Here's the reality - you can invite 8 or 9 friends over and in the end you will be lucky to get one of them who will want to elevate his game to a point of actually reading a book (let alone talking about it).
A home group I was a part of has up to 20 participants on a Friday night. And these guys are mostly type A addictive types. I know of only one of them (outside myself) that was "serious" enough to actually get Phil Gordon's Green Book and learn it. He has been re-reading it for 2 years and has just recently purchased a Collin Moshman book. That's it. I actually have books in my office desk that I was going to give him (including Ed Miller, Harrington, etc) since last Christmas. They still sit there because he cannot be bothered with walking across street from where he works to get them. And i continue to remind about every month. I have even offered him a halfsies option on some coaching with known pros. Just not interested, So he (my main poker buddy
) is stuck at a basic level. Just this last weekend I asked him to call me so I could share some
poker strategy info on a local tournament that would help him cash - no phone call. But when we sit down for dinner before a tournament he is more than happy to take everything I have learned (and paid for - including several hundred dollar sessions with top pros) and use it in his game. It's clear someone is getting more out of this relationship than the other. We even have 10% of each other in the tournaments we play together. Guess who is cashing more? I see a New Year's resolution coming.
MOST players reach a level of satisfaction in their play and just see no reason to exert any more effort into the game beyond playing the game. They feel like they know what they need to know and after that it's about getting lucky (getting cards). And they actually even look at people who continue to study as insecure rubes that need to forget about that and just play cards. What more could they possibly need to know beyond a full house beats a flush??? THANK GOD FOR THESE GUYS!!!!! That's where your profit is coming from!
So have your home game - make it FUN - get someone others involved in making it happen, like assign Johnny to organize some snacks. Have the iPod playing some great music in the background. Distinguish yourself as the guy who can play by winning - not talking. A some point a guy will approach you and want to know when the next one is and be looking forward to it. He might be a candidate, but is more likely just an action junkie.
Eventually (months down the road) someone may pop out as a guy who wants to take it to the next level. But if you are not dominating this game then why would they want to talk theory with you???
change instances of free poker into a link to https://www.cardschat.com/strategy/free-online-poker-game/