Playing without cash (2 Viewers)

[TosaElectricRail]

Have a some friends who have expressed interest in getting a game together, but don't particularly want to play for cash. I'm fine with playing just to play in theory, but in my experience it tends to get unserious with lots of shoves fairly quickly without any money involved. Is there any other way to keep people invested and playing smart besides requiring a buy in of at least a couple bucks, or perhaps digging something out of my junk drawer to use as a tournament prize?

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Yeah, I'd put up a prize. Make it bragging rights, who gets to pick dinner or give them a crown or a cheap bead necklace, whatever. Depending on their life stage, push them to all throw in $10 bucks and the winner buys dinner or something.

If they want to play I assume they want to play for a while and enjoy it so that's great!

 

[LeLe]

Consider doing punishment / penalty for loser

 

[Northern Paladin]

Consider doing punishment / penalty for loser

 

[Labrat]

Do they want to play a "cash" or a tournament style game?

You could always play a surivivor's tournament for a buck each.

 

[drgg]

Do a tournament and make everyone cough up $5 for first

 

[soccerdadof3]

A Christmas every year we have a "big" tournament after dinner. We have around 20 players ranging in age from 12-13 to 65. We pull out the dice chips and everyone throws in $5. We usually pay 3 places and 4th gets their $5 back. We do 10-15 minute blinds and everyone has a great time. Kids learn some poker strategy and while it's a fun game, everyone wants to get into the top 3 for a few bucks and bragging rights.

 

[justsomedude]

Even micro-stakes (.05/.10 blinds with $5 or $10 buyins) is better than nothing.

As you said, it's not very serious if there's nothing at stake.

In my opinion, the downside to starting with a low-entry-fee STT (single table tournament) is the guys who bust out first/early are done for the night, and leave wondering why they ever bothered showing up.

I've found micro-stakes cash is a great starting point. And who knows... you may get a bunch of rebuys once guys loosen up and end up with a few hundred bucks on the table.

 

[upNdown]

It couldn’t hurt to try it once or twice and see how it goes. I’ve done it with my kids - it’s time spent together.
If they understand the game (or if they learn to understand the game) it will soon become apparent how absurd it is to play big bet poker for no stakes. So maybe at that point you’ll find a solution.
Or maybe play fixed limit?

 

[Cratty]

Punishment (e.g. 20 pushups) or make players take a 30min cooldown after being knocked out.

 

[Munchies11]

Consider doing punishment / penalty for loser

Great idea! If it’s not money on the line there has to be some sort of sacrifice lol

 

[TosaElectricRail]

Do they want to play a "cash" or a tournament style game?

You could always play a surivivor's tournament for a buck each.

I assume either would be fine depending on what sort of motivation we go with. Seems like tournament would be a more flexible format if there's no cash involved, otherwise things could go on forever in a cashless cash game (or until peoples' arms and pecs give out if there's pushup rebuys)

 

[Labrat]

I assume either would be fine depending on what sort of motivation we go with. Seems like tournament would be a more flexible format if there's no cash involved, otherwise things could go on forever in a cashless cash game (or until peoples' arms and pecs give out if there's pushup rebuys)

Well you could say "No rebuys, if you're out, the booze is cut off."

That should tighten it up a bit.

 

[BleedingChips]

Even micro-stakes (.05/.10 blinds with $5 or $10 buyins) is better than nothing.

As you said, it's not very serious if there's nothing at stake.

In my opinion, the downside to starting with a low-entry-fee STT (single table tournament) is the guys who bust out first/early are done for the night, and leave wondering why they ever bothered showing up.

I've found micro-stakes cash is a great starting point. And who knows... you may get a bunch of rebuys once guys loosen up and end up with a few hundred bucks on the table.

I echo this and would add @Chris Manzoni’s philosophy of friendship and fellowship where stakes feel pretty good if you win and not too bad if you lose. I am not sure what season of life your friends are in so money might be especially tight if they’re in HS/college.

Most of my friends are working age with families and from relatively conservative backgrounds where gambling is frowned upon. If I ever get questions about why we play for money, I explain it as cheap entertainment with friends. No one would blink twice at dropping $20-40 (or more) on dinner and drinks with buddies or going to see a movie, so poker is no different — plus you have the chance to play for even cheaper if you win! Haha!

You might make it a $5-10 buy-in where risk of loss is practically nothing and gauge the response from your friends. It’s cheap entertainment and you can add a social aspect like dinner…then it becomes an event. Maybe you can recruit a friend or two who are comfortable playing for money and liven up the game a little bit?

Good luck and hope you find the right balance for your group!

 

[legend672]

Get new friends

 

[justsomedude]

and you can add a social aspect like dinner…then it becomes an event.

Annnnnnd... perfect transition to hot dog rollers!

 

[Gojira777]

I believe real poker does not work if there is not at least a little bit of money involved.

When we played poker the very first times a few years ago my friends would find it unnecessary to play for money too.

I ‚convinced‘ them to do very little buyin tournaments for 5 bucks max and then the winner would get food or something. That way it became a friendly event and they noticed that you kinds need money involved for this game.

Now we almost only play cash games and upped the stakes a few times since then. The same players are now cool with having 100 bucks in their stack!

 

[TosaElectricRail]

I echo this and would add @Chris Manzoni’s philosophy of friendship and fellowship where stakes feel pretty good if you win and not too bad if you lose. I am not sure what season of life your friends are in so money might be especially tight if they’re in HS/college.

Most of my friends are working age with families and from relatively conservative backgrounds where gambling is frowned upon. If I ever get questions about why we play for money, I explain it as cheap entertainment with friends. No one would blink twice at dropping $20-40 (or more) on dinner and drinks with buddies or going to see a movie, so poker is no different — plus you have the chance to play for even cheaper if you win! Haha!

You might make it a $5-10 buy-in where risk of loss is practically nothing and gauge the response from your friends. It’s cheap entertainment and you can add a social aspect like dinner…then it becomes an event. Maybe you can recruit a friend or two who are comfortable playing for money and liven up the game a little bit?

Good luck and hope you find the right balance for your group!

We're all late 20s to early 30s with jobs, it's not so much people being right on money - perhaps part of it is there being an assumed skill gap between someone who's played cash games and someone who's only played at no-stakes family game night, so the perception is that the less experienced player is throwing away money.

We do take turns buying or cooking dinner for our gatherings though, so could definitely frame the small stakes that way, and convince them the best way to learn is to play. And give back winnings here and there in the form of food

 

[Defarse]

2003 in college we did $2 sit n go.

 

[BleedingChips]

We're all late 20s to early 30s with jobs, it's not so much people being right on money - perhaps part of it is there being an assumed skill gap between someone who's played cash games and someone who's only played at no-stakes family game night, so the perception is that the less experienced player is throwing away money.

We do take turns buying or cooking dinner for our gatherings though, so could definitely frame the small stakes that way, and convince them the best way to learn is to play. And give back winnings here and there in the form of food

It makes sense there would be a perceived difference between people who have paid or not to play. Eventually they’re going to (hopefully) pay to play, right? So why not start at your game in a relaxed and low-stakes environment? Sounds like you’ve got the right group and a good plan already, just start slow and dial up stakes as you feel comfortable.

My group plays a $20 cash game with unlimited rebuys and .5/.10 blinds. In a usual night, there ends up being $200-300 on the table and that’s about as high as I like now. I wanted to get higher than that, but at one game this year the money on the table kept growing to about $1K total….it felt too big for my comfort and I have dialed it back down with limit games and limiting rebuys.

 

[DrStrange]

I played $0.01 / $0.02 with a $2.00 buy in with the Boy Scouts. Go broke and someone else gets your seat. Not perfect - $2 rarely buys even a soda these days. But it worked ok -=- DrStrange

PS I would be remiss not to suggest strip poker as a poor but traditional solution

 

[pltrgyst]

I played $0.01 / $0.02 with a $2.00 buy in with the Boy Scouts...

Definitely. I grew up playing $0.01 / $0.03 with my parents and neighbors. 5 stud, 7 stud, 5 draw. My coffee can full of pennies was my proudest possession.

 

[HolySchist848]

We do take turns buying or cooking dinner for our gatherings though, so could definitely frame the small stakes that way, and convince them the best way to learn is to play. And give back winnings here and there in the form of food

This is what my buddies and I used to do. If you are the big loser, you have to cook dinner or get food/snacks for next time.

Or if you could convince your peeps to throw in like $1, the winner would take all the money and get a pizza or two for next session. Just a thought!

 

[tabletalker7]

I came up with "drunken poker" for this. It's simple. Everyone starts with $100 in chips. Standard 1/2 NLH. When someone busts out, the bank can easily give them another hundred. All it requires to rebuy is a double of THE NASTIEST THING YOU CAN FIND AT THE LIQUOR STORE. And when I say nasty, I mean $8.95 with a $10 mail in rebate nasty. It's always fun to laugh at your buddy having to drink that filth.