merkong
Full House
Last Updated March 2025
Threading The Godfather Club - MN. The biggest little game in town.
Started hosting a combination of cash games and tournaments back in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul about 25 years ago and ran a weekly for many years. Stepped back from hosting when the bar poker scene took off and made a lot of friends and poker connections. Left the bar scene when the bubble sort of burst and settled into a couple of home games. The main game I played in was a ton of fun, maybe 25+ each week tourney/league style. Plenty of action, some good folks, but also many undesirables and broke players.
Took a little break from that game and decided to reboot my own game. Held about four weeks of Saturday night two table tournaments. Added the Friday Frolic, a .10/.10 cash game to “warm up” the poker room and it became apparent that the cash game was more popular and easier to manage than tournaments.
The game went straight cash on Fridays and Saturdays right away. Since its inception in 9/2022 I’ve spread 140+ sessions and we’ve been once a week only since May of 2023.
The game ran as .10/.20 with a $20 buyin and add ons, went to the .20/.20 game and is now a .25/.25 game. We played a floating straddle for quite a while which was only in effect if the owner of the straddle chip was UTG or its owner chooses to play it. It was in play about 25% of the hands we play. Maybe less. We abandoned traditional cash game add on guidance and basically say if you have the cash add on between any hand, and directly up to the biggest stack. More money right? The "Rock" Straddle has since been "buried."
I have an invite pool of around 40 players and fill my 10 person table more than 90% of the time.
My chip collection grew and I ditched my Claysmith Monte Carlos (boat anchors) for a house set of China Clay 8v Greek Key Molds. I now have maybe 6 or 7 sets that rotate in with our favorites being my HHR’s, a set of 43mm royals, a mixed set of Paulsons, Cigar and Snifters, DieCards, and Elephant and Crowns, a recently acquired set of Nexgen 8000’s, and a vintage set of All-ins. I’m always looking to add more. I like custom labels so blanks and relabels are in the house. @TheOffalo is my art guy and I use Sticker Mule for my labels. They're quality labels, inexpensive, and have a 5 day turnaround.
We’ve got a good group; younger (20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s) with the occasional player learning the game the rest being experienced players. I spend a great deal of time nurturing my invite pool. If you’re not growing your game you’re waiting for it to start to die.
We went from a “water is in the fridge” game to “water and soda are in the fridge, Dunkin’ Donuts over there, the bags of chips and snacks, the candy bowl, and now the hot dog roller, and the regular 2 pounds of sloppy joes. Occasionally, I plan on a crock of pulled pork or chicken. Booze and beer are the player's responsibility. All this and the only thing I ask is whether you eat a lot or a little is that you tip. I’m not paying for the food. My job is to have a great game with great players in a great room. I do my job and I spread food. Players need to do their job and come and have fun and enjoy tip the game. Easy Peasy, Chicken Greasy. The food is always covered by player gratuities and then some.
Lots more updates and more regularly moving forward.
Hosts unite and stay the course. It always comes.
Now, some pics. Soon there’ll a Poker Chip Lineup Gallery in this opening thread. Stay tuned.
The Big Guy is still the same old workhorse but the room has changed.
The Greek Mold 8V with the tribute label.
Also the GM8V repping my original game.
In action.
A quick stint that the 43mm Bellagio Tina’s had.
Nice cash out.
Big Red has a drawer.
A little home built for singles.
The drawer was worth more than those chips. They gone.
The old poker chest.
A monster pot from the early days. Mine.
The bare walls. Scary.
Build pics
The early crew. Only myself, the banker and Walmart remain.
Big Red.
The USB’s in action.
Just a hand.
The old octagons.
The Godfather.
The Godfather.
Threading The Godfather Club - MN. The biggest little game in town.
Started hosting a combination of cash games and tournaments back in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul about 25 years ago and ran a weekly for many years. Stepped back from hosting when the bar poker scene took off and made a lot of friends and poker connections. Left the bar scene when the bubble sort of burst and settled into a couple of home games. The main game I played in was a ton of fun, maybe 25+ each week tourney/league style. Plenty of action, some good folks, but also many undesirables and broke players.
Took a little break from that game and decided to reboot my own game. Held about four weeks of Saturday night two table tournaments. Added the Friday Frolic, a .10/.10 cash game to “warm up” the poker room and it became apparent that the cash game was more popular and easier to manage than tournaments.
The game went straight cash on Fridays and Saturdays right away. Since its inception in 9/2022 I’ve spread 140+ sessions and we’ve been once a week only since May of 2023.
The game ran as .10/.20 with a $20 buyin and add ons, went to the .20/.20 game and is now a .25/.25 game. We played a floating straddle for quite a while which was only in effect if the owner of the straddle chip was UTG or its owner chooses to play it. It was in play about 25% of the hands we play. Maybe less. We abandoned traditional cash game add on guidance and basically say if you have the cash add on between any hand, and directly up to the biggest stack. More money right? The "Rock" Straddle has since been "buried."
I have an invite pool of around 40 players and fill my 10 person table more than 90% of the time.
My chip collection grew and I ditched my Claysmith Monte Carlos (boat anchors) for a house set of China Clay 8v Greek Key Molds. I now have maybe 6 or 7 sets that rotate in with our favorites being my HHR’s, a set of 43mm royals, a mixed set of Paulsons, Cigar and Snifters, DieCards, and Elephant and Crowns, a recently acquired set of Nexgen 8000’s, and a vintage set of All-ins. I’m always looking to add more. I like custom labels so blanks and relabels are in the house. @TheOffalo is my art guy and I use Sticker Mule for my labels. They're quality labels, inexpensive, and have a 5 day turnaround.
We’ve got a good group; younger (20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s) with the occasional player learning the game the rest being experienced players. I spend a great deal of time nurturing my invite pool. If you’re not growing your game you’re waiting for it to start to die.
We went from a “water is in the fridge” game to “water and soda are in the fridge, Dunkin’ Donuts over there, the bags of chips and snacks, the candy bowl, and now the hot dog roller, and the regular 2 pounds of sloppy joes. Occasionally, I plan on a crock of pulled pork or chicken. Booze and beer are the player's responsibility. All this and the only thing I ask is whether you eat a lot or a little is that you tip. I’m not paying for the food. My job is to have a great game with great players in a great room. I do my job and I spread food. Players need to do their job and come and have fun and enjoy tip the game. Easy Peasy, Chicken Greasy. The food is always covered by player gratuities and then some.
Lots more updates and more regularly moving forward.
Hosts unite and stay the course. It always comes.
Now, some pics. Soon there’ll a Poker Chip Lineup Gallery in this opening thread. Stay tuned.
The Big Guy is still the same old workhorse but the room has changed.
The Greek Mold 8V with the tribute label.
Also the GM8V repping my original game.
In action.
A quick stint that the 43mm Bellagio Tina’s had.
Nice cash out.
Big Red has a drawer.
A little home built for singles.
The drawer was worth more than those chips. They gone.
The old poker chest.
A monster pot from the early days. Mine.
The bare walls. Scary.
Build pics
The early crew. Only myself, the banker and Walmart remain.
Big Red.
The USB’s in action.
Just a hand.
The old octagons.
The Godfather.
The Godfather.
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