How to host a live game

Rossta

Rossta

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Hello! I'm Ross, I'm 16 years old and I live in Kentucky. I've been playing poker since I was 11.

This upcoming saturday I'm hosting a "Holiday Poker" tournament with about 30-40 of my peers coming to my house. I've hosted games with about 20 people before, but nothing this large.

I was wondering what I should do as a host to make the game more enjoyable, figured you guys would have some tips or general rules. Sorry If this has been posted elsewhere.

Thanks,
Ross
 
Rossta

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Did I say sixteen? I guess it's illegal to host your own private game if you aren't 18 nowadays. Thanks AG for the help though... We have used the software before, its good stuff.
 
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Virv

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That software is extremely helpful, it's been used at some big home games I've been too. To make things easier for you, collect the persons buyin and then write their name on a notepad and number each person. Once everyone has paid go to your computer with the notepad and enter in all the names and the total prize pool. Other than that people won't expect anything to stay entertained, maybe have a tv on or some music. Just try and have everything organized before people get there, it can be a disaster if everyone is waiting while you figure out things like how much each place gets paid, chips being organized, blind levels, etc.
 
Rossta

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Yea, one thing me and my friends have done before that we thought of (although im sure its been done many times before), is to make the stacks the day before and put them in plastic bags. After the people pay and we enter it all into the computer we give them a bag. The UK game will be going on, so we're going to have that going on in the background.
 
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switch0723

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Yea, one thing me and my friends have done before that we thought of (although im sure its been done many times before), is to make the stacks the day before and put them in plastic bags. After the people pay and we enter it all into the computer we give them a bag. The UK game will be going on, so we're going to have that going on in the background.

Hope it turns out to be a good night. But i have to ask, what is the UK game? I live in the uk and have no idea what you mean by this
 
Steveg1976

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Hope it turns out to be a good night. But i have to ask, what is the UK game? I live in the uk and have no idea what you mean by this

I think he meant the University of Kentucky Basketball Game.
 
zachvac

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Hello! I'm Ross, I'm 16 years old and I live in Kentucky. I've been playing poker since I was 11.

This upcoming saturday I'm hosting a "Holiday Poker" tournament with about 30-40 of my peers coming to my house. I've hosted games with about 20 people before, but nothing this large.

I was wondering what I should do as a host to make the game more enjoyable, figured you guys would have some tips or general rules. Sorry If this has been posted elsewhere.

Thanks,
Ross

Is this for a tourney or just several tables of cash games? I'm gonna assume it's a tourney, because I don't know anyone who hosts a cash game with more than one table.

My advice:
Make sure the rules are posted somewhere, along with the blind structure, payout structure, chip values, and procedure for combining tables. Definitely have the chips grouped already either at the seats or in the bags as you mentioned. Make sure everyone pays before they get chips (or the way I did it was you pay me cash, you get a card. Then we did a random draw for seats and you went to the specified table with your card. That way you get your cash and turn in your card. But if you do that don't expect a full deck back, I ended with I think 48 cards in that deck, it's now my permanent seat drawing deck).

Make sure you have plenty of chips and plenty of cards (2 per table's always nice, few extra can't hurt).

And finally, just sit down, play, and have fun. I recently hosted my first MTT (had 27). I was completely paranoid before the tournament happened, I was afraid there would be arguments over the rules, we'd have trouble combining tables, or that something I hadn't anticipated would happen. Nothing happen and it ran really smoothly (well, besides the fact that I didn't money :)). Good luck, both in setting it up and then the actual tournament. And also welcome to CC.
 
Rossta

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Thanks zach. Yes, its a tournament as I said in my post. About the seating, the program we have puts people at seats. We keep two decks at each table, so the small blind can start shuffling his deck so the games move faster.
 
Effexor

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Make sure you review the rules about dead blinds and decide exactly how you will handle them, and make it known before you start. Same thing with how to move people to different tables and how to handle the blinds when they sit down.

This seems in my experience to be the most difficult issue to deal with. I play in local charity MTT's and this is always the most confusing thing that comes up.
 
pkrplr4116

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I hate to be a Stick in the Mud, BUT...

Look, you adults at this site need to know that when this kid's parents discover his gambling and try to look for someone to blame, if they get into his computer, you're the one's they're going to blame. As for me, I say, kid don't gamble and don't host any poker games. Wait till you're of age. You're flirting with disaster and that's spelled A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N. We don't need to be the ones to encourage you; I want no part of that.
 
zachvac

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Look, you adults at this site need to know that when this kid's parents discover his gambling and try to look for someone to blame, if they get into his computer, you're the one's they're going to blame. As for me, I say, kid don't gamble and don't host any poker games. Wait till you're of age. You're flirting with disaster and that's spelled A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N. We don't need to be the ones to encourage you; I want no part of that.

You ever think maybe the kid's parents know about it and are ok with it? If he's hosting the game, I fail to see how they could not know about it. Not sure about laws there, but with parental permission they're semi-legal here (technically not legal but the official position of the county police is they don't enforce the poker laws unless the host is charging a rake). I don't want to get into this argument again, but if the parent knows and approves of it, they can turn it into a learning experience with money management at worst.
 
zachvac

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Thanks zach. Yes, its a tournament as I said in my post. About the seating, the program we have puts people at seats. We keep two decks at each table, so the small blind can start shuffling his deck so the games move faster.

Sounds like you're good to go then, just have some fun. I enjoy doing MTTs and only wish I knew that many people who would consistently play in tournaments. Good luck.
 
Rossta

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Haha, pkrplr. I'm hosting this at my house, my parents will be there most of the time. Obviously they don't care. They also don't see it as gambling - If i were to go bowling for 2 hours it'd easily cost me $15. This however, for $15, will get me 8+ hours of something that is way more fun, with a ton of my friends to socialize with as well. The main difference is that in poker I have a chance of getting my money back.

Also - The more I gamble the more I win. I can't and won't lose. I am way more skilled then everyone else, so what do I have to lose? I don't understand how that qualifies as addiction... ;)
 
K4Lic0

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Also - The more I gamble the more I win. I can't and won't lose. I am way more skilled then everyone else, so what do I have to lose? I don't understand how that qualifies as addiction... ;)

I was fine with this whole thing until you said the above. This is what most gambling addicts believe.
 
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Who cares if he's 10, 16, 18 or 40. I'm sure once he legally can gamble he's still going to be the same person with the same personality and therefore just as likely to become addicted. Infact, I think starting out earlier with almost anything is better.

Since you are under 18, it makes it a lot more difficult to get into casinos and even play online. So even if he were to become addicted he'd have some obsticales, but if he was legal age then he could drive to the casino and get right in.

I learned how to play hold'em when I was 16, and when my brother turned 18 he gave me his old ID which I used to get into casinos. I'm 18 now and I'm glad that I was exposed to gambling when I was. If I just started playing poker when I turned 18, I'd probably be broke because I would have the availability to play anywhere I want besides Vegas and AC pretty much. Well I'm sure you get my point, also a lot of your favorite professionals started playing when they were little kids, what do you think about that?
 
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Also I wanted to add that I understand why you'd be concerned, because of addiction. Addiction is a very bad thing obviously, I've gone through a lot of addictions in my life but honestly if I had never been exposed to drugs, sex, gambling, etc. and never went through any kind of addiction, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I believe that it's all a journey and if you can conquer addiction you'll become a greater person. Life is all about balance and moderation and sheltering somebody from something isn't going to help in the longrun.
 
Tobmeister

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If i were to go bowling for 2 hours it'd easily cost me $15. This however, for $15, will get me 8+ hours of something that is way more fun, with a ton of my friends to socialize with as well. The main difference is that in poker I have a chance of getting my money back.
:congrats: that i sooooooooo the best way to look at it, and is exactly what i said to my parents
 
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Hey, not sure if you have this covered, or if the link AG put covered it, but if you want to have seating arrangements made up or do them when they get there, you can easily put down randomize them by having players pull a number out of a hat. So for MTT's, the # they pick out correspond to their table and position at the table.

Table 1: Seats 1-10
Table 2: Seats 11-20
Table 3: Seats 21-30

So if you get #15, you would be in 5th position on the Table 2.

Hope that helps, good luck and enjoy the game(s)!
 
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