Home Poker Games - How to Set Them Up

Debi

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This week's forum challenge discussion will be a bit different.

We have a pretty awesome guide to help with setting up home poker games.

The Perfect Home Poker Game

It even includes a checklist that you can download and print.

Home Poker Game Checklist

Read the guide and let us know what you think. Did you find it helpful and do you have any suggestions of your own on how to make a home poker game a success?
 
C

chronical

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Loved the article. The only thing I can emphasize is "FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE", still rember when we got a new player with us very "recriational", but for the love of God was it tiering to hear about bad beats and how AK ran into "__"(input the needed) and that the univer hates them. It's fun to listen to that 1-2 times but over a course of a night ... And yeah... dont drink to much you will think you have a 3 pair =)
 
mtl mile end

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Players
Finding capable and willing players is always a challenge. Don’t be seduced by the idea that you versus eight players who have no idea what they’re doing is the path to winning – it is the path to losing and chaos. Two or three soft players in a nine player Sit ‘n Go is an easy table. Six or seven is a non stop bad beat train with absolutely no flow. I play in a game where one of my best friends is always drunk and completely unaware. When it’s his turn to deal, he is usually in the bathroom, getting a beer, rolling a joint, searching for a snack, engrossed in conversation, pretty much anything except paying attention and running the hand as the dealer should. When people who have a clue how to play are in the minority, the majority pushes everything in the wrong (bad) direction. If you are hosting a game, know what you are doing and take charge.

As home games go, I’ve found cash games to be more smoothly run. Usually, cash game players and hosts are a lot more serious than tourney players/hosts.

Home Game Essentials (other than chips)
The advice of “buy good plastic cards” is spot on, almost a necessity. The rest of the advice is good, playing surfaces is a topic with lots of possibilities.

Chips and Structure
CardsChat is the third webboard community to which I have belonged. The first two were Poker Chip sites. I now own thousands (tens of thousands?) of chips. Most of them are retired casino and cardroom chips made by Paulson. I could go on for days about chips; really, DAYS – but who would listen? So to be somewhat more brief, I’ll say that chips are a complex subject.

I must point out that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “OFFICIAL CASINO WEIGHT CHIPS”. The idea that there is some kind of absolute truth to the “heavier is better” school of thought makes me want to force these people to play 24 consecutive hours with chips made of lead – how do you like your super heavy chips now Smarty??

There are many ways to differentiate chips. But I also must say that “clay composite” chips CONTAIN NO CLAY. Therefore, for beginners sake, I think it’s simplest to define chips as;
1.a. Injection molded plastic with metal slug (Super heavy 11-16g)
b. Injection molded plastic (no metal slug) and “ceramic” (which contain no clay either) (usually about 5-9g) – important to note that some ceramics are “slugged” (10-15g)
2. Compressed Clay (remember - no clay inside) The classic casino chip made by companies like Paulson, TR King, ASM, etc. (typically 8-11g)
3. Vinyl –The modern “classic” made by Bud Jones and Matsui. They are used at Playground Poker Club in Montreal and hundreds of other venues. (just weighed some Playground chips and they’re over 12g)

So chips of type 1a and 1b can be bought new or used. They are everywhere. They are cheap – I’m talking $0-.20 each. A chip collector will probably give away his crappy metal slugged chips. Custom versions of these (if anyone would bother) are less than $.50 each.

Types 2 and 3 are going to be more expensive (used, they are $.30 up to "the sky’s the limit", but normally about $1 each). Customs, if available are more (often a LOT more) than $1 each.

The relationship between chips and structure is closely linked
From a chip distribution point of view, you are limited by the number of players, number of chips, and most importantly the breakdown of said chips. For this reason, I would suggest investing a significant amount of thought into what game you are going to run before investing effort into obtaining chips. A “great deal” on 500 blue chips is the worst deal ever IMO unless you really need 500 blue chips for an incomplete set that matches them.
A ten person cash game needs more chips than a ten person tourney. Unless you want “I need change” to be the theme of your cash game, I would suggest at least 8 SB size chips and 12-20 BB size chips per person (in the case of a blind size that isn’t “standard” denom, like .25/.50, just make it 20X SB) . I play a .25/.25 ($40 max) cash game and we use 20X $.25 and 20X $1 as part of every starting stack. Once the change is on the table, rebuys and top-ups are in $5’s and $25’s. This system requires about 40 chips per person (400 chips) in “change” and another 100 chips (80X $5, 20X $25) to cover the game. This system allows me to carry $1150 worth of chips with plenty of change in a 600 chip carrier with room to spare for buttons and cards. If there is a possibility of a second table coming into play, everyone is shorted on change unless I fill the empty space in the carrier with a rack of .25’s and/or $1’s.

In a ten player (starting) tournament, decisions must be made regarding the length of time you desire the tourney to run, and whether or not to allow re-buys. Chip values should increase by 4-5X between denominations. Structure the blinds so that they become about 20% of the TOTAL CHIPS IN PLAY (including re-buys) when you want the game to end. For example, if you want a 10 player tourney with no rebuys to end in less than 3 hours, schedule the BB to reach .2T at the three hour mark where T equals 10X the starting stack. In other words, a ten player, 3K starting stack game will tend to be over by the time BB reaches 6K, if you want a three hour game, make the BB reach 6K at the 3 hour mark. Note that a crazy home game will probably end before this depending on the aggressiveness of play.

Once you know the number of players and blind timing, assign values to your (I’m assuming non denominated) chips. The smallest denom may be eliminated during chip-up – will it be? If it will, then it doesn’t have to be (read “should not be”) the most plentiful chip on the table. If re-buys will be allowed, don’t give players a fully broken down starting stack, use a few large chips for each re-buy – the change is already on the table.

For example, starting with 5K per player, the following starting stack size, with the blind level structure listed in the article, allows for the 25’s to be eliminated after the fifth (200/400) level
8X 25
8X 100
8X 500
1X 1000.
If there are ten runners and one rebuy allowed per runner, then you need 80X 25, 80X 100, 80X 500, and 60X 1000 plus 2K in “chip up” chips (20X 100, 4X 500, or 2X 1000). This is a total of 302-320 chips in a world of perfect breakdown.

*Note - If you can smoothly run a home tournament with antes involved – you are a Home Tournament Director God!!
 
whiskers77

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Thanks CC for this interesting article. Especially the chip distribution was very interesting part of this article. Also very nice insights by mtl_mile_end.
About the location it is also possible to choose a room outside of your house, like a club home or so. Once I went with a group of people to the wine cellar of a restaurant, this was also a pretty atmospheric location and food and beverages was served. We played there some cash game with rebuy possibility.
But there is one thing, that I am missing in this article and what was also a kinda problem of us.
When to end the cash game and how? Usually I don't play cash games, therefore I ask. Do you set a time, when the game should end and distribute the money according to the chips, that everyone holds or do you play until the end until only one player holds all chips?
 
Edison A

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Hi, it's a good topic, I think you should create a thread in the forum on this topic apart from this thread exclusively from HOMEGAMES, my other point of view is what attracts a player always are the prizes, there should be exclusive HOMEGAMES pea Members of CardsChat who are years old would be celebrated the birthday with a HOMEGAMES, but the birthday child should be challenged to be creditor of that prize, I think it would be a good idea and would help to strengthen bonds of friendship between the members of this great CardsChat
 
sergik1992

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Wow! Really great article! But this advices help to create more than just home games. It can be full casino)
In my life was experience with poker home games, when I was student and lived in hostel) At first my friends from my room and me (students of philological department) visited our friends from physico-mathematical department to play poker. Than we decided to create the same in our room. Our equipment were only poker chip set and ordinary table) But in spite of everything we enjoyed it!
 
mtl mile end

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....For example, starting with 5K per player, the following starting stack size, with the blind level structure listed in the article, allows for the 25’s to be eliminated after the fifth (200/400) level.......

*Note - If you can smoothly run a home tournament with antes involved – you are a Home Tournament Director God!!

Correction: I didn't notice that the blind schedule uses antes. I would, in the strongest terms possible, recommend that you DO NOT use antes - especially in a first tournament.
 
Debi

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Players
Finding capable and willing players is always a challenge. Don’t be seduced by the idea that you versus eight players who have no idea what they’re doing is the path to winning – it is the path to losing and chaos. Two or three soft players in a nine player Sit ‘n Go is an easy table. Six or seven is a non stop bad beat train with absolutely no flow. I play in a game where one of my best friends is always drunk and completely unaware. When it’s his turn to deal, he is usually in the bathroom, getting a beer, rolling a joint, searching for a snack, engrossed in conversation, pretty much anything except paying attention and running the hand as the dealer should. When people who have a clue how to play are in the minority, the majority pushes everything in the wrong (bad) direction. If you are hosting a game, know what you are doing and take charge.

As home games go, I’ve found cash games to be more smoothly run. Usually, cash game players and hosts are a lot more serious than tourney players/hosts.

Home Game Essentials (other than chips)
The advice of “buy good plastic cards” is spot on, almost a necessity. The rest of the advice is good, playing surfaces is a topic with lots of possibilities.

Chips and Structure
CardsChat is the third webboard community to which I have belonged. The first two were Poker Chip sites. I now own thousands (tens of thousands?) of poker chips. Most of them are retired casino and cardroom chips made by Paulson. I could go on for days about chips; really, DAYS – but who would listen? So to be somewhat more brief, I’ll say that chips are a complex subject.

I must point out that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “OFFICIAL CASINO WEIGHT CHIPS”. The idea that there is some kind of absolute truth to the “heavier is better” school of thought makes me want to force these people to play 24 consecutive hours with chips made of lead – how do you like your super heavy chips now Smarty??

There are many ways to differentiate chips. But I also must say that “clay composite” chips CONTAIN NO CLAY. Therefore, for beginners sake, I think it’s simplest to define chips as;
1.a. Injection molded plastic with metal slug (Super heavy 11-16g)
b. Injection molded plastic (no metal slug) and “ceramic” (which contain no clay either) (usually about 5-9g) – important to note that some ceramics are “slugged” (10-15g)
2. Compressed Clay (remember - no clay inside) The classic casino chip made by companies like Paulson, TR King, ASM, etc. (typically 8-11g)
3. Vinyl –The modern “classic” made by Bud Jones and Matsui. They are used at Playground Poker Club in Montreal and hundreds of other venues. (just weighed some Playground chips and they’re over 12g)

So chips of type 1a and 1b can be bought new or used. They are everywhere. They are cheap – I’m talking $0-.20 each. A chip collector will probably give away his crappy metal slugged chips. Custom versions of these (if anyone would bother) are less than $.50 each.

Types 2 and 3 are going to be more expensive (used, they are $.30 up to "the sky’s the limit", but normally about $1 each). Customs, if available are more (often a LOT more) than $1 each.

The relationship between chips and structure is closely linked
From a chip distribution point of view, you are limited by the number of players, number of chips, and most importantly the breakdown of said chips. For this reason, I would suggest investing a significant amount of thought into what game you are going to run before investing effort into obtaining chips. A “great deal” on 500 blue chips is the worst deal ever IMO unless you really need 500 blue chips for an incomplete set that matches them.
A ten person cash game needs more chips than a ten person tourney. Unless you want “I need change” to be the theme of your cash game, I would suggest at least 8 SB size chips and 12-20 BB size chips per person (in the case of a blind size that isn’t “standard” denom, like .25/.50, just make it 20X SB) . I play a .25/.25 ($40 max) cash game and we use 20X $.25 and 20X $1 as part of every starting stack. Once the change is on the table, rebuys and top-ups are in $5’s and $25’s. This system requires about 40 chips per person (400 chips) in “change” and another 100 chips (80X $5, 20X $25) to cover the game. This system allows me to carry $1150 worth of chips with plenty of change in a 600 chip carrier with room to spare for buttons and cards. If there is a possibility of a second table coming into play, everyone is shorted on change unless I fill the empty space in the carrier with a rack of .25’s and/or $1’s.

In a ten player (starting) tournament, decisions must be made regarding the length of time you desire the tourney to run, and whether or not to allow re-buys. Chip values should increase by 4-5X between denominations. Structure the blinds so that they become about 20% of the TOTAL CHIPS IN PLAY (including re-buys) when you want the game to end. For example, if you want a 10 player tourney with no rebuys to end in less than 3 hours, schedule the BB to reach .2T at the three hour mark where T equals 10X the starting stack. In other words, a ten player, 3K starting stack game will tend to be over by the time BB reaches 6K, if you want a three hour game, make the BB reach 6K at the 3 hour mark. Note that a crazy home game will probably end before this depending on the aggressiveness of play.

Once you know the number of players and blind timing, assign values to your (I’m assuming non denominated) chips. The smallest denom may be eliminated during chip-up – will it be? If it will, then it doesn’t have to be (read “should not be”) the most plentiful chip on the table. If re-buys will be allowed, don’t give players a fully broken down starting stack, use a few large chips for each re-buy – the change is already on the table.

For example, starting with 5K per player, the following starting stack size, with the blind level structure listed in the article, allows for the 25’s to be eliminated after the fifth (200/400) level
8X 25
8X 100
8X 500
1X 1000.
If there are ten runners and one rebuy allowed per runner, then you need 80X 25, 80X 100, 80X 500, and 60X 1000 plus 2K in “chip up” chips (20X 100, 4X 500, or 2X 1000). This is a total of 302-320 chips in a world of perfect breakdown.

*Note - If you can smoothly run a home tournament with antes involved – you are a Home Tournament Director God!!

Great input - thanks!!

Hi, it's a good topic, I think you should create a thread in the forum on this topic apart from this thread exclusively from HOMEGAMES, my other point of view is what attracts a player always are the prizes, there should be exclusive HOMEGAMES pea Members of CardsChat who are years old would be celebrated the birthday with a HOMEGAMES, but the birthday child should be challenged to be creditor of that prize, I think it would be a good idea and would help to strengthen bonds of friendship between the members of this great CardsChat

I think this thread is perfect for that. Once the challenge is over I will just remove that part from the 1st post. :)

Correction: I didn't notice that the blind schedule uses antes. I would, in the strongest terms possible, recommend that you DO NOT use antes - especially in a first tournament.

Very good point!
 
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thanks for the guide I think it will be quite useful
 
veritasi

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really good article, so many ueful things, cannnot add anything! unfortunately I did't have live poker meeting for a long time, the last time was with sergik1992 and vovanbaron16 in our native university, and it as really great. Hope we'll reiterate it this year!!!
 
AizenFalck

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That is a great article, it is like when you buy a game and you dont want to read the instructions, well this instructions you must read to have great fun at your own place. It is great how you guys think in everything, from the size of the tables and the stacks, to the ammount of chips, denomination and time it would get to get to the final 2 players if you start a tournament. Thanks CC for taking your time to teach us how to have a great time :D
 
zam220

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Excellent article, everything written on the case and with clarification .
But I would add a few rules :
- in a cash game it is better to agree in advance about the time of its completion, suddenly someone decides to leave early, and someone can't finish without a single participant
- what to do if the dealer is wrong, and it is important to clearly establish the rules by which the cards are dealt

And the main condition for a home poker game – a good mood!
 
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Great article. everything is written with an example and the checklist is great. At the moment I am at the verge of beginning a homegame round and what you desribed are verg good information with everything thought on.

1. you proposed plastic cards. great idea it is quite simle to ruin the other decks.
2. I would sugguest al least 2 decks so the number of hands will increase.
3. check that all xyour players know the rules you play by and discuss buy in. If is better for the mood when everybody can decide.
4. the chip deviation seems a bit of but i can't say why. I will try them at home:)
5: build a timetable and how long should the level to comulation to the whole tourney duration.
 
Andrew Popov

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To my deep regret, the legislation of my country at the moment prohibits the organization of such games, even for friends in the home circle. The law does not prohibit participation in the game, including online, but - prohibits the organization of the game without a special license.

As far as I know, this kind of legal practice works in some other countries.
 
makisaa

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Very nice article detailed, helpful, organized and purposeful. It is a full guide! In my country poker games are being played at homes for many years. Some players are organizing games almost every day! This guide can be a nice tool.
 
Dejange

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Nice thread and nice guidelines!I do not have experience in playing poker with friends in live, so I could not contribute in this direction. But I remember the time I was student at University, and we loved to play Contract Bridge (the single card game legitimate as sport, so far). We used to define a place and playing the whole night :) But we had also hard times, as for that game 4 players are needed, and sometimes the 4th man accidentally can not show up - but no problem, in these cases we were starting to call other people, even such we do not know (when in student hotels, you could imagine a scene where we knock out on other's doors to ask if they know Contract Bridge and could play cards with us :D). These were crazy times, and usually the games ending around the dawn, hehe ...
We continued, I mean the most serious 4 of us to set up such games even after we finished University, the most important was to set up the place, bring some whiskey and nuts, and the night fun was secured :cool: But that tradition ended up some years ago, after one of others became rather powerful businessman here locally, even went to elections for city's major (placed 3rd btw) and since than it became impossible to appoint him for another card game :p But the good memories always remains ...
 
milencenov

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Wow, this article in such a wonderful way acted like a time machine and brought me back to the years when I was 11-12 years old boy who played poker games with 4 other friends - be it in my home, be it in one of theirs...

The years were 1989-1990 and onwards. So, a bit during the communism and a whole lot after it fell.


Our game was 5 Card Draw - in my country at that time, this was the game we called "poker". We looked perplexed when in some Hollywood movies, the actors were playing Stud - "WTF is this ?"


We did not have a poker table. And we did not like the idea to use a normal table.


Our "felt" was a big green carpet with almost no "hair". And we used tailor's chalk to draw "sectors" for each player - the player could do anything in his sector - put his chips, sit down or lie down, even put his ash-tray with a cigarette (LOL, we did not drink, but we smoked like hell).


We did not have "normal" chips - so we used backgammon discs.


The white were worth 10 Bulgarian cents, and the black were worth 1 Bulgarian lev.


In 1989, 1 liter of Coca Cola was worth 1,20 leva. In today's new leva (BGN), 1 liter is 1,80 which is almost exactly equal to 1 $. To give you an idea...


We played at 0,10/0,20 blinds. Our stacks were 10 leva each - our pocket money saved over 5 school days in a week...


But we increased the means of payment (and wealth measurement). At that time, very popular among kids were the pictures of football players and fancy cars in bubble gum packs. The World Cup in Italy was played in 1990 and photos of Jurgen Klinsmann or Salvatore Schilacci were "hard currency" in our games.


At some point, we started using Monopoly money instead of chips. We put seals on their backs, to discourage "smuggling" of Monopoly money from outside.


When we grew up to 14-15 years of age, we "escalated" our poker games to full fledged parties, in which poker was just part of the fun.


But the best thing from all that is, we remained life long friends. We never cared so much about wins or losses, and we always had fun in those games.
And a fun fact: one of my best friends from those games moved with his family to USA and last year, he (already a poker pro) won 1st place in a live event, winning a few hundred thousand dollars.


Of course, nothing of what I described can in any way compare to the advises given in the article, but despite that, I still think I and my friends had the perfect home games one can dream for.
 
chicopaw

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wowits great reading, interesting, alto i have never played in any real home games, I have often thought of gathering friends together ,have them bring over laptops , arrange the home games on stars ,then everyone can sit back, chat, hav3e some drinks and be able to junk talk poker while playing
 
Ivansito26

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very good topic, since homegame always brings people from other countries who do not have privileges to play on the .com platform, and good article, and as some players say we should do more homegame celebrating the anniversaries of players make tournaments for women only , and every event like this is joined more by this family since it always wants the best for its members and I know that CC administrators come with many surprises and join more to this beautiful community

 
Debi

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really good article, so many ueful things, cannnot add anything! unfortunately I did't have live poker meeting for a long time, the last time was with sergik1992 and vovanbaron16 in our native university, and it as really great. Hope we'll reiterate it this year!!!

How many people played and was it cash or a tournament? Tell us about how it went.
 
Edison A

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Home Poker Games - How to Set Them Up.

I do not really have experiences in the games HOMEGAMES the first time I played them was yesterday in the tournament that organized CardsChat SMC .. I found the organization excellent and the awards, although I was not very lucky, it was very useful and interesting read earticle The (Perfect Home Poker) that a well organized HOMEGAMES game is very diverse and that requires preparation and planning for the perfect evening. because apart from being very fun, it is also very competitive, and the best of the HOMEGAMES of CardsChats are the awards for the fidelity of its members, I hope to continue accumulating experience and thanks CardsChat for taking my knowledge of poker to other levels that I did not know.
I really do not have any suggestions in the checklists, and the only suggestion that would give esque so that a HOMEGAMES is a success is the organization.
☺��
 
Vorem

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A good article for those who are going to organize such home games for their friends and acquaintances. Unfortunately, none of my friends are interested in poker, so at the moment it does not make sense for me to organize such games. But I still think that home games are an ideal place for unifying friends with a common interest
 
No1eJoker

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A great text, all explained in detail, just a little more time and money and the game can start .. I've always loved playing Home Poker Gmes with my friends, much more adrenaline and excitement .. We would play cash 5 card draw poker all the night, and we would drank a few cup the plum brandy and eat homemade sausages ... and I think it's best incash game to set the playing time when the game should end.
 
demibar

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thats nice article, a very usefull guide for those who want to start a home game things they will need and advices .I have nothing to notice, i just played once in home game with friends.I think the most hard to find the right players to be a successful home game .
 
PHX

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I have trouble getting a Home Game going because I have problems getting the main ingredient other players. I think I am too picky when it comes to choosing players. I don't like slow players and most of my friends don't play poker.

I think there should refresments at Home Games snacks and beverages especially alcoholic. Games more fun when buzzed also easier to win pots against drunk people.
 
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