Home Game Do's/Dont's - Advice? (1 Viewer)

DrBill

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Anyone have any advice for starting up a home game rotation about twice a month? I'm thinking about doing cash one time and tourney the next, but definitely open to any/all ideas!

Do ya'll pay dealers?

Do ya'll do high hands? If so, how do you regulate?

Do ya'll ever take donations as hosts for your costs? Would this be a douche move? (btw, I won't take rake for myself. Only if we are doing a high hand promotion or something.)
 
Anyone have any advice for starting up a home game rotation about twice a month? I'm thinking about doing cash one time and tourney the next, but definitely open to any/all ideas!

Do ya'll pay dealers?

Do ya'll do high hands? If so, how do you regulate?

Do ya'll ever take donations as hosts for your costs? Would this be a douche move? (btw, I won't take rake for myself. Only if we are doing a high hand promotion or something.)
Rotate the deal, or if someone wants to do it, buy them a six pack as a thank you. Cash games, he will get tips if your players are cool.

We don't do a high hand, but some do. Everything throws in 10 bucks, or rake a dollar a hand in a cash game. High hand at the end of the night gets it.

Never take a rake. I don't take donations at my place past a random tip in a cash game or a player bringing pizza as a thank you. Past that, I'm happy to use nice chips over terrible stuff....
 
Do ya'll pay dealers?
When I play with my buddies we almost always self-deal. If somebody gets stacked and doesn't want to buy back in, usually he'll pick up dealing.
Do ya'll do high hands?
I've never done a high hand personally, because I'm firmly in the camp of "don't ever show unless you have to." I'd rather run a little home-game bad beat jackpot, but the second you carry the jackpot pool over to another session you could be considered taking a rake. Granted, I've never really been afraid of cops knocking down my door over a friendly .50/1 game, but imo it doesn't add enough fun to warrant the agita. I'll happily play with a rock and occasional bomb pot instead to spice things up.
Do ya'll ever take donations as hosts for your costs? Would this be a douche move?
I consider my game a mini training ground for my friends, at least insofar as etiquette and protocol go, so I appreciate when my guys toss a couple fracs my way after they win a nice-sized pot, especially since I always have booze and food on hand and if there's a PPV on I'll show it. I never expect anything, and have just as much fun when they give me nothing, but I always hammered it into their heads (even before we had organized games) that tipping dealers and waitstaff at casinos/card rooms is super important so it's nice when they do try to put that into action. Again though, I never expect or ask for it, which is I think the line for whether it's a douche move.

Imho you're an idiot if you turn down a "tip," but a prick if you demand/expect one.

EDIT: clarity
 
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People bringing their own booze and/or food is culture-dependent.
In my country it's perfectly OK (if not mandatory) to bring some booze or food as a gift, while hosts asking any money from guests would be totally indecent (you 'd better call each other's mom a whore).

A dedicated, non-playing dealer is a rare luxury, but certainly do it if you can.
Personally, I 'd totally ban hand-dependent tips and pay the person by the hour (plus possibly some tip by winning players upon cash-out).
 
In my country it's perfectly OK (if not mandatory) to bring some booze or food as a gift, while hosts asking any money from guests would be totally indecent (you 'd better call each other's mom a whore).
I think @Coyote hit the nail on the head, asking for renumeration is shameless and not very friendly, unless it's something that clearly requires renumeration. Ex., I will never ask to be paid back for beer or pizza, but if you break something you better replace it lol

I think also age influences this as well as cultural background. Me and my friends are pretty fresh out of college and working our first real jobs (if we aren't unemployed now lol). People my age will literally send the same $20s amongst each other for ubers/beers/food/what have you, so I think it's a little different than when you're settled into your lot in life. Idk, I might also just be a douche :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

And yes @Coyote any mother talk in my family's culture is a punch in the mouth hahah
 
Anyone have any advice for starting up a home game rotation about twice a month?

Consider investing in a hot dog roller as the host. The thought of owning one never crossed my mind until I ran across this glorious thread, which led to me recently purchasing one. Granted, I haven't been to a home game or hosted since COVID-19 hit, but it's ready for use once games happen again.

Whoever came up with the idea of having a hot dog roller for home games needs to be in the Poker Hall of Fame.

Do ya'll ever take donations as hosts for your costs?

If people come to my place, they know everything is on me. The lone exception is alcohol because my beverage of choice often doesn't match everyone’s taste. It’s BYOB, but food, water, sodas, snacks, etc., is on the house. I’ve had people at the end of the night try to slide me cash to help cover the cost of food, but I always politely decline. All I care about is they enjoyed themselves at my house.
 

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