Yeah, yeah, I know everyone has been there, but hey this is where I spend my time now so I'm venting. We've (me, brother, friend) been at it for the last two years now. Hosted a game nearly every week, some ten handers, some five, some everywhere in-between, we've done STTs and MTTs.. all the stuffs. But man it's crushing when the game just crumbles (actually never formed probably) two hours to go time. That's it, just sharing in the downsides of this community as well, enjoy your games ya filthy degenerates!
22 people reached out to, can't make it a five hander. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter aaron2786
- Start date
Ah for a time machine..
merkong
Flush
Any chippers in your area? I have a couple that play at my game here and there. Double down. Meetup, Craigslist, flyers… Whatever it takes. And once you add a couple it’ll start to come back. Make it a noob friendly game; NLHE, lower stakes etc.
I spread a game twice a week, have a list of about 30+ and pull a full table nearly every session.
And keep growing. Otherwise you’re shrinking.
Good luck.
I spread a game twice a week, have a list of about 30+ and pull a full table nearly every session.
And keep growing. Otherwise you’re shrinking.
Good luck.
I have no idea, I live in the dead zone of central Arkansas, only a town of 150K nearby lol, and trust me, I'm always recruiting
What’s the age group demo your after? Try to find someone older w kids off to college etc. I find my friends with kids under 8 are the hardest to nail down.
And hey 5-6 handed is fun! That’s when you can circus games going.
Sorry for the bad run. Only means you will run good soon enough. Booyah!
And hey 5-6 handed is fun! That’s when you can circus games going.
Sorry for the bad run. Only means you will run good soon enough. Booyah!
Dude we were ready run with 5 tonight and one dude was all, "I don't wanna play 5 handed"... Fool lives like 48 seconds down the road. Trust me I love six max games
F@#kin’ nits
RocAFella1
Royal Flush
farmersonly.com
I feel ya… I normally host on Thursdays. But three regs said they can’t play Thursdays anymore, but would on a Friday. So I announced a Friday game.
The three all reserved… Then the three all canceled 4-5 hours before game time.
I was able to get us back to a full table of 9 for cash via a bunch of calls and texts, but was seriously annoyed.
Going back to Thursdays.
The three all reserved… Then the three all canceled 4-5 hours before game time.
I was able to get us back to a full table of 9 for cash via a bunch of calls and texts, but was seriously annoyed.
Going back to Thursdays.
MichaelBubly
Flush
Yep. This has been a big frustration trying to run games for me too. A lot of the non chippers are terrible for bailing last minute consistently that I've stopped inviting a large portion of people who we enjoyed playing with. If you dip last minute once with a bad excuse, fine. Bail twice in a row last minute, you get designated to last minute invites only. I'd rather cancel a game due to low players the night before than have 4 people cancel 20 minutes before because they are "too tired" and have to decide between playing 4 handed or just sending everyone home.
Slowly we've found a core group that is consistent and we can supplement with some other people.
Slowly we've found a core group that is consistent and we can supplement with some other people.
dmoney
Full House
My last three games that actually ran averaged 17.5 invited and 7.5 players. I feel like I am always tinkering on expanding the list, establishing the group of "core" players (players who will RSVP reliably YES/NO and who fit with the group), and removing invites who are continually unresponsive or douchebags.
EDIT: Hosting has really made me deliberate about RSVPing promptly when invited to play elsewhere - clear and honest YES/NO, or with my best guess at the likelihood and time I will show up. No waffling.
EDIT: Hosting has really made me deliberate about RSVPing promptly when invited to play elsewhere - clear and honest YES/NO, or with my best guess at the likelihood and time I will show up. No waffling.
I sympathize completely. It’s a constant struggle and sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the stress. All you can do is keep trying.
But you can’t really blame somebody for not wanting to play 5-handed, especially if it’s NLHE. It’s just another burden of hosting.
But you can’t really blame somebody for not wanting to play 5-handed, especially if it’s NLHE. It’s just another burden of hosting.
Been there. Invited 30+ one time and got 4 guys plus me.
dpeks13
Flush
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In the same boat right now. Sucks.
dmoney
Full House
Maybe it's because I've got two kids under 4 and look forward to time with other adults, or because I thoroughly enjoy poker in almost all formats, but I really don't get people who would rather not play at all than play in sub-optimal conditions. Sure, I'd love to play 7 or 8-handed, but I'm not bailing out on a perfectly viable 5-handed game.
Or maybe I have adopted a professional player's mindset that I should be willing and able to give a small edge of less-than-ideal circumstances to gain a bigger edge in a game that is actually running.
Always be recruiting.
Prime weekend time slots are hard to fill, too.
Prime weekend time slots are hard to fill, too.
Hey, I’d not not show up because it’s only 5 - if I say I’m in, I’m in. But starting with 5 really sucks for Holdem in my opinion, because then you end up 4-handed whenever somebody goes to the bathroom or to smoke or leaves early.Maybe it's because I've got two kids under 4 and look forward to time with other adults, or because I thoroughly enjoy poker in almost all formats, but I really don't get people who would rather not play at all than play in sub-optimal conditions. Sure, I'd love to play 7 or 8-handed, but I'm not bailing out on a perfectly viable 5-handed game.
Or maybe I have adopted a professional player's mindset that I should be willing and able to give a small edge of less-than-ideal circumstances to gain a bigger edge in a game that is actually running.
And I play like a monkey on Redbull in short handed cash games - somehow “open up your range” translates to “raise any face card.”
But to be more serious for a second, @aaron2786 I wonder if you’re guilty of not staying on top of things far enough in advance. You said your game failed to come together in the last two hours. Personally, I try to have most everything nailed down at least couple days in advance. Yeah I often find myself scrambling for the last player or two the day before or even the day off. But if I don’t have 6 committed by Wednesday night, I’m probably cancelling Friday’s game.
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Yeah no, you're assuming the literal opposite of who and what I am, all I do is organize man
That may work for you and who's around, but most people can't commit fully until a day or two before hand, theyve got kids, they've got parents, grandparents, work etc
Venturalvn
Full House
Been there. I don't recruit from people I don't know, so I know this struggle well. I have a guy who always does the "I don't want to play short handed" without ever a single time realizing that him not showing up is what makes it short handed.
Head up - having games is always worth the effort, even if it doesn't pay off every time.
Head up - having games is always worth the effort, even if it doesn't pay off every time.
Totally agree, I will try again for next week as I always do, we make probably 35 to 40 games a year, I'm not sweating it, just wanted to vent it
The beautiful aspect about poker in the 2000's to early/mid 2010's is that the freshness of NLHE had not worn off and the number of recreational players outnumbered skilled card players. Players since then have moved away from hold-em in favor of other card games. Rec players too have largely disappeared, leaving the diehards and a few young players dazzled by live games streamed online interested in NLHE home games.
Players who are serious about NLHE will know the names of other poker players. Identify who those serious players are in your group and network with them in bringing or finding new players for your game. Ask them if they know of anyone at their workplace who might be interested in playing.
Consistency is important. Commit to a time and day for your weekly game and stick with it. This will make it easier for you and others to promote your game.
One thing I learned from the pandemic is how much fun it is playing NLHE five and six handed, something I never would have seriously entertained beforehand. Smaller numbers gives players a greater amount of time to interact and have fun with one another, making for a tighter knit group. Some of my best poker memories are from the NLHE games I played in with the same four or five guys during the lockdown. The friendships I made with those players from that period have endured.
Players who are serious about NLHE will know the names of other poker players. Identify who those serious players are in your group and network with them in bringing or finding new players for your game. Ask them if they know of anyone at their workplace who might be interested in playing.
Consistency is important. Commit to a time and day for your weekly game and stick with it. This will make it easier for you and others to promote your game.
One thing I learned from the pandemic is how much fun it is playing NLHE five and six handed, something I never would have seriously entertained beforehand. Smaller numbers gives players a greater amount of time to interact and have fun with one another, making for a tighter knit group. Some of my best poker memories are from the NLHE games I played in with the same four or five guys during the lockdown. The friendships I made with those players from that period have endured.
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Sounds like you need to find new most people. I understand unexpected things can come up, but making a habbit of it is just disrespectful. That shit will get you at the back of my list, and eventually off it.
Old State
Full House
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
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The reality many don’t like to face or maybe weren’t playing long enough to understand is that NL has really hurt the regular poker game. There are very very few people willing to risk money playing no limit on a regular basis. It does not matter what they say it’s all bullshit. After all, do we forget the line from rounders? Where protagonist comments in the narration that no limit games rarely come together because “even the pros couldn’t handle the swings”?
Back before the boom I was a sometimes guest of $1/2 limit 7 card stud game that had happened weekly for decades….way before I was born! When Holdem got accepted I hosted weekly limit games for about 3 straight years. Sometimes we had two tables going for $2/4 and $3/6!
Then cash NLHE was offered in AC where many of us played and it became “ we need to switch to no limit, it’s so much better“. I remember, saying to some of the regulars, “I honestly don’t think people will play that every week let alone every month“, and I was talking about $1/2 NL with a $150 max buying then.
Our game fell apart within 6 months to the point we played cash only after the tourneys we ran (about 7 a year)
About 5 years ago I started with another group of players, playing for lower stakes and hoping that will keep the game. $.50/1 ran about monthly for a while but now I struggle to get those players together.
Back before the boom I was a sometimes guest of $1/2 limit 7 card stud game that had happened weekly for decades….way before I was born! When Holdem got accepted I hosted weekly limit games for about 3 straight years. Sometimes we had two tables going for $2/4 and $3/6!
Then cash NLHE was offered in AC where many of us played and it became “ we need to switch to no limit, it’s so much better“. I remember, saying to some of the regulars, “I honestly don’t think people will play that every week let alone every month“, and I was talking about $1/2 NL with a $150 max buying then.
Our game fell apart within 6 months to the point we played cash only after the tourneys we ran (about 7 a year)
About 5 years ago I started with another group of players, playing for lower stakes and hoping that will keep the game. $.50/1 ran about monthly for a while but now I struggle to get those players together.
merkong
Flush
5 handed is great poker. Ask Hawkeye Pierce, Oscar Madison, and Bret Maverick to name a few.
merkong
Flush
I play so loose and my speechwriter starts getting rich on commissions. That’s my game though. Any Ace is getting popped for sure. We kidded around with playing shorter handed more often.
Mr Winberg
Full House
I invite about 80 players via a facebook group and another 10-15 who don't use facebook. Sometimes the 24 spots fill up really fast with a queue behind it, and other times not, like last night we were 9. Still a great time though!
So even with around 100 on the list, I am always recruiting, always trying to expand that list.
Out of the 9 last night, 3 where new recruits from the last year. So without the "always be recruiting approach" we would have been 6.
Regarding the OP: At 5 my decision to cancel or not would depend heavily on the individuals.
So even with around 100 on the list, I am always recruiting, always trying to expand that list.
Out of the 9 last night, 3 where new recruits from the last year. So without the "always be recruiting approach" we would have been 6.
Regarding the OP: At 5 my decision to cancel or not would depend heavily on the individuals.
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