First time player. First time host (5 Viewers)

[Tarsus4]

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?

As I understand the etiquette, the best practice is to give an orbit's notice of your intent to cash-out (an easy way to do it is to announce on your last big blind and leave when it gets around to you again). That way there's no impression that you're leaving just because you want to lock up winnings from a good hand. Of course, if you bust you can just pick up and go.

For the rest of the table, I found it's helpful to have a known end time and have that be the beginning of the last orbit (set an alarm). That way people aren't all fidgeting wondering who should be the first to say "it's getting late..." Go with what's convenient for you as a host, if you want to go to bed at midnight start kicking people out at 11:15 or so =)

 

[Taghkanic]

As far as having cash for change -- For a game with these stakes, you're going to need a lot of small bills.

I might suggest that players be encouraged to round down to the nearest quarter when cashing out. Gets a little silly having to keep a ton of nickels to give out $32.35 as a payout. The spare nickels can go to some beer fund or a high hand jackpot or something.

 

[Taghkanic]

My other main suggestion would be that if all of the players are totally inexperienced, you may want to find someone to play in or referee the first few games who knows the game and the rules.

It could be pretty fun in a way to play blind with no one really knowing how to do it... But 100% of what I learned about how a poker game is supposed to work in my first few years came from being around much more experienced players.

Of course some of these proved to be oldschool players who were adhering to slightly outdated rules and customs, but they were way more in the ballpark than my guesswork would have been...