OP
OP
Per my OP, more interested here in attendance incentives than general population growth TBH
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Incentives for cash game attendance (28 Viewers)
- Thread starter Taghkanic
- Start date
drdr
Straight
Yeah, that is a bit different. Since you have a smaller pool of regs, have you simply asked them what would get them attending more regularly? Can probably talk with these guys pretty openly/honestly, right?
And let's not forget that regular attendance at poker games is for people with either no children, or with adult children.
Natskule
3 of a Kind
It sounds like your stakes out grew your player base. Stakes are tricky to figure out, hard to appease everyone, but in general higher stakes drive more people away than lower stakes. 2/5 you are playing for hundreds, .5/1 then you are playing for twenties, if you are trying to pull more players from an old tournament base of players lower stakes are going to be easier to pull.
Maybe vary the stakes, different night different stakes?
Maybe vary the stakes, different night different stakes?
Yeah, don't limit the pool.
Even sharks would go down to play 1/2
Even sharks would go down to play 1/2
We have regular attendance BECAUSE of children
Lmao
Seems like single guys at always busy and guys with kids look forward to it
God help the children.
Natskule
3 of a Kind
Yep, I'd play in a good penny ante game, but I'm not playing in a game above my budget. Home game is more social and playing than profit. I play in a weekly sheephead game and it's just for quarters, but it's very competitive.
drdr
Straight
Overall, sounds like OP has moved the game to the configuration of game they and a small number of regs like. I'm thinking giving others the game they want may be more effective for achieving consistent attendance, rather than keeping the game the way it is and adding incentives.
Feel for ya. I'm trying to grow my game, sometimes it's a bit hit and miss on the things I try.
Feel for ya. I'm trying to grow my game, sometimes it's a bit hit and miss on the things I try.
Nine_high
3 of a Kind
I don't think it's a great idea.
It's not really clear to me how it would even work for cash games. Like, if I don't miss a game for six months I get $400 toward my buy in for the 'freeroll'? If I miss only one I get $320? I assume you'd be taking a rake to fund this? It seems weird.
The HH jackpot is better in my opinion. How big is the rake now to fund it, and how big does the jackpot get relative to a typical buy in?
merkong
Full House
Build a deep list of players and do seats as FCFS with preference to those who played the week before.
Also, don’t be afraid to play shorter tables.
Also, don’t be afraid to play shorter tables.
Old State
Full House
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Now that I’ve had more time to play in the last few years I’ve been building a regular game back up.
From 2002-2006 I had a regular bi monthly and sometimes weekly limit cash game that often had two tables going. The key to the success back then was
From 2002-2006 I had a regular bi monthly and sometimes weekly limit cash game that often had two tables going. The key to the success back then was
- a lot of people on the invite list and the use of a list (evite) so people could see others signing up. FOMO is a big factor.
- Run a professional game. I had nice tables, plastic cards (Kem bridge just like the Borgata where many of us played) and I (we) knew the rules. People didn’t splash the pot, no string betting, and other amateur nonsense. Ran the game exactly like a casino would.
- …And most importantly….I kept the stakes in check…until I didn’t. What ended up killing the game was people getting married and moving to NL when AC started spreading it. People wanted to do it so bad but in reality weren’t comfortable losing a few hundred dollars in a couple hands. Our limit game thrived at $2/4 and $3/6. $1/2 NL helped kill the game.
OP
OP
Yes, I’ve quizzed them pretty extensively. They all say they like the game the way it is, don’t change a thing.
I even did an online poll, got 20 responses, same result… Which is nice, except I’d like more of them to actually show more often.
OP
OP
It wouldn’t be a rake, per se, since the house would get none of it.
I’d do something like have the dealer set aside a flat $10 out of either each buyins or maybe $20 from any pot over a certain amount (say, $300). [Note that pots are otherwise untouched, though it is requested that players voluntarily contribute something to help defray the typical $125 food/drink costs.]
Once this pool got to (say) $3K the top six attendees during that cycle would get a $500 starting stack at the “special” game. Others could attend as usual. (Those qualifying for the $500 could add on to the usual max if they wanted. Otherwise a normal cash game.)
Just brainstorming a way to do for cash what worked well for the tourneys I used to hold. People didn’t want to miss games because there was a payoff to being regular.
OP
OP
FWIW, for this week’s upcoming I fairly quickly got the 8 reservations I am looking for (no incentives offered, usual scheme). Also have one additional maybe, depending if he has to travel for work.
I actually prefer only 8 with a dealer, both for the table dynamic and space reasons. But it’s good to have a potential “spare” if someone flakes out, or leaves early.
The one wrinkle this time is that three of the players will be arriving late. Game starts at 6:30, five expected on time, one at 7:30, two around 9.
So either we will play some games early that work better short-handed, such as Stud8, until more arrive and we get on to NLHE; or I may move gametime to more like 7.
I mention it just to fill out the picture of hosting. There’s always adjustments to make.
I actually prefer only 8 with a dealer, both for the table dynamic and space reasons. But it’s good to have a potential “spare” if someone flakes out, or leaves early.
The one wrinkle this time is that three of the players will be arriving late. Game starts at 6:30, five expected on time, one at 7:30, two around 9.
So either we will play some games early that work better short-handed, such as Stud8, until more arrive and we get on to NLHE; or I may move gametime to more like 7.
I mention it just to fill out the picture of hosting. There’s always adjustments to make.
aurumity
High Hand
Honestly it sounds like there's not too much more you can do without doing some more external recruiting. Maybe this year you should try to do some tracking of attendance and try to see if you can find a pattern anywhere. Maybe you could optimize when you host down the road.
Nine_high
3 of a Kind
That sounds a lot like a rake, even if it's not for house profit
So then aren't they just free rolling with their own money? At least, mostly their own money since they played the most.
I would stick to progressive type jackpots, no one wants to miss the night that a huge jackpot pays out. Maybe even do some kind of bad beat instead of HH where the table splits half the jackpot? It could get quite large depending what the minimum qualifier is.
OP
OP
1) I don’t think it’s a rake, in the sense of the house profiting, if the money isn’t leaving the game and stays in play.
2) Yes, the “free” stacks would be comprised in part from money the qualifiers contributed, but subsidized by the players who weren’t regular. It’s specifically aimed at encouraging regular attendance.
3) $20 from a $300 pot is under 7% (and much less than that of the pot is larger than $300, as it often is at 2/5… We had a $3,500 pot recently, so $20 would have been 1/2 of 1%. This is nothing compared to what casinos put in their pockets for much smaller pots, every hand… And again, the money stays with the players long-term.
The idea for this came from another unraked 2/5 game I play in regularly. The host was getting high-quality sandwiches—special ordered by each player—for his games. The food cost got out of control, so he said either we were going to have to bump down to something cheaper like cheese pizza, or else come up with a way to defray the cost.
For a while he just asked people to kick in something for food. But what happened was that some people would give $20, some as little as $5, and some would forget entirely.
The solution was to take $20 out of very large pots, until we got to an amount that covered the food. People liked that, because they didn’t have to think about it, and also the nights winners were carrying more of the cost. When you’re pulling in a hefty pot at 2/5, $20 is no big deal. Basically it’s one opening bet.
2) Yes, the “free” stacks would be comprised in part from money the qualifiers contributed, but subsidized by the players who weren’t regular. It’s specifically aimed at encouraging regular attendance.
3) $20 from a $300 pot is under 7% (and much less than that of the pot is larger than $300, as it often is at 2/5… We had a $3,500 pot recently, so $20 would have been 1/2 of 1%. This is nothing compared to what casinos put in their pockets for much smaller pots, every hand… And again, the money stays with the players long-term.
The idea for this came from another unraked 2/5 game I play in regularly. The host was getting high-quality sandwiches—special ordered by each player—for his games. The food cost got out of control, so he said either we were going to have to bump down to something cheaper like cheese pizza, or else come up with a way to defray the cost.
For a while he just asked people to kick in something for food. But what happened was that some people would give $20, some as little as $5, and some would forget entirely.
The solution was to take $20 out of very large pots, until we got to an amount that covered the food. People liked that, because they didn’t have to think about it, and also the nights winners were carrying more of the cost. When you’re pulling in a hefty pot at 2/5, $20 is no big deal. Basically it’s one opening bet.
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Nine_high
3 of a Kind
Well whatever man. Take part of each pot but don't call it a rake. Then give it to your six regs twice a year. It should really help boost attendance
OP
OP
I do think your suggestion of a bad beat might be an alternative, since it could grow really large, and with table sharing it would be more likely to reward regs. Of course it would hit the one time Mr. 100% Attendance wasn’t there…
OP
OP
Seems this really bugs you for some reason I can’t fathom.
By your definition it seems a high hand or bad beat would also be a “rake,” not a promotion.
I think there is a profound difference between a rake in the traditional sense — of the host scraping money off the table for himself from every single hand, which I don’t do — and promotions from which the host takes $0, and which go back to the group.
Also, though the top regs would get the “free” stacks twice a year, they would get them as chips put on the table. So anyone else playing gets a shot at taking that money, too.
Statesvegas
Flush
We have a royal flush jackpot at my house, payable only for a Royal Flush in Hold 'em or Omaha. Each player contributes $2 to the jackpot each time we get together, and as of yet nobody has won it. It's up to a little over $500 at present. Luckily for me, my players are all degenerates like me and it is extremely rare that I cannot seat at least 6 on a given poker night. We GENERALLY play every other saturday night, which allows people to plan.
Nine_high
3 of a Kind
It's semantics which aren't even relevant to the topic. I wasn't implying you were running some illegal operation, I was only trying to determine how you would fund this cash giveaway. And it was by taking a little chunk of each pot which is all that mattered.
And by the way, I'm assuming you are one of these regs who would get a $500 freeroll so technically yes you are profiting from it, even though it has to go into play.
Natskule
3 of a Kind
Dang skippy that would also be raked. Any time money in the pot doesn't go to the winner of the pot, it's a raked game. The money can be used for a promotion, profit, season finale, etc.
MrCatPants
Full House
Action, no assholes, fun, variety in the games you host, not oversaturating with too many games, and having a slightly overbuilt player pool so that if someone considers a whimsical no show they know there is indeed a b-list/penalty box.
aurumity
High Hand
Gonna hijack this thread because I've seen a few people say this; but how do you "create action"? I've seen a couple people suggest that. Obviously you could artificially create action yourself, but that doesn't seem sustainable.
OP
OP
1) No shortage of action in this game. That’s not the issue. The guys who do play splash around a lot. Also I have been running a high hand, which ran up to $800 before it was won last game. All of which had to go back on the table.
2) Rake is the money that cardrooms take for themselves. It leaves the game immediately and permanently. Not all rakes are taken from the winner of individual pots; timed rake for example is a flat charge unrelated to the action.
A promotion which 100% benefits the players, not the host, is something else.
In casinos, chips taken for promotions like bad beats are diluted among all the players in the room, and in the case of bad beats may not be won for months after you “paid” them.
A promotion where the reserve stays within a regular home game, distributed in chips which get returned to the table, populated by regulars, is entirely distinct. Someone can call it rake if they insist, but anyone failing to distinguish between the two is a mistake.
2) Rake is the money that cardrooms take for themselves. It leaves the game immediately and permanently. Not all rakes are taken from the winner of individual pots; timed rake for example is a flat charge unrelated to the action.
A promotion which 100% benefits the players, not the host, is something else.
In casinos, chips taken for promotions like bad beats are diluted among all the players in the room, and in the case of bad beats may not be won for months after you “paid” them.
A promotion where the reserve stays within a regular home game, distributed in chips which get returned to the table, populated by regulars, is entirely distinct. Someone can call it rake if they insist, but anyone failing to distinguish between the two is a mistake.
renegadegatorman
High Hand
Ah man, I feel your pain. Getting my group to show up has been a chore lately. I hope you get it figured out.
100%. Haven’t followed the past 2 pages but what your looking to do should be call promo funds.
I do this as well. And I use it to make bomb pots every 45 minutes or I build up and dump it into prize pools when I host tourneys.
Tourneys are maybe every other month. I keep the tourneys small and be sure to incorporate the players that have helped build the promo fund.
I’ve done $100 giveaways to cash players. We have a wheel we spin. High hand wins $100 or some shit. But it’s never gotten a player to come to my cash game as incentive.
I think best utilization of promo funds it’s to juice the current game (splash pots face up, bomb pots, horse race game etc) and increasing tourney prize pools.
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