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Time between home games (1 Viewer)

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gnasher

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How often to you meet up for a poker game? I was wondering what people have felt is a good time in-between games to keep the group alive.

I have started a monthly game and have managed to maintain a consistent attendance of 8 players but I have found some of the players are asking to invite newer players which is great, but my issue is space to host.

I'm wondering if a change to fortnightly games to accommodate the number wanting to attend. I know some of the current players would have happy but some have more family commitments and will likely just stay monthly.

My worry is increasing frequency of games will end up with less attendance per game. Has anyone else had any issues when increasing the frequency of host games ?
 
I’ve always spread a weekly cash game. My original game in St. Paul which ran for about 5 years started and ended as a weekly. My current game which just crossed over into year three also has only existed as a weekly.

With a weekly game there are ups and downs. You’re able to create routine for and investment in the player pool. It makes recruiting easier because instead of finding and interested player and telling them the next game is in 3 weeks you can give them options, and quick ones at that, to check you out. You also have more opportunities to audition players.

As a host it can become a bit tiring but that frequency allows you to develop your own routines and with that things run more smoothly. You’ll also have more chances to experiment with things like layout, food and amenities, and structure. Be careful though with structure. Consistent games like consistent stakes and structure.

You’re more able to create and build this community, this alternate universe as I like to think of it. You want something that players feel part of and the weekly gives much more opportunity to do just that.

Hosting is so much more than setting up the table and opening the front door. Saturday mornings I send out individualized texts to players from the night before with a hey thanks and what’s up the rest of the weekend and keep your eye opening for the taking of your seat for this week text. Sunday into Monday I secure seats from those who played the previous sessions and start looking at the Rolodex to fill vacated seats. Later in the week once the table is set everyone gets a short primer text and then Thursday while I’m finishing with the room everyone gets the “Happy Poker Eve” text.

Hosting is about building something that people rely on.

Weekly.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to play a shorter table. Normalize it. It actually is better, or at least not worse poker. Normalizing it will comfort your players. That’s also where the milleau and amenities come into play. The hot dog roller, sloppy joes, donuts, candy, chips, and beverages will make them feel at home. Money? Push for tips. It took no time at all for my players to completely cover the $20-30 it costs me to spread food.

Good luck. I’ve done this for awhile.

Ken (merkong) 500+ Sessions Spread
Owner/Operator/Founder:
*The Godfather Club MN (The Venue)
*The Executive Game, (The Current Game)
*Frogtown Card Club, St. Paul (Retired Venue)
*The Poker Family (Our Philosophy)

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Thank you for the in depth response and I love the set up. I hope I get to that stage at one point.

I enjoy hosting the games it's a great chance to socialise with the group and it's great to here that a weekly goes soo well.

As the group is expanding ill put the feelers out on a weekly game and give it a go.

In regards to the amenities normally I'll have some crisps and drinks but most of the player will bring something with them which is great but I really like the idea of the hotdogs roller, I'll look into expanding this over time. My plan is to build up over time with little things upgrading as I go.

At present I run everything off of a group chat, but going forward I'll take it off and go to a individually as you suggested

have you had any issues when auditioning player? So far new players have worked out really well but I'm sure the more I host I'll come across this.

Thanks again for the responce
 
Hey Gnasher back in my day when we played a lot me and couple buddies usually rotated the hosting duties. As Merkong has added setting up games is somewhat of an art . Lot of strategy and work goes into hosting healthy games. Fortunately for us we didn’t have any issues hosting games because 5-10 years ago poker was big for us. It would consist of a few feelout calls then from there if we got 6-8 players we had a game. I think our biggest issue was structuring around the players and the organization of the game. It was always difficult for us to establish the player pool as I’m sure you know lot of people flopped or said maybe than didn’t come and so on. So we would always have to do last minute restructuring whether that be going from a 18 man tourney to 9 man cash game because only half showed up. I feel like momentum has a big part in the frequency of games. Get a feel of your player base next game. See if people would or can like to play more frequently and establish that first before trying to push more games. Not sure your age but lot has to do with that given the added responsibilities you have when you’re older. Regardless next game check with your players see what they think ! And go from there
 
The more frequent you go, the more you 're going to loose casual players, including social friends (as players).

Non-fanatics have a much harder time committing to a fortnightly game (especially if they have children under 18), let alone that, being relatively untrained, they are more prone to lose, and they cannot afford to do so twice a month.

If you adore poker and study a lot, you 're going to end up playing more frequently, with much tougher players, for certainly more money. It's up to you to decide if that's your cup of tea.
 
We live in a village of about 1000 people, and have a player pool of about 25. About half of those don’t live here full time. We play a tournament every Thursday at our place and seat 7-18 depending on who is around.

One of our players also hosts and we play 2 tournaments every Saturday there, with the same turnout. We live about a quarter mile apart so it’s good.

So we play three tournaments a week in our group, but not much cash. The income disparity is pretty big here, so it works out best to just have a fixed cost per week instead of gambling paychecks with calling stations.

Both places put out food and drinks, no rake no tip, people just bring stuff and share.

I will say that the conventional wisdom is that everyone loves the game and is always trying to get better. That is not true here. The weak players are happy to remain that way, relying on luck, and the better players try to play good poker against each other while avoiding the landmines, so it kinda works out like normal casino play.
 
Thanks for all the responses.

I'll bring it up at the next game on Saturday. And see what they say on the frequency between games.
 
You can try doing a "special" game to bring in new players. During an off week from your normal game throw together a new game with some of the newer players. Gotta build the pool before you can have multiple games a month. I host a monthly game but I also help a friend run his month game. The second game we have now gotten up to doing 2 tables monthly. Pulling together A game of poker isn't too bad. Running a regular game is a different animal for sure.
 
I would say it depends on how many players you have and how committed/interested/available they are. I have a player pool of about 20 people, but most of them are not hardcore poker geeks and all are busy with other responsibilities. I started at once a month, but by recruiting more players I can now fill a table to at least 6 people (usually 7-9) twice a month.

Twice a month vs once a month also helps people who have conflicts one week to make it the other week and then come back next month, etc.
 
We do a regular weekly game but there are also other games in the area on other days to fill the gaps for those that want to
 
I do a weekly game every Saturday night. It is sometimes challenging to get a full table. I definitely spend some time each week to come up with a list of players. I am fortunate that I am in 2 poker leagues and have some people from my work and some of my players also bring in their friends. I have a 40+ player pool that I use to fill 9 seats. Sometimes we have less than a full table. smallest game was 5 players.
 
I run a game every four weeks for my local group. I also hold a game every 2 months for us supervisors and above from where I work. Seems to work out.
 
merkong said:
I’ve always spread a weekly cash game. My original game in St. Paul which ran for about 5 years started and ended as a weekly. My current game which just crossed over into year three also has only existed as a weekly.

With a weekly game there are ups and downs. You’re able to create routine for and investment in the player pool. It makes recruiting easier because instead of finding and interested player and telling them the next game is in 3 weeks you can give them options, and quick ones at that, to check you out. You also have more opportunities to audition players.

As a host it can become a bit tiring but that frequency allows you to develop your own routines and with that things run more smoothly. You’ll also have more chances to experiment with things like layout, food and amenities, and structure. Be careful though with structure. Consistent games like consistent stakes and structure.

You’re more able to create and build this community, this alternate universe as I like to think of it. You want something that players feel part of and the weekly gives much more opportunity to do just that.

Hosting is so much more than setting up the table and opening the front door. Saturday mornings I send out individualized texts to players from the night before with a hey thanks and what’s up the rest of the weekend and keep your eye opening for the taking of your seat for this week text. Sunday into Monday I secure seats from those who played the previous sessions and start looking at the Rolodex to fill vacated seats. Later in the week once the table is set everyone gets a short primer text and then Thursday while I’m finishing with the room everyone gets the “Happy Poker Eve” text.

Hosting is about building something that people rely on.

Weekly.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to play a shorter table. Normalize it. It actually is better, or at least not worse poker. Normalizing it will comfort your players. That’s also where the milleau and amenities come into play. The hot dog roller, sloppy joes, donuts, candy, chips, and beverages will make them feel at home. Money? Push for tips. It took no time at all for my players to completely cover the $20-30 it costs me to spread food.

Good luck. I’ve done this for awhile.

Ken (merkong) 500+ Sessions Spread
Owner/Operator/Founder:
*The Godfather Club MN (The Venue)
*The Executive Game, (The Current Game)
*Frogtown Card Club, St. Paul (Retired Venue)
*The Poker Family (Our Philosophy)

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Click to expand...
That chip cabinet is incredible. What a great place to play!
 
I've found when games are more frequent some players seem to get a bit more casual about attendance. So yea, many pros and cons.
 
gnasher said:
Thank you for the in depth response and I love the set up. I hope I get to that stage at one point.

I enjoy hosting the games it's a great chance to socialise with the group and it's great to here that a weekly goes soo well.

As the group is expanding ill put the feelers out on a weekly game and give it a go.

In regards to the amenities normally I'll have some crisps and drinks but most of the player will bring something with them which is great but I really like the idea of the hotdogs roller, I'll look into expanding this over time. My plan is to build up over time with little things upgrading as I go.

At present I run everything off of a group chat, but going forward I'll take it off and go to a individually as you suggested

have you had any issues when auditioning player? So far new players have worked out really well but I'm sure the more I host I'll come across this.

Thanks again for the responce
Click to expand...
Yes, pace makes the race. It’s so much easier to grow too fast than it is to grow too slowly. And detrimental.

Personally, I don’t encourage people to bring food. The occasional sack of cookies etc is fine. I just don’t encourage it. Full on pot luck? No way. Easier to spread the food and ensure the tips to cover. Don’t need containers and trash. Additionally, if they get used to bringing food there go the tips.

Find the formula and work it slowly.
 
Every two weeks works for me and my gang. Limits burnout, and makes it more special than if it were weekly. Less often and people can fall out of the habit/routine.

And weekly would be too much for me. I try to put on a quality show and spend a lot of time prepping on gameday. If it were weekly that might burn me out, too.

Since sometimes the game falls on/around a major holiday, and once in a while doesn’t go off because of some personal reason or not enough reservations, in practice I host 20-22 games a year. Feels about right.
 
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To paint an example at the other side of the spectrum, I host a group of friends ~quarterly. We have a hard time doing more it more frequently with kids and schedules, but the group is pretty casual and more than anything looking for an excuse to just have a night out. We've been doing this for around 10 years.

I could absolutely host more and broaden pool, but that frequency also works well for me and my schedule too. I also view it more as a get-together with those friends.

I do also host a weekly board game night though with just a couple friends who are neighbors, have been doing that for ~3 years now regularly, but we do that on Thursday nights and works well because they have less than a block walk back home at night.
 
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I play with mostly casual players from work and friends. I host a monthly cash game on Friday nights and a few times a year host a tournament on Sunday's. One of the other guys also hosts a cash game a couple times a year on the off week. I think this is about the max for casual players. It’s a little less than once every two weeks. Maybe 15 to 18 games a year. I think any more than that and attendance will start to dip.

We did every other week a couple years ago for the summer and we were getting much lower numbers by the end.
 
I think keeping it more frequent helps. The more games played the more the players stay in tuned with the competitor factor and trying to maintain their winning streak or comeback from losing. I found it hard though as people nowadays are more distracted or don’t want to commit like they used to!
 
I run a monthly with 6 core guys and occasional additions to my game. Monthly makes the event feel more special and something to look forward to. My group of guys are fairly young so sometimes we ramp up to weekly but I have found the games just aren’t as quality with multiple losses in a row hurting them more. Also with higher frequency the game starts to become more about the money than hanging out. Only two of the guys I play with have basically an infinite bankroll while the others are a lot less wealthy. If I were you I’d test out higher frequency games for a while and if it doesn’t work then you can always go back to what you were hosting previously.
 
Used to be once or twice a month but I've been slipping lately. Too much other shit in my life being scheduled on Fridays, and I can't get enough people to agree to any other day of the week. We play micro stakes and typically break after 3~4 hours, so only playing every few months would kill me. Hoping to get back on track in Jan.
 
I had a bi-weekly game and that was the best I could do as far as a game at my crib.

I really only want friends and friends of friends in my home. Right now I have about 10 friends that will play if they are free. Problem is everyone has kids and jobs. So it’s hit or miss depending on what everyone has going on.

I could go and recruit players at the card rooms to come and play. But now I’m on a slippery slope w/ who is in my house.

I love to play but not at the sacrifice to my family. If I was single I’d be spreading a game daily w/ everyone and their brother playing.

It’s really about the boundaries you set with yourself on how far your game can go. I say if you have 4 players, plus yourself, spread the game weekly until you can’t get 5 players.
 
Personally, I’m going through a restarting process. I once ran a small club, with monthly tournaments, 18 players/2 table, and then abruptly shut it all down when COVID came around.

Since then, I’ve setup a new space to try and enjoy hosting poker once again, but it is hard to recruit. As my list grows, I’ll try more and more invites. I plan to add in cash games too, just not sure exactly what sort of a crew I’m building out. Many players I had in the past are busy in other clubs. A couple folks passed away (very sad, unbeknownst to me), and some folks just aren’t having time for poker with kids or whatever.

It’s always been an exercise of recruiting. I live in a suburb too, so that adds challenge. So I am working at adding a great fridge, hot dog roller, and other stuff to make the game memorable and worth while to attend. So far, I am having success.

My next game is at 14 players, and it’ll be my first 2 table game hosted in over 3 years. I’m pretty dam excited!

I wish I could run poker every week, but with my work schedule, and family commitments, it’s not possible. I aim to be a great monthly game for the locals in my area, and add in unscheduled cash games, by way of group chat.

For me, they are totally different, and many tourney players have no interest in cash games.

Also playing in other local clubs and networking has been the best ingredient to grow my list. So I do this a lot. Playing in 3 other clubs whenever I can.
 
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I host once a month. I would love to host more. I can't for several reasons. I am now working every other weekend. In Southern Michigan we have a solid number of amazing hosts. Most importantly, my wife would greatly frown upon me hosting more than once a month.

The good thing about having so many hosts within an hour of my game. There is almost something going on every weekend.
 
I have been hosting regularly every fortnight and get 16-18 guys easy each time. I think fortnightly is the sweet spot because it allows people to do stuff on the off weeks or replenish their bankrolls.

In my case, my wife goes out with her friends on the off week so we have a good system going on.

I also have to stress the importance of constantly recruiting. Even if you get one table full regularly, keep recruiting. I have a group chat of 60 players (25 are regulars and the remainder occasional players) to choose from for my 18 player game. This means that we are always full.

It can take just a few life things like having a child or moving away to kill a game off.

The comment above about playing short handed is spot on too. No poker is better than any poker so if you only have 5 players one night, just roll with it. If the people and vibes are good, you’ll have a great time regardless. Once in a while we might only have 10-12 players so I just run 2 short handed tables and we all have a great time.

Good luck with your game!
 
RagingAZN said:
I have been hosting regularly every fortnight and get 16-18 guys easy each time. I think fortnightly is the sweet spot because it allows people to do stuff on the off weeks or replenish their bankrolls.

In my case, my wife goes out with her friends on the off week so we have a good system going on.

I also have to stress the importance of constantly recruiting. Even if you get one table full regularly, keep recruiting. I have a group chat of 60 players (25 are regulars and the remainder occasional players) to choose from for my 18 player game. This means that we are always full.

It can take just a few life things like having a child or moving away to kill a game off.

The comment above about playing short handed is spot on too. No poker is better than any poker so if you only have 5 players one night, just roll with it. If the people and vibes are good, you’ll have a great time regardless. Once in a while we might only have 10-12 players so I just run 2 short handed tables and we all have a great time.

Good luck with your game!
Click to expand...

Great job on your it network and hosting abilities ! Looks like you have put a lot of time and effort into building up your network .
 
RagingAZN said:
I have been hosting regularly every fortnight and get 16-18 guys easy each time. I think fortnightly is the sweet spot because it allows people to do stuff on the off weeks or replenish their bankrolls.

In my case, my wife goes out with her friends on the off week so we have a good system going on.

I also have to stress the importance of constantly recruiting. Even if you get one table full regularly, keep recruiting. I have a group chat of 60 players (25 are regulars and the remainder occasional players) to choose from for my 18 player game. This means that we are always full.

It can take just a few life things like having a child or moving away to kill a game off.

The comment above about playing short handed is spot on too. No poker is better than any poker so if you only have 5 players one night, just roll with it. If the people and vibes are good, you’ll have a great time regardless. Once in a while we might only have 10-12 players so I just run 2 short handed tables and we all have a great time.

Good luck with your game!
Click to expand...
Those short handed nights can be a fun chance to mess around and play some weird mix games and stuff.
 

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