How to host a GREAT home poker tournament? (2 Viewers)

[sebjag]

I just recently started hosting home tournaments, playing low stakes for fun with friends. We tend to play for 3-4 hours.

What practices do you recommend implementing to make home tournament games more fun and memorable?

I'm open to exploring any ideas from being a great host (with drinks, food, ambient), to how to improve/make the poker side of things more fun (like with bounty tournaments, having a blind timer etc.)

 

[LowerBama1714]

Search.

Read.

More reading.

Then buy $$$$$ of many things…chips…table…cards…neon signs.

Then regret.

Then marital counseling.

Then more $$$$ for chips.

 

[Cratty]

 

[ekricket]

Have a meetup and invite shout 20 people from PCF. We will get you sorted.

 

[Baldeagle9]

Quality table and chairs
Custom Chips
lighting
beer fridge
as cratty said hot dog roller
several TV's (one to watch, one for blind timer)
just to name a few items needed......

 

[CraigT78]

Search.

Read.

More reading.

This right here, plus a hotdog roller.

Lots of great threads in the subject, as well as long running home game posts.

Tldr - a decent structure, quality chairs, cards, table and chips - in that order.

Play the right stakes for your group, have a rebuy period, host regularly so that it becomes habit. 2nd Thursday of the month? Poker at @sebjag's house.

 

[CraigT78]

And always be recruiting!

 

[Mr Winberg]

And don't forget rake! People enjoy themselves more if they pay good money, it give a luxurious feel to it. Plus, more rake is better for the poker community!

 

[buzzmonkey]

How often are you planning to host?

 

[Coyote]

Toilet and kitchen table become issues for 10+ players

 

[detroitdad]

Play cash

 

[Munchies11]

Lots of beer, comfortable seats, nice poker table and don’t forget the pizza and wings!!

Also good friendly chirps at the table goes a long way!!! Nothing like sucking out your buddy and rubbing it in haha

 

[MikesDad]

Lots of beer, comfortable seats, nice poker table and don’t forget the pizza and wings hot dog roller!!

Also good friendly chirps at the table goes a long way!!! Nothing like sucking out your buddy and rubbing it in haha

fyp

 

[sebjag]

Appreciate these suggestions everyone!

 

[Poker Zombie]

Attend other games. If there is something there that you liked there, implement it at your game when possible. Never say "My game is good enough", always look to improve - but be sparing when polling players. It's your game. Take too many suggestions, and players will start approaching you with their own personal preferences which may cause the game to stray from it's roots.

 

[sebjag]

@Poker Zombie noted. Thank you for your insight!

 

[WWB]

Hot dog roller!

 

[Coyote]

Most neat snack ever (poker-wise) is grilled meatballs without any sauce, with french (or freedom) fries in the same box.
Players won't use their fingers to eat, and there is no sauce risk and no need for a knife.
In my case, portions come indeed in cardboard boxes.
During the dinner break, players can hold the cardboard box on one hand, while holding the fork on the other hand.
I 'll be posting this as an advice in a truckload of threads, in order to help people.

 

[ekricket]

Most neat snack ever (poker-wise) is grilled meatballs without any sauce, with french (or freedom) fries in the same box.
Players won't use their fingers to eat, and there is no sauce risk and no need for a knife.
In my case, portions come indeed in cardboard boxes.
During the dinner break, players can hold the cardboard box on one hand, while holding the fork on the other hand.
I 'll be posting this as an advice in a truckload of threads, in order to help people.

What on earth does this have to do with having sex?

 

[Coyote]

It keeps the house clean and the wife satisfied

 

[Goosefraba]

It keeps the house clean and the wife satisfied

Or it gets the hose again.

 

[Isorg]

my biggest roadblock to hosting a home game is the wife.... she doesn't want people over.

 

[Jaxen]

my biggest roadblock to hosting a home game is the wife.... she doesn't want people over.

I get special dispensation for 3x a year. I goad other suckers into it the other 5 games we do annually. The biggest hangup is people having to come into the main part of the house for the bathroom.
If you run tournaments, get manager software to handle the details (blinds, payouts, points if you keep them). Many here endorse The Tournament Director, which also has a forum following like this (Well, not JUST like this).

 

[Gunnar]

know your crowd. Make the structure for your crowd. Poker players come for fun poker, social players come for drinks, good vibe and food.

Seating is one thing, bathroom is another very important thing. Chips matter more to you than your players. Everyone gets tired of shuffling nice chips if their back hurts due to a bad chair and an awkward hight table.

I want to know if I should bring my own drinks and snacks. I have different expectations when invited to a 20$ than a 500$ game.

 

[Munchies11]

my biggest roadblock to hosting a home game is the wife.... she doesn't want people over.

Sounds like a universal problem lol I can’t wait to have a finished basement

 

[Poker Zombie]

my biggest roadblock to hosting a home game is was the 1st wife.... she doesn't want people over.

FYP

 

[Drosoph]

Is a hot dog roller really that much better than just cooking the sausages in hot water?

 

[detroitdad]

Is a hot dog roller really that much better than just cooking the sausages in hot water?

Ban him!

 

[merkong]

Ban him!

Second.

 

[merkong]

Sounds like a Fixable problem lol I can’t wait to have a finished basement

FYP - Refer to the post on inter-marital remedies.