My attendance woes seem to be abating. The most recent game filled up almost immediately to my preferred 8 players plus a dealer.
One guy canceled, so I found a replacement. Then the first guy uncanceled. Then a 10th reg showed up late without having reserved. Another reg who usually comes late arrived on time. Too many players is a nice problem to have.
I managed to squeeze in 9 plus the dealer, much as I prefer 8max play… Once it filled up, I sat out until someone finally busted and left. Had the most money on the table ever. My dealer also made about twice his normal tips. Every scrap of food got gobbled up; usually there are some leftovers.
Only bummer was that the player who was already running like god then also won the high hand, which had rolled over multiple games up to 185 BB. Everyone groaned—no sharing of the wealth tonight—and he cashed out up ~3.5 max buyins.
I haven’t added any new incentives, beyond the pre-existing high hand jackpot. I did get some very nice new chairs for the room, which seemed appreciated. Thinking about buying a hot dog roller since pizza is getting a bit repetitive…
Will see if I can keep this short-term run of good attendance going into the warmer months. It used to seem like people played more in winter than summer, since there are fewer outdoor activities in cold weather, but the trend is backwards for me this year.