Best way to do year-long contest for home game? (1 Viewer)

[Player922000]

My buddies and I have a home game every other week and I am hoping for some input/suggestions on the best way to do a year long contest where the winner gets paid entry into a local WSOP qualifier. It’s $20 buy-in cash game, as many re-buys as you want. We have a wrestling belt that goes home with whoever the night’s big winner is. We have 6-8 regulars. I want to do it in a way that gives a little added benefit to those who attend the most poker nights, but not completely alienate guys who miss a night here and there. Would it be best to just have everyone pay $2 each poker night and track total winnings throughout the year - then the year-end leader wins the entry (paid for by $2/player each week)? Or would you all do it differently? Open to suggestions!

 

[Rakrul]

Nope. You don't want to make the losers aware of how much they lose. You could do "2$ bounty" for every buy in and count bounties for every one at the end of the night but then you overcharge the losers so that's not a good idea either.

Since they're gonna play in a tourney I'd suggest going the normies route. You do tournament league with points and the one with most points goes. Rake a little bit from the buy-in to fund the ticket. Also, it can be a turbo tournament so it last 1-2 hours. It's a bit boring for the firsts ones busted though so step carefully.

 

[Eriks]

Do not track wins/losses.

Also the winners don’t need extra rewards. Add gambly features instead such as double board bomb pots (preferably PLO), nit and/or squid game, 72 game and what have we. Stuff that not only the consitent winners can have a crack at.

 

[Baxit]

To keep things manageable and reward participation : make a hourly (or preset number) bomb pot, take a rake from the pot's biggest winner , award 3 points to this winner + 1 other point by 1-card tie-break among the others. Adjust parameters to your liking.

 

[Eriks]

Do not track wins/losses.

Remember most players don’t have a poker bankroll and treat poker games like a night out in terms of expenses. And you wouldn’t want some wise ass presenting you with the total amount you spent on drinks at the end of the year, would you? Even 20 bucks a pop adds over time up if your a losing player.

 

[Player922000]

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[Player922000]

So it sounds like maybe a good solution would be a point system that rewards the nightly winner but also introduces luck and variation for the players who may lose more often. What do you all think about something like this?

Belt winner (player who won most $$ on the night) = 3 points

Bounty chips = 1 point each (belt winner not included)

Hourly Bomb pot (30 cents?) hands face up winner = 1 point

We play for 3 hours so there would be 3 bomb pots and we usually have 3-4 re-buys so there would be 4-5 bounty chips exchanged during a typical night. Then points leader at the end of the year wins the tournament entry. Everyone pays $2-$3 for their bounty chip and that $$ goes toward the pot that pays the winners tournament entry.

 

[merkong]

So it sounds like maybe a good solution would be a point system that rewards the nightly winner but also introduces luck and variation for the players who may lose more often. What do you all think about something like this?

Belt winner (player who won most $$ on the night) = 3 points

Bounty chips = 1 point each (belt winner not included)

Hourly Bomb pot (30 cents?) hands face up winner = 1 point

We play for 3 hours so there would be 3 bomb pots and we usually have 3-4 re-buys so there would be 4-5 bounty chips exchanged during a typical night. Then points leader at the end of the year wins the tournament entry. Everyone pays $2-$3 for their bounty chip and that $$ goes toward the pot that pays the winners tournament entry.

Point system for cash play? Yeah, no.

Do a monthly tournament and make it points based.

Never heard of anything you’re considering for cash play.

Just sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

 

[Player922000]

Point system for cash play? Yeah, no.

Do a monthly tournament and make it points based.

Never heard of anything you’re considering for cash play.

Just sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

The cash game wouldn’t change at all, the only difference would be the 3 bomb pots. Everything else is just me tracking the points for the year-long standings. Trying to get everyone to coordinate a night other than our usual poker night has proven near impossible. That’s why I’m trying to find a solution that can just be applied to our usual cash games.

 

[chippitydoodah]

You gentleman play cash games and play for microstakes but are looking to fund a player to a World Series of Poker Tournament event? By chance are you the best player there?

I do like the idea of running a turbo tournament. Everyone can earn points from their finish and also if they attend. You play every other week so have a turbo tournament one of those weeks. If you play for 4 hours instead of 3 you can play 2 tournaments. If you only play 1 you can still play cash afterwards and the wait time for the tournament to end is not long for people that got busted out. You could charge whatever you want. We do $20 + $5 for Bounty. Here's my 2 hour Turbo Tournament formula:

Starting stacks of 4500
8 @ 25
8 @ 100
3 @ 500
2 @ 1000

Color up the 25's & 100's at the End Of Rebuy.

 

[Dodger]

If you are playing every other week, just alternate cash games and league games. Cash games don’t change. League games have points associated with them.

Make the buy-in slightly higher and set aside a portion of each buy-in for year end prize.

Keep points system simple - 1 point for first player out, 2 points for 2nd player out, etc. So, 8 players would be as follows:

1st - 8 points
2nd - 7 points
3rd - 6 points
4th - 5 points
5th - 4 points
6th - 3 points
7th - 2 points
8th - 1 point

Payout top 2 for the tourney: 70/30 or 65/35.

You can always play a cash game after the tourney ends as well.

 

[Player922000]

You gentleman play cash games and play for microstakes but are looking to fund a player to a World Series of Poker Tournament event? By chance are you the best player there?

I do like the idea of running a turbo tournament. Everyone can earn points from their finish and also if they attend. You play every other week so have a turbo tournament one of those weeks. If you play for 4 hours instead of 3 you can play 2 tournaments. If you only play 1 you can still play cash afterwards and the wait time for the tournament to end is not long for people that got busted out. Here's my 2 hour Turbo Tournament formula:

Starting stacks of 4500
8 @ 25
8 @ 100
3 @ 500
2 @ 1000

15 minute levels
Color up the 25's & 100's at the End Of Rebuy.

View attachment 1598943

Haha no definitely not the best, about half of us are pretty solid players but we’re just a bunch of buddies that get together and shoot the sh*t while playing poker. We always talked about doing something fun like buying one of us into a WSOP satellite qualifier for like $250 or whatever it is.

Thanks for the suggestion and formula, that may be the ticket!

 

[Player922000]

If you are playing every other week, just alternate cash games and league games. Cash games don’t change. League games have points associated with them.

Make the buy-in slightly higher and set aside a portion of each buy-in for year end prize.

Keep points system simple - 1 point for first player out, 2 points for 2nd player out, etc. So, 8 players would be as follows:

1st - 8 points
2nd - 7 points
3rd - 6 points
4th - 5 points
5th - 4 points
6th - 3 points
7th - 2 points
8th - 1 point

Payout top 2 for the tourney: 70/30 or 65/35.

You can always play a cash game after the tourney ends as well.

I appreciate the feedback! Seems like that may be the most realistic solution is the every other week like you and some others are recommending.

 

[merkong]

The cash game wouldn’t change at all, the only difference would be the 3 bomb pots. Everything else is just me tracking the points for the year-long standings. Trying to get everyone to coordinate a night other than our usual poker night has proven near impossible. That’s why I’m trying to find a solution that can just be applied to our usual cash games.

It’s been said before, nobody wants to be detailedly reminded of their wins and losses, let alone having that information translated into a longish-standing record hanging on the wall of the poker room.

Switch to tournaments. Especially if you’re banging around playing micro stakes.

 

[thePokerClub]

I have a point system I use which makes things competitive and really helps with filling tables for my bi-monthly events. I take a % of every entry and fund a Winners Pool that builds throughout a 'Season'.

There can be different triggers/milestones to end the Season and I change that every Season to keep things interesting/fun. At the end of a Season the Winners Pool is all paid out based on LeaderBoard positions or the Top 9 will Freeroll for the whole thing. So players need to work to 'qualify' for that.

I am not a fan of a defined award like a WSOP seat - I have considered it, but then players will complain about travel and lodging for it which is on them.

 

[Player922000]

I have a point system I use which makes things competitive and really helps with filling tables for my bi-monthly events. I take a % of every entry and fund a Winners Pool that builds throughout a 'Season'.

There can be different triggers/milestones to end the Season and I change that every Season to keep things interesting/fun. At the end of a Season the Winners Pool is all paid out based on LeaderBoard positions or the Top 9 will Freeroll for the whole thing. So players need to work to 'qualify' for that.

I am not a fan of a defined award like a WSOP seat - I have considered it, but then players will complain about travel and lodging for it which is on them.

This sounds like exactly what I’m looking to do. I’ll send you a DM if you’re willing to share more info/specifics.

 

[Poker Zombie]

If you are thinking "Wouldn't it be fun to play in a WSOP qualifier", but play mostly cash games, I would go old school. Really old school. First WSOP (1970) old.

The winner was determined by a secret ballot.

Each player is represented by a different colored marker (or chip, if you have enough). At the end of the season, each player drops the marker of the player they wish to send into a sack (you do not get your own color), and they drop the rest into a second sack (the discard sack). Nobody knows who voted for whom so no hard feelings, and the perceived best player goes carrying the groups hopes and dreams.

There should be a signed arrangement if the winning player is expected to share their winnings (won their way into the WSOP and cashed). Take into account the winner's time, travel expenses, and the attendance of each player.

 

[Player922000]

This is an excellent idea!