As the forums might know I was not a food game until several weeks ago when I spread a tournament and felt it was the right thing to do. I borrowed a roller for dogs from another forum member and away we went.
Up until then I had water, a nice selection of pop, single size bags of chips, a bowl of mini candy bars and a couple dozen Dunkin’ Donuts. The donuts are comped because my wife is a big shot with them.
After the tourney I was convinced that food was the next logical step in the evolution of my game.
I host weekly so there’s no chance I’m footing the bill for food. I was alright with what I mentioned above as my pre/tourney food philosophy.
Now with weekly dogs and three pounds of pulled pork I feel I’m best serving my players and my game. This week is Game 100 (in 18 months). It’ll be a two table cash game with 18 commits. I’ll do all the little stuff and beverages, the hot dogs, pulled pork, shredded buffalo chicken and sloppy joes. The last three items and the hot dogs I guess are bun-worthy.
Now, I’m not paying for this. I don’t need friends bad enough to trick them into coming into an awesome poker room that I decorated, play with high end, rotating chip sets that I bought from some of you, and play on two home beautiful home-built tables that run about $6-700 in materials to build. On top of the tidying and primping of the area, snow removal for parking in winter and all the set up and clean up from a weekly game. Not happening.
So I told them; tip the house. As long as tips cover the food, the food stays. I remind them multiple times each night. I have multiple ways to tip. There’s signage. There’s the PSA hourly on the juke box. So far tips have well-covered the food
I come from a background of tipping the game. Even if there’s no food, I tip. Less if I’m stuck and more if I play ahead.
If you host weekly and feed your players like I mentioned above and don’t encourage, insist on people tipping then you’re either rich or like to enable unthankful players.
That is all.
Ken (merkong)
Owner/Operator/Founder
*The Godfather Club MN (The Venue)
*The Executive Game, Eagan MN (Current Game)
*Frogtown Card Club, St. Paul (Retired)
*The Poker Family (Our Philosophy)