Hello from Michigan, Thanks Chris Manzoni for the invite (1 Viewer)

[OneGearManySpeeds]

What a great community! Can't wait to get a little more established here with the "join protocols" Found this forum through watching Chris Manzoni on YouTube... I use the perfect starting stacks from Chris's tutorials, what a great resource. I run a similar home game... Longtime friends and friends of friends and sons. Generally around 7 to 15 people. The motivation has always been to provide an environment where people have fun, feel safe, etc. I've reached out to the web for advise on how to deal with things like multiple tables, starting stacks, rebuys, etc. Still learning but love playing. Graduated from dice chips to a set of 800 Pharaoh's China Clay from Apache Poker and run a tournament see of denominations. Have been thinking about moving to a cash game chip denoms and allowing rebuys so my friends aren't sitting around waiting for the next game. Still seeking direction on the following. I guess I'll just post them below and welcome any advice.

Little more context. I run a starting set of 8, 8, 6, 6, 2 of (25, 100, 500, 1000, 5000) and have allowed one rebuy if the chip leader agrees. This has amounted to people sitting around. I have done $20 buy ins and that works perfect for the group. We generally play two games an evening totaling 40 a night per person.

Thinking of running a cash game of 20 per buy in and allowing additional buys and just run one continuous game per evening. I want some cap over the cash game because we have a mixed group of my friends and our sons. The older generation will push the pots and our sons are just happy to be playing for 20. I'm sure I'm not the only home game in this situation. Advocacy is important as well and we often have a new player who's just learning as well. We play a $20 buy in, limited to no rebuys and winner take all.

I'm thinking Chris Manzoni's recommendation of a $45 buy in and that get's you a stack of chips and a $5 bounty chip. Also thinking 2nd place gets their buy-in back. This would spread the payouts a little more and I like the idea of players leaving with something other than "less $20"

QUESTIONS
- how would you manage rebuy's and how many? half way through the game I see friends bored and watching now.

- In the past when a player does rebuy I make another stack of 8, 8, 6, 6, 2 but chris says he uses a single large denim chip for rebuys? So how's that work when they sit down? do they have to imediately make change at the table with other players? how's that work?

- If a player rebuys multiple times how's that work with the imbalance of chip stacks? at the third rebuy you may have a player with the big stack at 5 or 6x times the starting stack and a player entering with a starter stack? How's the imbalance effect play?

I'll stop there. Thanks again Chris for a wonderful YouTube channel and wonderful pieces of wisdom.

 

[Szczesnk]

Welcome to the community, also from Michigan here! I run a similar $20 dollar two table tournament and a $1/$2 cash game. Tournaments for me are a laid back feel with the intention of bringing in new players to learn without a big risk. Cash games require a lot more investment and are much juicier than tournaments so it's typically more experienced players.

For tournaments it's nice to have a rebuy period, through a certain level. For me it's level 7 and one can buy in as many times as they want through that period. I recommend using a tournament manager program to handle the levels and blinds. I use an app called Blinds are up, through the play store, not sure if it's on the Apple store.

I'm not a big fan of bounty tournaments with only 1 or 2 tables it typically just means more money for the people who cash anyway so why not just make the buy in $25 instead of $20 plus a $5 bounty. But that's just my opinion.

 

[lane_robert_s]

Welcome

 

[Szczesnk]

For rebuys it depends for me on when they rebuy. If they are knocked out first level let's say I will give them a standard buy in stack again. If it's later and the lower denoms aren't needed as much I will give them fewer of those and more higher denoms. I like to have a few options ready to go depending on when they are rebuying.

 

[Tonysquander]

Welcome to PCF!

 

[OneGearManySpeeds]

Welcome to the community, also from Michigan here! I run a similar $20 dollar two table tournament and a $1/$2 cash game. Tournaments for me are a laid back feel with the intention of bringing in new players to learn without a big risk. Cash games require a lot more investment and are much juicier than tournaments so it's typically more experienced players.

For tournaments it's nice to have a rebuy period, through a certain level. For me it's level 7 and one can buy in as many times as they want through that period. I recommend using a tournament manager program to handle the levels and blinds. I use an app called Blinds are up, through the play store, not sure if it's on the Apple store.

I'm not a big fan of bounty tournaments with only 1 or 2 tables it typically just means more money for the people who cash anyway so why not just make the buy in $25 instead of $20 plus a $5 bounty. But that's just my opinion.

That’s a great idea using an ap. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best app in the Apple Store. I see quite a few options. But not the app “blinds are up” unfortunately. I don’t mind paying a bit.

 

[OneGearManySpeeds]

For rebuys it depends for me on when they rebuy. If they are knocked out first level let's say I will give them a standard buy in stack again. If it's later and the lower denoms aren't needed as much I will give them fewer of those and more higher denoms. I like to have a few options ready to go depending on when they are rebuying.

Thanks for the reply. So do you cutoff re buys at a certain level? Is there a format where players just play all night and rebuy and it never reaches heads up? And maybe the top 3 players get a payout? Is this a format?

 

[mike32]

Seeing many Michigan people on here lately. South Lyon guy right here. Have friends from all over SE Michigan on this site!

 

[Szczesnk]

Thanks for the reply. So do you cutoff re buys at a certain level? Is there a format where players just play all night and rebuy and it never reaches heads up? And maybe the top 3 players get a payout? Is this a format?

Yes, I will stop rebuys after level 6 or 7 depending on the structure. I always play to a single winner, typically around level 12 or so...the app handles all the payouts, very user friendly you can set it up however you like.

 

[LowerBama1714]

A Hoy!

 

[detroitdad]

The op has to many words for me lol. Where in Michigan? If you are in the Ann Arbor area there are a bunch of us that routinely host. If you're interested in cash games, hit me up.

Bill

 

[Chris Manzoni]

Welcome, and thank you so much for the kind words!

 

[BottomPair7]

Hello and welcome! I'm more of a 12/12/5/6/2 mind of guy myself, but cash is definitely the way to go.
Kyle

 

[allforcharity]

Hello and welcome!

If it's early enough in the tournament and you have enough/can afford the chips, then give out standard starting stacks. If it's later in the tournament or you don't have enough/can't afford the chips, then use the highest denominations only.

 

[OneGearManySpeeds]

The op has to many words for me lol. Where in Michigan? If you are in the Ann Arbor area there are a bunch of us that routinely host. If you're interested in cash games, hit me up.

Bill

Thanks man. Not in that area but at this point I only play games that I host and only friends of friends. But I like to run things right. Love the advice I’m getting from this forum. Thanks.

 

[detroitdad]

Thanks man. Not in that area but at this point I only play games that I host and only friends of friends. But I like to run things right. Love the advice I’m getting from this forum. Thanks.

I think I'm a pretty good host. One of the ways that I improved my hosting abilities was by attending games at other peoples houses. Here are a few of the guys that I have learned from.

@mike32 @ChaosRock @WedgeRock (15 years ago), and @Marc Hedrick

 

[OneGearManySpeeds]

I think I'm a pretty good host. One of the ways that I improved my hosting abilities was by attending games at other peoples houses. Here are a few of the guys that I have learned from.

@mike32 @ChaosRock @WedgeRock (15 years ago), and @Marc Hedrick

That’s a really amazing point I never thought of attending a home cash game to gain insights and best practices. I’d be open to that. What stakes, buying and starting stacks to you run?

 

[detroitdad]

That’s a really amazing point I never thought of attending a home cash game to gain insights and best practices. I’d be open to that. What stakes, buying and starting stacks to you run?

I host cash games exclusively. .25/.50 blinds, $100 max buy in. We play dealers choice, orbit +1. If I call double board PLO. We play an entire orbit of it. Ideal the game twice. The person to my left then calls the next game. No wild card games. Everything is pretty much a variant of Omaha, Draw, or stud.

Occasionally I will host a limit game ( in two weeks), or a 1/1 fixed rotation game.

 

[Knoxymoron]

That’s a great idea using an ap. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best app in the Apple Store. I see quite a few options. But not the app “blinds are up” unfortunately. I don’t mind paying a bit.

I tried out Poker Timer for my league last season and it worked well. It's easy to use and did the things I needed it to do. I think its only around $5 to unlock all the features.

That’s a really amazing point I never thought of attending a home cash game to gain insights and best practices. I’d be open to that. What stakes, buying and starting stacks to you run?

@detroitdad is right. I myself have learned a lot from other peoples home games. I'm always looking for ways to improve the way I do things and this is a great way to do it.

 

[OneGearManySpeeds]

Thanks for the tip! I’m heading into the Apple Store now to check that out and a few others. Appreciate the recommendation.