I do this both for my bad beat jackpot in cash games and my league tournament POY and Tournament of Champions.
I also would have zero issues playing in someone else's game who also did this, even if I wasn't a qualifier.
Do you take rake when hosting a game? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ghostpoker
- Start date
I also would have zero issues playing in someone else's game who also did this, even if I wasn't a qualifier.
You have a BBJ. Im coming play.
It's only $300 or so right now. We hit it a month ago. It was nearly $2k
Preditor
Pair
Like I know Johnny Law is unlikely to come at me for a monthly $40 poker game.
But I still like to know what's on the up and up for reference.
My reasoning is, you're pooling money together for a determinate amount of time anyway (one night). What is the legal difference if that determinate amount of time is 10-12 months, as long as you tell people that reference?
That's my defense. Texas law says I can't profit from hosting poker. The BBJ and League fees are not a profit and will be paid out to a player at some point.
I figure of DPD is raiding my game, I've got bigger things to worry about.
Rhodeman77
Straight Flush
They can’t be bothered to stop people from climbing your 12’ razor wired wall, errr fence, to steal bikes each week, I doubt your poker game will register on their radar. Of course you actually have money to pay the fines they would levy again you, so you may want to be careful.
They showed up three days later when our car was stolen, lol.
Samuel
Straight
I would suggest contacting one of the many criminal defense attorney firms here in LA (since they would likely be the people defending you - and that's IF it gets filed at all by POS gASScon's office and that's IF LE gets a complaint from someone about your game And they don't have anything more important going on at the time...). POS gASScon is more interested in prosecuting public safety personnel (police/fire) than real criminals/repeat offenders - I'd be very surprised if any of our "average" poker games would show up on their radar at all...
Option A: Each player voluntarily kicks in some money when they cash out to help cover the food and drink. Game is unraked.
Option B: 5% is taken from any pot of 100BB or more until the food or drink cost is covered. After that, no rake.
————
Advantage of A: The game is unraked and legal.
Problem with A: Some players forget to contribute. Some players cheap out, so others end up carrying the cost. The host has to nag if too many forget, or else carry the cost him/herself.
Advantages of B: No nagging. Expenses are carried more by the winners than the losers.
Problem with B: The game is technically raked, and therefore illegal.
—————
I didn’t debate these choices until recently, when my costs for dinner, drinks and snacks escalated to $125+ per game. At 20 games per year that makes for $2,500-$3,000 (nevermind the other costs of hosting).
I never ask for contributions, but about half of the players typically kick in $10-$20.
Another game I play in goes the “rake very large pots only, and only until the dinner/drinks are covered” route. It generally takes only 5-6 big pots in a 2/5 game to get to the goal.
It works pretty well. I polled my own players and they were almost unanimous in supporting this option. Probably going that route in the new year.
Option B: 5% is taken from any pot of 100BB or more until the food or drink cost is covered. After that, no rake.
————
Advantage of A: The game is unraked and legal.
Problem with A: Some players forget to contribute. Some players cheap out, so others end up carrying the cost. The host has to nag if too many forget, or else carry the cost him/herself.
Advantages of B: No nagging. Expenses are carried more by the winners than the losers.
Problem with B: The game is technically raked, and therefore illegal.
—————
I didn’t debate these choices until recently, when my costs for dinner, drinks and snacks escalated to $125+ per game. At 20 games per year that makes for $2,500-$3,000 (nevermind the other costs of hosting).
I never ask for contributions, but about half of the players typically kick in $10-$20.
Another game I play in goes the “rake very large pots only, and only until the dinner/drinks are covered” route. It generally takes only 5-6 big pots in a 2/5 game to get to the goal.
It works pretty well. I polled my own players and they were almost unanimous in supporting this option. Probably going that route in the new year.
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loosechange101
High Hand
Never raked myself but this is an interesting one. Having the winners contribute to snacks & drinks (if not entirely, but at least partially) does take the edge off.
Would consider this in the future, nice tip!
Rakrul
Straight
I won't comment on the legal stuff since I have no idea, but what I've done is to a make league where I "rake" an amount of the buy in to the league pot. After 9 tournaments, where your top 6 counts, the top 10 are invited to the season finale "Final Table". The winner of the league gets 20% of the league pot. The remaining 80% are added to the season finale prize pool. Your start stack depends on how you did in the league, so the better you do, the bigger start stack you get. You get minimum 10k, maximum 17k and the tournament lasts about 6 hours.
I don't do BBJ, high hand or anything like that.
I'm a big fan of this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Cardrooms-Everything-Better-Analysis-Improvement-ebook/dp/B0921G58RL
and although it's focused on casinos/professional rooms, it has a lot of valid points for home games as well. The main point is that you need a proper balance between luck and skill, so you get the fish to come back. People have different incentives to play. In home games in particular, the social aspect is bigger than in casinos, but the fish won't pay an arm and a leg to socialize and they need to take down a winning session now and then to come back. Don't worry about the winners, they'll come back regardless so you don't need to cater to them other than providing fish.
So you want to reward the fish, not the GTO wizard that got sucked out by the fish. BBJ is a safety net, but it's a net for the good the players because they're rarely gonna be a massive underdog anyways. Also, you don't want to make it too big. I don't know the stakes of @CraigT78's game, but $2k will usually just mean that the money is removed from that poker economy and spent on something else. If anything, you want to give money to the fish, because that will benefit the winners as well, as it will usually end up in their stack anyways.
This is actually a good argument to do high hand bonus as the fish will play more hands than the regs and call down too much so they're more likely to win the high hand instead of BBJ.
I don't do BBJ, high hand or anything like that.
I'm a big fan of this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Cardrooms-Everything-Better-Analysis-Improvement-ebook/dp/B0921G58RL
and although it's focused on casinos/professional rooms, it has a lot of valid points for home games as well. The main point is that you need a proper balance between luck and skill, so you get the fish to come back. People have different incentives to play. In home games in particular, the social aspect is bigger than in casinos, but the fish won't pay an arm and a leg to socialize and they need to take down a winning session now and then to come back. Don't worry about the winners, they'll come back regardless so you don't need to cater to them other than providing fish.
So you want to reward the fish, not the GTO wizard that got sucked out by the fish. BBJ is a safety net, but it's a net for the good the players because they're rarely gonna be a massive underdog anyways. Also, you don't want to make it too big. I don't know the stakes of @CraigT78's game, but $2k will usually just mean that the money is removed from that poker economy and spent on something else. If anything, you want to give money to the fish, because that will benefit the winners as well, as it will usually end up in their stack anyways.
This is actually a good argument to do high hand bonus as the fish will play more hands than the regs and call down too much so they're more likely to win the high hand instead of BBJ.
WTF is a BBJ?
(other than big blow job, which obviously is NOT the case)
(other than big blow job, which obviously is NOT the case)
Rakrul
Straight
Bad Beat JackpotWTF is a BBJ?
(other than big blow job, which obviously is NOT the case)
The legal stuff has been covered but why would you want to have a parasitic relationship with your friends. Friends are not parasites.
What sort of friend would do that?
mconn116
Pair
I don’t rake when I host at my place, granted my main group consists mostly of very close friends and family (with sometimes a friend of a friend getting the invite if they’re vouched for) and I generally just enjoy having the guys over for a fun night of friendly poker. Most of the time the guys will tip the house a little or contribute towards food/drinks etc. For example, I host and keep a pretty stocked bar and selection of brews, someone else will bring some snacks over, maybe someone else picks up some wings or something too, and everyone usually ends up bringing a 6 pack or bottle of whatever they want to sip on or will throw a few dollars my way so it tends to even out.
tompoker
Sitting Out
Not typically, although I only host for a few people.
Same here, 10% of each game's pot is swept for EOY freeroll in tourneys. Used to take 5% of that sweep for a high hand and BBJ winner, but stopped.
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Tonystark137
3 of a Kind
Pretty much this. I host for my friends; I don't need to “tax” my friends for coming over and playing.
If you play in my league(not mandatory) you pay a one time $50 league fee that is 100% paid out to the top 3 places end of season. Also, one buy in a month is put in the league prize fund. All money is paid out, so I get nothing unless I win, just like everyone else. I have several regulars that play outside of the league for the monthly prizes, knowing that a buy in is held back from the monthly pool for league prizes and they have absolutely no problem with that.
This said, I provide a monthly food item and snacks out of my pocket for those who come, and yes some months a hot dog roller is involved. My players enjoy top notch chips, cards, good tables, and Gasser chairs, no charge, its my treat. And yes, they love it!
This said, I provide a monthly food item and snacks out of my pocket for those who come, and yes some months a hot dog roller is involved. My players enjoy top notch chips, cards, good tables, and Gasser chairs, no charge, its my treat. And yes, they love it!
I like this idea. Maybe for cash games people could pay a one time yearly “due”.
Sal Bandini
Pair
Option C: Host doesn't provide any food or drinks. Players bring their own. You just saved yourself $3k/year.
JLK8
Sitting Out
If you're going to take a rake usually players want to see it be less than the casino nearby. Home games imo are most of the time always better than the casino anyways. You can provide food, snacks, beer/drinks and take requests from your players too. Some people might want to request candy or liquor etc. However you do it just make sure you dont lose money at the end of buying things for players of course.
Chubbs
Pair
Nope, that’s what turns a friendly home game in to an illegal card room in WA state.
PlzLetMeWin
Waiting List
Nope haven’t ever taken a rake.
NotRealNameNoSir
4 of a Kind
Waaaayyy too late for that! Ship has sailed.
In the UK, as soon as you take a rake you essentially become a casino and would need a gaming licence, registered business etc.etc.
I know of some home games that do take a rake, but as has been said before all it takes is a careless comment and then you as the host are liable to prosecution, fines and all that stuff.
I know of some home games that do take a rake, but as has been said before all it takes is a careless comment and then you as the host are liable to prosecution, fines and all that stuff.
davesilver88
Two Pair
Nope
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