Cash Game Best way to "end" a home game? (2 Viewers)

[Zakkour]

We usually play cash games with around 8 people. Sometimes people will carpool - so there is a group of say three, two, and then three solos.

When it's getting late and if the first to leave is a larger group, we'll usually do one last orbit. Once they're gone though, action gets a little slower and it feels like we're just passing blinds back and forth, especially if a solo also left.

What's the best way to either

a) have a "consensus" end time that way the whole group can play the last few hands or​

b) increase action when a large chunk of people leave?​

 

[sup_squidy]

My game starts with a pre determined cut off time stated at the beginning of play and when it gets close to the cutoff time I declare "last three hands" its a strict 3 hands only then we cash out. Players are welcome to do a couple flips or anything else equally degenerate to get even or more stuck then I say goodbye to everyone. If we start the night where we all go in with nothing to do the next day we will gamble as long as there's action and money with the players collectively deciding a time during play to declare "last three hands" so everyone knows long ahead of time when "last three hands" will be coming. No one has ever felt victimized by this system if they're behind in fact it better lets them know when they need to make bigger moves or choose spots so if they don't get even or ahead its their own fault not the host cutting them off or other players who are ahead. One last orbit sounds like a very fair way to do it that way everyone gets one last chance to be the button.

 

[QuailValley]

We usually start at 7 and end around 11 or so. Since I do a bad beat I have had to add a bit more structure than before. Used to be we just played until people stop playing. And pay out everyone as they left.

But with the bad beat I say if you leave early you are just out of the bad beat. And it will be paid out when we get down to 4 people. So if the 5th leaves, it is paid out upon their departure.

that said poker gets a little blah after you get down to 4 and below so rarely do we play past that point unless everyone is pretty evenly stacked. Because if one or two people have big stacks its pretty easy to push around other players at 4 handed or below.

 

[Machine]

Best way to "end" a home game?​

Take off all your clothes and start running around the table ...

 

[4SUMERZ]

I agree with above. Scheduled start time and finish time. We also have 8 players, cash game dealers choice.
Start at 6:30 We change decks on the hour. At 10:30 we go once more around the table, with a big blind ante. Then we pay the high hand of the night, and cash out.
Everything is cash only.
It's worked for 14 years with the majority of the same players.

Good Luck with your format.

 

[Roslindale]

Its not set in stone here. We play till 5 or 4 handed. Then, those left will decide amongst themselves.

 

[cpac54]

Our end time is fluid. We usually start at either 6 or 7pm and end when the table breaks. Sometimes we play until only 11:30, sometimes as late as 01:30, but typically the table breaks sometime between those two times. We’ll usually discuss it amongst the group and announce a “last orbit” followed by a night-ending bomb pot before cash out.

 

[SteveEH]

A) My cash game also has a start and end time. I also set expectations with the players to play until the end time as we play 5 or 6 handed.

B) Embrace dealer's choice if it gets short handed.

 

[surfik]

I think time to go is when the lady of the house starts giving you little, angry hints...

Proper order of battle

designated time,
last orbit,
cup of coffee and you are out....

 

[merkong]

Start at 1900. Expectation is players give us until at least 0001. Anything after that is good. Usually down 5 or 6 at 0100 and within a half hour we call “three buttons each” and let the family pots and min raises begin. Once the final cash out is complete the few remaining begin to depart and after a couple more donuts, hot dogs, or sloppy joes, the last of the inner circle will leave putting us around 0300.

 

[Rakrul]

You could do stand up-/nit-/squid-game which should loosen up the players' preflop range.

 

[Blainer9]

Set end time has always worked for me as well. Honestly have never tried anything else because I haven't needed to. Just call how many hands once its close to time and stick to it.

 

[Rakrul]

We just play as long as people want to. Usually when we're down to 3 I give them a 20 mins warning cause I suck. We always start at 7 pm on a friday and end anywhere from 1 am till noon.

 

[CraigT78]

We start at noon this year. Play cash from them until 8pm. Then we play a tournament, and game is over when the tournament is done.

 

[Munchies11]

Okkkk guys everyone get the hell out of my
House!

That’s how I end it lol

 

[hamrb]

It ends when I have all the money. No exceptions

 

[LeCoq]

We do by consensus at my house

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

Our end time is fluid. We usually start at either 6 or 7pm and end when the table breaks. Sometimes we play until only 11:30, sometimes as late as 01:30, but typically the table breaks sometime between those two times. We’ll usually discuss it amongst the group and announce a “last orbit” followed by a night-ending bomb pot before cash out.

This is pretty much exactly how my game rolls right down to the times. Some people obviously will have to leave for work/life reasons but for the most part it's pretty organic when we shut things down. Around 11 is when we start talking about what time people feel like playing to. 3 people get felted at 12:45 when we've already decided to finish at 1am? Might be time to call it a night...