Home game promos (2 Viewers)

[meatshield]

Havent seen many threads about it recently so just wanted to gauge what fun home game promos exist out there.

Recently I have been doing High hand jackpots for my cash games (.25/.50) where I initially started buying buying $5-10 gift cards to various fast food places or stores as part of a Mystery High Hand bonus every hour. Each card in an unlabeled envelope the winner has to pick.

Then discovered fronting extra money on my part to fund the bonus wasn't sustainable on top of providing food and whatnot. So next games I took $1 from every pot over $2 and each hour the winner gets the accumulated.

When the game runs to 2 tables, it's hard to manage collecting a buck from the table I'm not at and it seems to cause some grumbles amongst a few players taking money away.

So just looking for new ideas for interesting promos I can implement to keep it interesting but not be a detriment to the game

 

[Poker Zombie]

Havent seen many threads about it recently so just wanted to gauge what fun home game promos exist out there.

Recently I have been doing High hand jackpots for my cash games (.25/.50) where I initially started buying buying $5-10 gift cards to various fast food places or stores as part of a Mystery High Hand bonus every hour. Each card in an unlabeled envelope the winner has to pick.

Then discovered fronting extra money on my part to find the bonus wasn't sustainable on top of providing food and whatnot. So next games I took $1 from every pot over $2 and each hour the winner gets the accumulated.

When the game runs to 2 tables, it's hard to manage collecting a buck from the table I'm not at and it seems to cause some grumbles amongst a few players taking money away.

So just looking for new ideas for interesting promos I can implement to keep it interesting but not be a detriment to the game

We always have some sort of bonus. For cash games, I find it easiest to simply take a bite out of the initial buy-in. If you know how many players are attending, you know how much to rake for the bonus so you come out even.

25¢/50¢ probably a $100 buy-in to start? So your first buy-in gets you $95 in chips. 2 tables, I'll guess 15 players. That's $75 for gift cards. Rebuys get the full amount, so once you cover the initial buy-in you are done with the "rake".

I've never heard my players complain, though I make it clear that there is a pull off the top for the bonus. If you have extra finnicky players, you can always allow a $105 buy-in.

 

[springbox]

Do players like the promos? I think your options are:

A) Fund it yourself
B) Rake pots to fund it
C) Take a door fee ($5?) to fund it
D) No promo

A is obviously unfair to you and just a giveaway. B&C is up to player preference. I would personally prefer C over B, people don't like seeing $ pulled out of pots and it's something you'll need to keep track of all night. Technically you could also make C optional and only have players who pay in have a shot at winning the high hand, but that has its own issues. If players don't particularly seem to care about the promos, you can always nix them entirely. If you keep them, definitely pay cash for B or C, I would hate to pay a $$$ rake to get a gift card I may or may not want.

 

[PepperPaul]

We just do an optional $10 per person high hand that pays every two hours. I just run one table, so $100 or $110 in the pot. No qualifier except both cards most play so we start keeping track of flush or better and pay at the end of the two hours. If people don’t want in, they don’t pay and can’t win, but most people usually participate.

I have a friend who also runs a game and does the same, except he has a full house qualified and if no full house hits the pot carries over to the next time slot.

 

[TheWhat]

We go $50 + $5 for our initial Buyin at .25 / .50

Half goes to High Hand, then other half goes to a Progressive Pot. We normally play 8 handed, so $20 to High Hand, and the Progressive can get High, but after 2 games is effectively a Buyin.

 

[BaroneSanitation]

I sell show em chips for $1 one use during the night. Can rebuy more if you want. All the funds go into our bad beat jackpot that everyone can see the running total on.