We play a weekly $1/$2 with a $300 buy in, match the stacks rebuys and add ons, optional button calls the bomb pots after every mono suited flop (usually start at $10, but routinely ends up at $100 because we are psychos), dealer and food provided, no rake. Each player kicks in $20 for food/beverages, but even that is optional. We had a waiting list most of the night Saturday night and over 12k on the table by the end of the night. It’s not always that big, but $6k is about as low as it’s been all summer. I only started hosting again in late April after nearly a ten year hiatus, minus the occasional small stakes game with friends and family.
Having said that, the nearest casino is 2 hours a way.
I have a core of six players that are here like clockwork, including my soon to be 15 year old son. The others are a steady rotation and several of us are constantly recruiting. And I give $100 in chips to any first time player as a bonus.
We also play smaller stakes tournaments every four to six weeks to attract new players to the room. The room itself does a pretty good job convincing most to stick around for at least a few cash sessions.
I don’t allow anyone to get out of hand, whether it’s booze, drugs, temper, etc. One warning and then you’re banned, so it’s a family friendly environment.
We’ve haven’t had any issues yet, as I try my best to explain to new players this is not the game for just everyone. The regs can all afford to lose a grand or more and no one is hurt financially or as their feeling hurt. If you buy in with $100-$200, you’d better get off to a smoking hot start or you’re just giving your money away. I added on to $800 on Saturday before I played a single hand post flop. My son didn’t join us until around 10pm (he was on the wait list as he failed to RSVP/said initially he was taking the weekend off) and when I text him to tell him a seat was available, I told him don’t even sit unless you’re going to buy in for at least a grand. By that time, a few of us had stacks of $3k ish.
It has been a lot of work to fill the last few seats each week, but tbh, I think that’s mostly due to summer vacations, kids out of school, etc. I must have heard from 20+ players last week alone that said they couldn’t wait to get back to the game after Labor Day.
I definitely agree you need to decide what tone you want for your game. Mine is not a sit back a shoot the shit with your friends casually game. We laugh and have fun, but some nights, my pulse will stay above 120 or so all night from the extremely uncomfortable spots we put each other in. But, that’s the fun for me. The tournaments I could give 2 shits about. I’ll BS with the boys and barely pay attention when the buy in is $50-100. Otherwise, we are all out for blood, but in the best way possible. I mean, my own son and I bash heads as often as anyone.
I’ve talked about lowering the stakes and the general consensus is on the main table, they prefer $1/$2 that with straddles, plays much bigger. We had a quadruple straddle hand Saturday night. And half the guys bet $100 on the side for a black or red flop. Degenerates!!! Once we get settled after Labor Day, I’m planning on having a side table with 50¢/$1 blinds and a $100 max buy in. We will see what that does for the room as a whole. Hopefully it gives the tournament players another option.
If you aren’t willing to constantly recruit and hopefully have some help doing so, I’d lower the stakes. There’s no doubt my turnover would be less if we played smaller.
