tournament Director when a player has been eliminated.
No cheating! Remember, a Smith & Wesson beats five aces!


Etiquette During Play
• Act in turn
• Keep your cards on the table at all times
• Act in a timely manner. Don’t take too long to make your move.
• If you are not in the hand, don’t comment: Don’t give advice or information (about the flop or anything) to players who are playing. They are supposed to pay attention themselves.
• One hand one player: Don’t give advice to anyone. Don’t pursue them to make any actions. Everyone is grown up enough to make their own decisions.
• Keep your large denomination chips in front of your stack
• Don’t talk on the phone while playing
Betting
• Don’t splash the pot.
• Don’t string raise.
Showdown
• Don’t expose your cards until the hand is over
• At showdown flip both cards at the same time.
• Don’t slow roll: Slow rolling is to pretend your hand is not good enough and take a long time to reveal your cards at the end while your hand is really the winner. Do not do it – it is very frustrating.

Don’t give poker lessons
No one likes to take poker lessons at the poker table, besides why do you want them to know the right play anyways?

I have found it very challenging to get people at my poker parties to follow basic table rules.

I always give a basic schpeel.

I will explain about shuffling, and how the dummy card has to be on the bottom (otherwise, they will just show everyone at the table the bottom card).

No talking about the cards on board unless you are involved in the hand, and heads up.

Don't act out of turn (this rule is always being broken).

No bitching, moaning, or complaining about how someone plays.

There are others, but my coffee is done, and I am sure my post is redundant.

People who don't take poker seriously just can't seem to understand why you can't show the bottom card, or say "wow that flop is all diamonds!"

Home games are fun none the less.

 

[Iselo]

Another thought about getting your friends interested.

You need to throw those parties you mentioned. Kitchen poker. Not just Holdem, but every variant you can find. Dealers choice. You also need to cover the cost of the evening. Consider it the freeroll prize, a chance to get together with friends and share in what might be a good time..

Many of us have been 'hooked' that way.

I really like the idea of a freeroll. The chance to win money get people excited about the game and at the same time I don't want to risk anyone losing their own money, especially as they don't even know the rules (yet..).

 

[Iselo]

It's going to be hard for you to find someone who is into the game theory/strategy. It takes a specific type of person who would. Do you have friends that love to play strategy games? These should be your first target. People who love strategy and analytical thinking should be drawn into games like poker.

I had a group of buddies who loved playing poker. They used to play every week $40 buy in with unlimited rebuys with pots reaching $1500 a night but NONE of them would ever want to talk about strategy or theory of the game. Even worse when I spoke to them about hand ranges, what hands to raise with , etc. They would ALL laugh at me. Till this day they don't understand that this game actually is not all about gambling. So sure, you will find people who enjoy playing the game, yet none of them might be interested in the theory and strategy.

I wish you lived in NY. We could do some home games or something. If everything fails and none of your friends are interested in a deep discussion about poker as you would like it to be , your option is to make new friends. Look for some Swedish poker forums and try to find people who live in your area who would be interested in what you are.

I can't imagine it's hard to find people interested in poker in NY, try sweden with a population of 9,5 million.. We do have a couple of swedish forums but probably not with as many active members as this one.

 

[fletchdad]

I dont know your friends, but I spent a couple of months in Sweden about 3o years ago. From what I saw, alcohol was a motivating factor, so have drinks. Since it is for fun, I do still think you should play for real money, just make it small amounts. You can play SNG or cash games. You can do turbo structure so that the first losers dont have to wait long till the next games starts. I do this with a small group of friends, never more than 9 so we do SnG with 20 minute levels, and if 3 or more people fly out fast we sometimes make the later level 15 minutes. Its not about great poker STT structure, it is about having fun and getting together.

Try to meet like minded people. If you meet someone in a bar of wherever, and the talk turns to poker, get his/her number. There is no recipe for meeting the right people, just do what you can.

And you could also try to get a great looking girl to deal naked, that will generate some interest as well...........

 

[Mortis]

In 2006, my roommate at the time got me into poker by being persistent and annoying about showing me how to play Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha, and RAZZ. I finally gave in, lol.

 

[Iselo]

Sweden eh? Long winter nights with nothing to do?

I will guess you are late teens, early 20's, and NOT in college. For all of us who made it past that stage of life, may I suggest this is a defining moment in that all of your friends are entertaining their own interests, which you might not share in. I would think that if you were in college, it wouldn't be very hard to find other folks your approximate age who were in to poker.

It is natural, it is normal.

For talking poker...this is why we are here.

You guessed right on all of the above I'm 22, living and working in Stockholm and at the moment it's 3 pm and already dark outside.

 

[Iselo]

Thanks for your replies, they're all very helpful!
Ok so I just called up a friend and suggested we throw a home game. He likes other strategy games so I figured he was the one who would be the easiest to get on board and perhaps even be my "partner in crime" in this project. To my suprise it turns out he has tried playing online a few months ago and even read a poker strategy book (could there perhaps be more of these "closet poker players" in my group of friends..?) Anyway, the not so promising part is that he said he had realized it would take too much time and practice to get to the point where you "genuinly enjoy it" as he put it. He's also in med school so his studies take up alot of his time. He was up for a home game however but made it clear it would just be for fun. Damn.. He was the one with most potential.

 

[Iselo]

In 2006, my roommate at the time got me into poker by being persistent and annoying about showing me how to play Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha, and RAZZ. I finally gave in, lol.

What made you give in? This could be very useful information..