First time player. First time host (3 Viewers)

[Aleck Hoag]

My friends and I decided to stop talking about hosting a game and actually get down to business. The problem is none of us have ever played poker before. I reached out to some other friends that I know have played plus some others that I figured would be interested and I amassed a pretty solid list of potential players. 8-12 really interested depending on scheduling, another 8 maybes. Of these 12 potential regulars only 2 have any poker experience and no one has done any serious play. In terms of materials, other than chips, I'm all set.

From reading the forum I've learned that "poker" is really dozens of different games and formats and Im feeling a bit lost on where to start as a host. What is the best format for a single table of new players? Should I attempt hosting two tables as a new host? I do have enough people for it, but also I don't yet know what I'm doing. My group of friends is also interested in black jack so I'd appreciate if anyone can explain how chip breakdowns and hosting works for that.

When it comes to chips I want to get custom Tinas and the set I designed supports 1|5|25|100|500|1000|5000|25000 tournament denominations. I know I won't need all denominations for a single set. I've come to enjoy chips as an artistic medium and would love to own each, or at least most, of them one day, so I'd like a hosting plan that allows me to grow into the game and expand my set in the future.

As far as I know none of my friends are big gamblers, so this is mainly a social event. If I went the cash games route, I think micro stakes with many buy ins would be preferred. $5-25 per buy in. In the future I think I could convince my friends to go up but not yet. For tournaments the buy-ins could range from $15-30. Knowing my crew they would rather play 2 fast tournaments, a tournament+cash, or tournament+blackjack per night than one large tournament. Side games like bounties, high hands, and any other ways to pay out more people would be appreciated. I saw one post that made each player submit scratch offs when buying in that could be awarded as prizes and thought that was pretty sweet.

So essentially, any advice on setting up a hosting plan as a beginner, for beginners, would be appreciated!

 

[Dodger]

Welcome! Since you are new to it all, one table is where you want to begin. I’d also suggest playing a micro stakes cash game to avoid worrying about setting up a blind structure, timing, eliminations, etc.

You are all new, so having a relaxing night and figuring out the flow of gameplay, correcting mistakes as you make/see them, and making sure you have the rules right are going to take a few games.

Start with hold ‘em as it’s the most well-known poker variant today, and most of your players have probably seen it on TV at some point.

If you play .05/.10, tell your crew that the buy-in is $10, and to plan on having 3 buy-ins for the night. That limits all your players to a max $30 loss. Set a defined time to play with a set stop time. Tell them Game 1 is going to be a night of learning.

This helps keep things friendly and allows everyone to know what to expect. It also allows you to host and play without feeling overly burdened with responsibilities.

Enjoy!

 

[Baldeagle9]

Welcome, tons of great info throughout this forum, enjoy!

 

[Jers28]

Welcome to PCF! You’re certainly in the right spot to get information.

 

[soccerdadof3]

Welcome to PCF! A lot of good information on the site that should help you get your game started. With regard to chips, search the threads for information so that you don't make some of the common mistakes on the quantities and denominations you will need to fit your game. From your post it looks like you have a good start.

Just keep it simple and keep it fun for all as you get started. Micro stakes is the way to go for cash games as it will limit any one person's losses as they learn the game. Some of the most fun I've had playing poker is a micro stakes family game. If the stakes grow in the future let it grow naturally, the most important thing to get the game going and keep it going is for everyone to enjoy the evening and the socialization with friends.

Tournaments are another good way to keep the individual cost down. Every Christmas we have a family tournament with 15-20 players and a $5 buy in. It includes everyone from Aunts and Uncles to 12 year old nieces and nephews and we have a blast.

 

[Machine]

Welcome!
​

We have a lot of great members, and we might even have a local member who could help you. Maybe share what city you're in?

There are a lot of finer points, but just getting the main stuff right can be a challenge even if you know what you are doing.

I would never advocate playing holdem, but its the easiest / most straightforward game, and you can watch it on youtube and or TV.

Start with understanding the ranking of hands. You really want someone who knows what they are doing. You could goto your local casino and play, unless you are not of age yet.

 

[Munchies11]

Welcome Aleck all the best in hosting and hoping the squad!

As a host there is a lot that goes into planning a game. My advise for your first couple games is keep it to single table from 6-10 players. This will allow you to feel it out and learn and get experience. If you expand too quick you may have a failing game. Once you get a few games under your belt you’ll be able to learn and be a better host and also be able to see which players you want back and to build off

Good luck brother !

 

[chippitydoodah]

Can I get invited?

 

[Kam]

Give Chris a watch

Cash Game

Tournament

GL!

 

[BPTDirector]

Lots of good advice here. Welcome!

Good Luck and most of all make it fun!

 

[Aleck Hoag]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll definitely stick to one table for now.

Start with hold ‘em as it’s the most well-known poker variant today, and most of your players have probably seen it on TV at some point.

I would never advocate playing holdem, but its the easiest / most straightforward game, and you can watch it on youtube and or TV.​

This place is a riot! I think I will start with hold em. Will I need different chip breakdowns for different games? I know no-limit and limit require different sets but will Omaha and co as well? If so are they better played with different sets or could I extend the NLHE set I get to support?

Welcome! Since you are new to it all, one table is where you want to begin. I’d also suggest playing a micro stakes cash game to avoid worrying about setting up a blind structure, timing, eliminations, etc.

You are all new, so having a relaxing night and figuring out the flow of gameplay, correcting mistakes as you make/see them, and making sure you have the rules right are going to take a few games.

...

If you play .05/.10, tell your crew that the buy-in is $10, and to plan on having 3 buy-ins for the night. That limits all your players to a max $30 loss. Set a defined time to play with a set stop time. Tell them Game 1 is going to be a night of learning.

This helps keep things friendly and allows everyone to know what to expect. It also allows you to host and play without feeling overly burdened with responsibilities.

This sounds like exactly what I want. I brought up tournaments because I wanted a way to cap potential losses for the night nut limiting buy-ins is a good idea too. There aren’t a lot of vendors of cheap 5¢ chips. I could get them from Tina but I'd have to wait a while. Perhaps the Pharaohs. I could also use 5-25-100-500 tournament chips.

Ive been playing around with starting stacks for micro stakes and I came up with the following breakdown:
150x 0.05
150x 0.25
100x 1
50x 5

450 chips
10x 15-13-6 $10 starting stacks

I then came across an old post that suggested:
100x 0.05
200x 0.25
100x 1
100x 5
25x 20

500 chips
10x 10-18-5 $10 starting stacks

Which would be better from a gameplay standpoint?

Start with understanding the ranking of hands. You really want someone who knows what they are doing. You could goto your local casino and play, unless you are not of age yet.

Is NLHE good for that or are there better games? I saw in a thread that a game called stud is good for beginners. Can I use the chip count above for that?

 

[Aleck Hoag]

Give Chris a watch

Cash Game

Tournament

GL!

I watched both of those. His cash breakdown is at higher stakes than my group will play, the tournament breakdown I plan on copying if I decide to host a tournament

Can I get invited?

View attachment 1572164

Sure once I know what's going on

 

[Dodger]

Which would be better from a gameplay standpoint?

5c/10c Mapping - $20 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds

Chip Denominations

5c/25c/$1/$5/$20

Max Buy In Starting Stacks

10x 5c (50c)
18x 25c ($4.50)
15x $1 ($15)

Chips Needed - 500 Total Chips

100x 5c ($5)
200x 25c ($50)
150x $1 ($150)
25x $5 ($125)
25x $20 ($500)


Total Bank: $830

This is for $20 starting stacks. Just reduce the number of $1’s to make your $10 starting stack. You can do rebuys with quarters and ones only, and players can make change with each other for the nickels.

 

[Aleck Hoag]

This is for $20 starting stacks. Just reduce the number of $1’s to make your $10 starting stack. You can do rebuys with quarters and ones only, and players can make change with each other for the nickels.

Nice pretty close to what I was thinking. Why fewer 5s in favor of 1s?

 

[BigGrizz]

One thing I would do (that I did) is to have a first night with no stakes just to learn. I did that with my group and we only met for like 3 hours. Play will be super slow and lots of questions will be asked. Its all good. As time goes on, things get faster. Once everyone is comfortable for the next game, add some low stakes.

My first game I hosted with some stakes, I actually fronted the prize. Winner got $40. 2nd got $20. 3rd got a six pack to take home. Everyone had fun and contributed pizza. It was a blast for only $60 out of pocket.

 

[Aleck Hoag]

One thing I would do (that I did) is to have a first night with no stakes just to learn. I did that with my group and we only met for like 3 hours. Play will be super slow and lots of questions will be asked. Its all good. As time goes on, things get faster. Once everyone is comfortable for the next game, add some low stakes.

My first game I hosted with some stakes, I actually fronted the prize. Winner got $40. 2nd got $20. 3rd got a six pack to take home. Everyone had fun and contributed pizza. It was a blast for only $60 out of pocket.

A couple no stakes nights are a good idea. Did you guys play cash or tournament style?

 

[BigGrizz]

With no stakes we played tournament style. 20k stacks. 12, 12, 5, 7, 2. Didnt color up. Blinds increased modestly each time we went around the table. Only had two players bust and immediately put them back in. Everyone was learning after all. Bets get wild and stupid but that's part of learning. Once I staked a game people tightened up.

My group are gamers not gamblers so any stakes have to be really low. Fronting a prize myself made everyone comfortable. They played like there was something on the line but no one had risk of loss.

 

[Aleck Hoag]

Do you know any good YouTubers for learning the different types of bets and how to bet? I don’t mean the difference between a call vs raise, but how to verbalize those actions. Basically what are the rules for what players allowed to say and how they say them? What are all the hand movements. There will be no one around to teach etiquette and call us out when we mess up

 

[BigGrizz]

Poker is more verbal. To check you just tap the table. Verbalize your calls. When you raise, say what you raise to. Being silent is great for super serious games. For a home game, just say it. It doesnt have to be super formal.

We dont do stuff like the one chip rule or anything. String betting isnt an issue when people verbalize. Here is a basic etiquette video, but dont sweat it. Have fun. Being uptight about etiquette makes people tense. My players dirty stack, have random stack heights and arrangements, and other small things that annoy the shit out of me, but I just let it go.

The only thing I harp on is to respect the fucking betting line! Lol

 

[Machine]

This place is a riot! I think I will start with hold em. Will I need different chip breakdowns for different games? I know no-limit and limit require different sets but will Omaha and co as well? If so are they better played with different sets or could I extend the NLHE set I get to support?

Should be able to use the same set, Pot Limit Omaha.

 

[Tarsus4]

Do you know any good YouTubers for learning the different types of bets and how to bet? I don’t mean the difference between a call vs raise, but how to verbalize those actions. Basically what are the rules for what players allowed to say and how they say them? What are all the hand movements. There will be no one around to teach etiquette and call us out when we mess up

I found these two videos from PokerStars to be a good intro, I sent them to my players when we started. Not entirely comprehensive but a good start.

 

[HiveKueen]

I endorse many of ideas all mentioned above...

keep is as simple as possible so - 1 game (e.g. Hold Em cause it is the most played of them all), play cash (not tournament), limit the stakes, promote the videos with your crew cause if even half of them watch that will be helpful. You may even want to start the first night by watching the videos together to address questions people WILL have!

Other suggestions...

Not being as die hard a chipper as most people on this forum, I'd recommend getting a cheap set of chips off FB MKtplc just in case your endeavor doesn't make a go of it. You can get oodles of chips for a tiny amount of money, though you're not likely to find denominated ones in of the preferred denominations.

I would also highly recommend using Venmo, or Paypal or CashApp or Zelle (but only one of these, not more than one!) to take money and to cash people out. This dramatically simplifies things. If you want to "promote" your game to hard cold cash down the road you could do so....but i wouldn't be surprised if you opt not to given how easy Venmo is!

I'll touch back if I think of anything else to add.
HiveKueen

 

[Tarsus4]

I would also highly recommend using Venmo, or Paypal or CashApp or Zelle (but only one of these, not more than one!) to take money and to cash people out. This dramatically simplifies things. If you want to "promote" your game to hard cold cash down the road you could do so....but i wouldn't be surprised if you opt not to given how easy Venmo is!

Seconded. I prefer cash in my game because that's what I'm used to but I let my players top-up with Zelle if they want (whatever helps money get on the table). This works because I have a bank of about 5 buy-ins that I keep in low denominations to make change at the end of the night.

Speaking of making change... if you do use cash you will often not have exact change. Have a rule for how you will handle that. At my house we chip-race for the fracs (flip a card for each odd 25c chip each player has, top X high-cards get a dollar). Or you could play a winner-take-all hand of hold'em or anything else that people are comfortable with, people tend not to care about literal coins.

But yeah, digital would be simpler nowadays if everyone's set up for it.

 

[ekricket]

Poker is a game of turns and information.
You can do whatever you want ON YOUR TURN.
You can’t do anything if it’s not your turn. Not even ask a question, (unless that question is “whose turn is it”) because it’s not your turn.

Want to make a bet? Wait until your turn.
Want to fold? Wait until your turn.
Wonder how much is in the pot or how much a bet is? Wait until your turn to ask.

When you act out of turn, you give information to other players. This may give somebody an advantage during the hand. When you ask a question out of turn you MAY be signifying your intent -out of turn.

These are surprisingly the hardest things for newbs to get, because some of them play for decades and still act out of turn. #1 seat says “all in” and #9 seat immediately asks “how much is it” even though there are four other players in. The question should be ignored until it’s their turn.

 

[Jeevansluck]

Welcome!

If you have enough players for an MTT, or a 2 table game, don’t be afraid to run it. I started with 2 table games right out the gate. I quickly acquired 2 poker tables and dove right in.

There is plenty of information right here on PCF to see you through. Structure. Chips. All information you need is here. You can find amazing posts by amazing members like @TheRealStephen12 or @BGinGA and a few others. I’ve personally never had a “failing” game as previously mentioned because I had too many people. More the better. Always be recruiting, I say. If I can get more people, I want to expand to 3 tables.

Anyways, it’s a lot of fun. There are enough resources here for a new host to find his/her footing for an STT or MTT.

May i suggest a hot dog roller and good music! My group loves the dogs!

 

[Taghkanic]

10x 5c (50c)
18x 25c ($4.50)
15x $1 ($15)

This recommendation above of non-barrel breakdowns is much more typical for tournament buy-ins than cash in my experience.

As a longtime cash host, I absolutely would *not* recommend doling out lots of chips for cash games in quantities less a barrel, unless you really like (a) making mistakes, (b) getting fussy, and (c) your players counting their chips seventeen times and always somehow thinking they got the wrong amount. Unless (d) your players actually demand odd amounts.

It just makes life infinitely easier especially as buyins come at you fast as gametime approaches. By keeping chips in racks in barrels of 20, you can easily see and calculate what you are doling out, and also what you have left. Yeah, you can always set up your initial buyins in advance. But that counting thing (c, above) will come in. And also in a cash game no one is required to buy in for the max, so you may have to break down those pre-created stacks.

I’d suggest a $15 buy-in, i.e. 150 big blinds max which is fairly common... broken down as:

20 x .05 = $1
40 x .25 = $10
4 x $1 = $4

The four $1s is breaking the barrels rule, but is necessary due to the stakes... Still it is a lot harder to mess up giving out three barrels plus 4 high-denoms than multiple odd-sized stacks of 10, 15, 18 etc. (Another way to go might be to make the buy-in $11, then you only give each player one $1 chip to start.)

I’d also suggest that any rebuys be made only in $1s, with players getting change from neighbors i.e. what is already on the table.

If you have 9 players and you want to be prepared for a total of about 25 max buy-ins (on the high side) over the course of the night, including the initial rebuys, you are going to want a set of about 800 chips, I would say. You might want this to include a barrel of $5s just in case.

 

[Aleck Hoag]

And also in a cash game no one is required to buy in for the max, so you may have to break down those pre-created stacks.

Should a minimum be set or should I allow someone to buy in for a few bucks and give them all quarters? Perhaps introducing 1¢? Also how to deal with cashing people out in the middle of a game? This aspect seems particularly complicated. What appeals to me about tournament play is paying everyone out at one time. Perhaps home rules about certain cash out breaks?

I’d suggest a $15 buy-in, i.e. 150 big blinds max which is fairly common... broken down as:

20 x .05 = $1
40 x .25 = $10
4 x $1 = $4

I like this. I prefer to buy even racks of chips anyway. It should work with black jack as well

 

[Tarsus4]

As a longtime cash host, I absolutely would *not* recommend doling out lots of chips for cash games in quantities less a barrel, unless you really like (a) making mistakes, (b) getting fussy, and (c) your players counting their chips seventeen times and always somehow thinking they got the wrong amount. Unless (d) your players actually demand odd amounts.

I agree...ish. Another option is to set up the initial buy-ins on the table in advance. Barrels make things easier but they're not THAT important for initial buy-ins (rebuys, yes).

I’d suggest a $15 buy-in, i.e. 150 big blinds max which is fairly common... broken down as:

20 x .05 = $1
40 x .25 = $10
4 x $1 = $4

That's a lot of quarters, 40 per player? You could have later players buy change off the first players, but why not just give out one barrel each in the first place? 20/20/9 = $15. That's still enough change for the table.

And be careful if you're handling cash, nobody's going to give you $15 in exact change, be prepared with a bunch of extra $5s. Or set the buy-in to $10 and be prepared with a bunch of extra $10s (which people will give back to you for rebuys). Or go to $20 if you think your game supports that.

 

[Taghkanic]

Should a minimum be set or should I allow someone to buy in for a few bucks and give them all quarters? Perhaps introducing 1¢?

Cash games almost always have both a minimum and a maximum buyin.

Sometimes they are uncapped, meaning an unlimited maximum. Other games allow the maximum to increase to half the biggest stack as the night goes on. So say someone ran their stack up to $50, now the max allowed becomes $25.

I've never heard of a game without a minimum. (It would be super-annoying if someone kept buying back in for 25 cents and shoving every hand preflop, right?) In casinos the minimum is somewhere between 30-60 BB depending on the stakes.

Also how to deal with cashing people out in the middle of a game? This aspect seems particularly complicated. What appeals to me about tournament play is paying everyone out at one time. Perhaps home rules about certain cash out breaks?

I've never heard anything like that for a cash game. Players can cash out anytime.

Good etiquette generally prevents people from cashing out soon after winning a big pot—"hitting and running"—but it happens plenty. That said doing so is usually a ticket to losing your invitation to future games.

As host I try to cash people out as immediately as possible when they ask, unless something is going on that demands my attention. If I'm also playing in the game I will usually tell the dealer to deal me out the next hand.

It's not often that these happen all at once, except when you get down to shorthanded play and people decide the night is over. Then you may have to do 2-4 cashouts in a row. But during the game you're realistically only dealing with one at a time, spaced well apart.

 

[Taghkanic]

I agree...ish. Another option is to set up the initial buy-ins on the table in advance. Barrels make things easier but they're not THAT important for initial buy-ins (rebuys, yes).



That's a lot of quarters, 40 per player? You could have later players buy change off the first players, but why not just give out one barrel each in the first place?

The quarters are going to be the main chip in play at 5¢/10¢. Sometimes called the workhorse chip.

The 5¢ pieces are mainly going to be used preflop, and sometimes only for the blinds, depending on how precise people are being with their bets; and to make small change.

Say for example someone makes a standard open of 2.5x -- .10 x 2.5 = 25 cents -- one chip. The button raises to 70¢ -- three chips, waiting for 5¢ change. The small blind folds. The big blind calls, putting out two more fives and two 25s. The opener folds.

The pot after change is made contains four 5¢ chips and five 25¢ chips, $1.45 pot.

After the flop the 3better continuation bets 80¢ (one five and three 25) and the big blind calls with a $1 chip, taking four fives in change.

Pot going to the river is $2.05, and consists of four 5¢, eight 25¢ and one $1 chips.

Big blind donks the river for $2.25 and the other guy folds.

BB claws back a pot consisting mainly of 25 cent chips.

So if you don't want players to be constantly making change with the pot and with each other, it pays to have loads more workhouse chips than the bare minimum.

Plus, many recreational players enjoy having bigger stacks and play more loosely when they do...