Comprehensive Point System Resource - What has worked for your club? (2 Viewers)

[thePokerClub]

Hey everyone, let’s source a clean list of the exact player behaviors you reward with points in your clubs and the results you have seen. The aim is a site resource of things that have worked that other hosts can try with their clubs, not simply ideas.

How to contribute
Reply using this template for each behavior you attach points to.

Template
• Format Tournament or Cash:
• Behavior:
• Why reward it:
• Trigger When exactly it earns points:
• Points Value or range:
• Limits Once per night, multiple time per night, season caps:
• Feedback What your players have said about it:

Results How it has improved your home game overall:

 

[thePokerClub]

Here is an example of a key behavior I incentivize with my club. Straightforward on the 'what' as I am sure most will reward participation, but maybe new to some in terms of the 'how'. Missed Points is a big part of it.

• Format Tournament or Cash: Tournament
• Behavior: Participation in MY game; thePokerClub
• Why reward it: To encourage consistent attendance
• Trigger When exactly it earns points: All registered players earn Participation Points
• Points Value or range: Specific value - 2 Participation Points
• Limits Once per night, multiple time per night, season caps: Per Event; no season cap on Participation Points; players can also pick up Missed Participation Points to stay relevant
• Feedback What your players have said about it: Players have said that it is good to come away with something when it was not their night
• Results How has it improved your game overall: It has contributed to game growth over the last 3 years. Year 1 average registrants were ~10, and now Year 3 is ~18. Missed Participation Points have been great for building up our Championship and Trophy Pool contributions rather than players missing Events leaving potential $ on the table. I have had a season or two where a player bubbled the LeaderBoard all because they chose not to pick up 2 Missed Participation Points from an Event they were unable to attend. Other players saw that and now it is rare that players don't pick up missed points.

• Format Tournament or Cash: Tournament
• Behavior: Participation in games thePokerClub is partnered with
• Why reward it: To benefit other games as well and 'double dip' on engagement
• Trigger When exactly it earns points: Players that attend Events at partner clubs can get Participation Points for thePokerClub LeaderBoards
• Points Value or range: Specific value - 1 Participation Point per Event
• Limits Once per night, multiple time per night, season caps: Per Event; 10 Point cap for the season on thePokerClub LeaderBoards
• Feedback What your players have said about it: They like having more opportunities to play and thePokerClub host doesn't have to host more
• Results This is a new incentive started last month - so the full impact remains to be seen. I host thePokerClub events bi-monthly at this point as my schedule has become more busy. Several thePokerClub members asked to go back to a monthly frequency, so rather than add lift for me, I partnered with another club (host of that club also plays in thePokerClub) so that players could get thePokerClub LeaderBoard Participation Points for playing in that other game. Benefits the other host and players have more options. All in all, we both benefit.

 

[HiveKueen]

Hi,
At the highest level, awarding points, versus basing Championship qualifications on money winnings alone (as was the case in the league I used to play in) is a multi-faceted reward. Not sure how to fit this in into your template.

Playing:
• Format Tournament
• Behavior: playing
• Why reward it: to incentivize participation
• Trigger when player buys in
• Points depends on how many others play, how many total buyins, whether play rebought -i'd have to dig to know the value range
• Limits the 8 games in each season i guess
• Feedback I can tell that it motivates people to know they get points for playing
Results: it does foster participation.

Rank
• Format Tournament
• Behavior: rank finished (the higher the rank the more points you get)
• Why reward it: reward good play, motivate improving your game
• Trigger When player finishes
• Points depends on how many others play, how many total buyins, whether player rebought - I'd have to dig to know the value range
• Limits Once per night
• Feedback as league director, I would do this even if it weren't popular.
Results: the best players rise to the top each season, which, i hope, motivates people to improve their game.

Basically my points formula rewards playing (linearly), and, exponentially, finishing higher versus lower. It mildly punishes rebuys, tho not enough to disincentivize people from doing so!

Oh and...(Not in points formula)
• Format Tournament
• Behavior: finishing higher versus lower in the season standings - the starting stacks in the Championship are graduated downward from first to eight qualifier spot
• Why reward it: to keep even the likely championship qualifiers gunning to the very end of the season
• Trigger When exactly it earns points:
• Points It doesn't afford points, it affords a bigger chip stack in the Championship
• Limits the highest you can place in a season is 1st??
• Feedback I think they like it, but again I'd do it anyway.

Results it rewards participation and always playing your best.

You can read more about it at https://holdemhive.com/PointsFormulaExplained.pdf. I can't take credit for it.
HK

 

[Jaxen]

• Format Tournament
• Behavior: Outright tourney winner (we do 7-8 per year) gets a ~10% chip bonus at year-end Tournament of Champions
• Why reward it: Encourages players to not just "chop it" at heads up, and develop their heads-up games
• Trigger: When one player has all the chips
• Points: They get the champion's point tally for winning, and the year-end bonus
• Limits: It's a unit per player in the tournament they won up to 10% of the T of C starting stack
• Feedback: They don't say much about it at the end of a tournament, but love getting that bonus at the T of C.
• Results: We get some spirited heads-up matches!

 

[thePokerClub]

Results: the best players rise to the top each season, which, i hope, motivates people to improve their game.

I do believe that this is effective. Simply seeing yourself compared to others should promote a little competition in your mind. Get you thinking about what you could be doing differently to get different results.

You can read more about it at https://holdemhive.com/PointsFormulaExplained.pdf. I can't take credit for it.
HK

The chip art is such a cool idea when paired with the theme.....well done!

Point System looks good, not too complicated. It is interesting that you really do factor performance into the formula.

PS....I added to my original post something that I forgot. 2nd item.

 

[thePokerClub]

• Format Tournament
• Behavior: Outright tourney winner (we do 7-8 per year) gets a ~10% chip bonus at year-end Tournament of Champions
• Why reward it: Encourages players to not just "chop it" at heads up, and develop their heads-up games
• Trigger: When one player has all the chips
• Points: They get the champion's point tally for winning, and the year-end bonus
• Limits: It's a unit per player in the tournament they won up to 10% of the T of C starting stack
• Feedback: They don't say much about it at the end of a tournament, but love getting that bonus at the T of C.
• Results: We get some spirited heads-up matches!

I like that. Build up a 10% ToC bonus through the season.

Have you ever had someone win 50% or more of your Events and be deep stacked compared to others at the ToC?

 

[Jaxen]

I like that. Build up a 10% ToC bonus through the season.

Have you ever had someone win 50% or more of your Events and be deep stacked compared to others at the ToC?

Actually ... the T of C for '25 is on Jan. 3 ... I won our first 3 events this year and will have that edge over 4 other winners of events (and 2 who didn't win events). The last 2 years we've had players win 2 events (and they won the T of C). So we'll see how it goes in a few weeks.

 

[thePokerClub]

Actually ... the T of C for '25 is on Jan. 3 ... I won our first 3 events this year and will have that edge over 4 other winners of events (and 2 who didn't win events). The last 2 years we've had players win 2 events (and they won the T of C). So we'll see how it goes in a few weeks.

What does the year end bonus you mentioned typically look like? That is the winnings correct?

Any sort of trophy or anything as well?

 

[Moxie Mike]

Send me a PM and I'll share a link to our rules and points system if you're interested.

 

[Jaxen]

What does the year end bonus you mentioned typically look like? That is the winnings correct?

Any sort of trophy or anything as well?

Our base structures have a 2,000 starting stack and use T5s, so tourney winners with a field of 11-17 get a 200 chip bonus at the T of C (more or less around those parameters). I believe we have $360 in the pool this year, so it's $200/100/60 to the top 3, plus I have trinkets I acquire through the year I want gone from my house that I'll give to the 4th-7th (or 8th if there's a wild-card event among non qualifiers to beef up the pot) finishers. It's in 20 days, shoot me back a note and I'll let you know how it went.

And yes there's a trophy, an old ugly cup I got from Caesar's 25 years ago. We asked those who won it years ago to expand on it, so it's become the cup, a cheap medal and a gaudy faux chain.

 

[thePokerClub]

I believe we have $360 in the pool this year, so it's $200/100/60 to the top 3, plus I have trinkets I acquire through the year I want gone from my house that I'll give to the 4th-7th (or 8th if there's a wild-card event among non qualifiers to beef up the pot) finishers. It's in 20 days, shoot me back a note and I'll let you know how it went.

I like the chain . Curious how you seed the actual pool and for how long?

Good luck with the Event in a few days!

 

[Jaxen]

Curious how you seed the actual pool and for how long?

8-10% of each tourney prize pool goes to the T of C fund. It's small enough the cashers don't see it but enough over 7-8 tournaments for a nice prize in a freeroll.

 

[thePokerClub]

8-10% of each tourney prize pool goes to the T of C fund. It's small enough the cashers don't see it but enough over 7-8 tournaments for a nice prize in a freeroll.

Nice.

As the average number of players for my events has increased over the years, I have brought my % down. Would be great to get to 8-10% at some point. I have actually had a few players mention they don't want the contribution to change because we are currently projected a ~$7000 prize for that Champ tournament.

It is a Freeroll. 8 players, 4 are paid and 1st will take 52% so they actually only want to see that go up!

I consider it a good problem to have.

 

[Jaxen]

It is a Freeroll. 8 players, 4 are paid and 1st will take 52% so they actually only want to see that go up!

Yeah we pay 3 out of 8 players (we'd normally pay 2 if a tourney had that small a turnout), and it's a freeroll so the guys have no problem coming to try to win a couple months worth of beer money.
Yeah I cap the % for some events depending on the buy in and other factors. We don't play the same thing or structure twice (re-entry, slower WSOP-style event, short-handed, full on re-buy, mixed games, "mixed max", cash game for points) so circumstances dictate outcomes and my regular players enjoy it.

 

[thePokerClub]

@Jaxen how was your ToC event?

 

[Jaxen]

@Jaxen how was your ToC event?

It was a fun night with the guys. I had the biggest chip advantage thanks to winning 3 tournaments during the year ... and still managed to finish 5th out of 8 because I couldn't win a coin flip. Got rivered 3 times. 1st event of 2026 is in 8 days (the 24th)

 

[thePokerClub]

Thread Update - What We've Learned So Far

Wanted to pull together what's been shared so far. Some solid stuff in here that other hosts can steal.

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Participation Rewards
The baseline - points just for showing up.

Who	What	Key Insight
@thePokerClub	2 points per event attended	Missed Participation Points ($50 = 2 LBPs) keeps players from falling off the LeaderBoard when life gets in the way. Had a player bubble the standings because they skipped picking up missed points - now everyone does it.
@thePokerClub	1 point for attending partner club events	New this season - lets players earn points without me hosting more. Benefits both clubs.
@HiveKueen	Points scale with number of players/buyins	Participation is built into the formula so larger turnouts reward everyone more.

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Performance Rewards
Rewarding skill and finish position.

Who	What	Key Insight
@HiveKueen	Points based on finish rank (exponential scale)	Best players rise to the top each season. Formula mildly punishes rebuys but not enough to discourage them.
@Jaxen	Outright winner gets chip bonus at year-end ToC	Discourages lazy chops at heads-up. Players don't talk about it much during the season but love getting the bonus at the Championship.

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Championship / ToC Structure
How the end-of-season event gets funded and structured.

Who	What	Key Insight
@Jaxen	8-10% of each prize pool seeds the ToC freeroll	Small enough cashers don't notice, big enough to matter ($360 pool this year). Top 3 paid out of 8 qualifiers.
@Jaxen	Chip bonus based on tourney wins (10% of starting stack per win)	Creates graduated starting stacks at ToC.
@HiveKueen	Championship starting stacks graduated by season finish	Keeps qualifiers grinding through the final regular season events instead of coasting once they've locked a spot.

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What I Haven't Seen Yet
A few things I know clubs do that haven't come up:

• Bounty points - rewarding knockouts beyond just the cash
• High-hand bonuses - quads, straight flushes, etc.
• Referral rewards - points for bringing new members
• Attendance streaks - bonus for hitting X events in a row

Anyone running these? What's worked, what flopped (no pun intended)?

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@Moxie Mike - you mentioned a rules/points doc you'd share. Still happy to take a look if you want to post it or DM.
Thanks to everyone who's contributed. This is turning into a solid resource.

-Chris