Playing short handed vs canceling yet again? (1 Viewer)

Sparkynutz

Sparkynutz

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Hosted a week ago. Decided 3 days before the date. Couldn't get enough guys even tho most of them weeks before said they looked forward to coming to next party. A few said they needed more notice so I asked when is a good day to plan for.
Crickets from everyone except 1 guy so I planned the day he said a week ahead.
Most of the guys I invite either cant make it or dont respond.
Finally the day before I get a response from the 2 guys that said needed more notice that they can't make it.
One last minute Cancel today because he's sick.
Looks like we may be playing 4 handed or not at all.

Sure would be nice to find guys that actually wanted to play instead of just saying they do then don't make any effort.

Why is it so damn hard?

Wife of a friend mentioned her neighbor is a doctor and has a really nice poker setup and plays often.
I wish I knew how to get that kind of people to come or atleast invite without being creepy.
He's not on Facebook, Never seen him or talked to him before and the only thing listed for him is the hospital phone number. Do I mail him a letter?
Or how to invite anybody else publicly in my area besides the type of people I'd rather not have in my house to trash it or rob me?

I'm at wits end and it just sucks not having a decent player pool.
 
I feel your pain lol. It takes time and work. Took us a good 10 years to get a solid group to get 8-10 players for our monthly game. Took 20 years to get a steady 12-16. Friends of friends only, never felt comfortable with public invites or with complete strangers. Maybe try lower stakes to get newbies involved. Good luck!
 
This is always a battle. Our group has been playing for 20+ years and I think we've turned over the entire roster. Rely on friends of friends for the most part and you'll be okay. We have a tendency to think everyone is as stoked by poker as we are.

I've used Meetup to mostly good success. Create a poker game and people will show. You'll have to be a good judge of character to see if they get invited again.

Where in WI are you? Isn't there still an Indian gaming place near Madison? You could get some people there. See if you can get in that Doc's game :)

Best of luck and never give up!
 
I would suggest trying finding poker games, become a player that others enjoy and network other poker games. Have you posted on this site?

See if you're friend's wife would let the Dr. know you are looking for a game, and maybe introduce you.
 
johnnycnote said:
I feel your pain lol. It takes time and work. Took us a good 10 years to get a solid group to get 8-10 players for our monthly game. Took 20 years to get a steady 12-16. Friends of friends only, never felt comfortable with public invites or with complete strangers. Maybe try lower stakes to get newbies involved. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thanks for input. Can't get much lower stakes than we already do. Some of the guys cry with $5 tournaments and would rather play $2 or 3.
The rest of us just wanna play 25c limit games of dealers choice. Heck I've offered to give my friends $20 just to get them to play but don't take me up on it.
 
DeeVee8 said:
This is always a battle. Our group has been playing for 20+ years and I think we've turned over the entire roster. Rely on friends of friends for the most part and you'll be okay. We have a tendency to think everyone is as stoked by poker as we are.

I've used Meetup to mostly good success. Create a poker game and people will show. You'll have to be a good judge of character to see if they get invited again.

Where in WI are you? Isn't there still an Indian gaming place near Madison? You could get some people there. See if you can get in that Doc's game :)

Best of luck and never give up!
Click to expand...
I'm an hour north of Madison
The problem is everyone I play with down there lives down there and not near me or wanting to drive for low stakes.
Another pcf member down there has some pretty epic games but they are higher stakes and a bit expensive for me to do regularly. The long drive doesn't help either.
 
Machine said:
I would suggest trying finding poker games, become a player that others enjoy and network other poker games. Have you posted on this site?

See if you're friend's wife would let the Dr. know you are looking for a game, and maybe introduce you.
Click to expand...
Asked her but she doesn't see him often. Atleast not since she told me a few weeks ago.
 
Sparkynutz said:
I'm an hour north of Madison
The problem is everyone I play with down there lives down there and not near me or wanting to drive for low stakes.
Another pcf member down there has some pretty epic games but they are higher stakes and a bit expensive for me to do regularly. The long drive doesn't help either.
Click to expand...
I was born/raised in Point. Any bar league games? Again, you must be a good judge of character.
 
Sparkynutz said:
Thanks for input. Can't get much lower stakes than we already do. Some of the guys cry with $5 tournaments and would rather play $2 or 3.
The rest of us just wanna play 25c limit games of dealers choice. Heck I've offered to give my friends $20 just to get them to play but don't take me up on it.
Click to expand...
Arg...

Try free beer and pizza until they get hooked on the game
 
Unfortunately, in my experience when people say things like “Geez, I’d love to play, but Thursdays are bad for me. Let me know though if you ever do a game on a Friday…

… Well, 9 times out of 10 these folks are just making excuses. If you host a game on a Friday, they won’t show up.

(I’m almost wondering paradoxically if your stakes are too low, not too high. If they were a bit higher people might feel more of a sense of possibility and urgency. If the best that you’re going to do on a really good night is walk away with 25 bucks, maybe that leads to people not taking it seriously, and being less committed to showing up.)
 
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Sparkynutz said:
Thanks for input. Can't get much lower stakes than we already do. Some of the guys cry with $5 tournaments and would rather play $2 or 3.
Click to expand...

These just don't sound like poker players. They probably look at it no differently than if you were throwing a board game night (in fact you might have better luck with that and this crew :LOL: :laugh:)

Sparkynutz said:
The rest of us just wanna play 25c limit games of dealers choice.
Click to expand...

If you have any poker players they are in this segment. They don't seem to be the problem. I would start here for organic growth, having them bring friends.

Sparkynutz said:
Heck I've offered to give my friends $20 just to get them to play but don't take me up on it.
Click to expand...

Most people in general just don't know how and don't care to learn to play poker. You gotta find players who want to be there, not people you have to pay to be there. Your stakes are low enough that you should be able to get complete beginners, who want to learn. I'd also be prepared to offer higher stakes nights, if only occasionally, to keep more experienced players interested. Nothing crazy but maybe in the $50 range to start (1/2 fixed limit or .25/.25 big bet games).

Like others have said, existing games can be a good resource.

I recruit every social group of mine. Friends, neighbors, coworkers, other games I've played in, people I throw darts or bowl with, bourbon club, wife's friends and their husbands, kids friends parents, etc. Not a lot of true poker players but I've snagged a few. Sometimes all you need is a couple extra yesses and you've got a game. Growing your core group by just a few will make establishing a game much easier.
 
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Sparkynutz said:
Hosted a week ago. Decided 3 days before the date. Couldn't get enough guys even tho most of them weeks before said they looked forward to coming to next party. A few said they needed more notice so I asked when is a good day to plan for.
Crickets from everyone except 1 guy so I planned the day he said a week ahead.
Most of the guys I invite either cant make it or dont respond.
Finally the day before I get a response from the 2 guys that said needed more notice that they can't make it.
One last minute Cancel today because he's sick.
Looks like we may be playing 4 handed or not at all.

Sure would be nice to find guys that actually wanted to play instead of just saying they do then don't make any effort.

Why is it so damn hard?

Wife of a friend mentioned her neighbor is a doctor and has a really nice poker setup and plays often.
I wish I knew how to get that kind of people to come or atleast invite without being creepy.
He's not on Facebook, Never seen him or talked to him before and the only thing listed for him is the hospital phone number. Do I mail him a letter?
Or how to invite anybody else publicly in my area besides the type of people I'd rather not have in my house to trash it or rob me?

I'm at wits end and it just sucks not having a decent player pool.
Click to expand...
Wife’s friend needs to reach out to neighbor on your behalf. Pretty simply, “my friends husband enjoys playing cards, would you like his contact info?”

You cannot bother / reach out to him at work and writing a letter would be something lol
 
I experienced this same dilemma for a while and found that in the end, I just had to invite poker players and not just a friend who has played before.

I went from 40-50% cancellations from people to 5-10%. Thankfully, the poker community in Vancouver is strong and I was able to meet a bunch of great people through PCF. That gets us a solid 7-8 usually out of 10-12 invites depending on the week.
 
I tricked my group into it. I got them used to all coming over for football. The guys got used to having a day of beer drinking and getting out of their homes. When football season ended poker season started. Try getting them "on a schedule" to come over for something else, and then slowly replace it with poker.
 
It’s all about the details…please send a detailed breakdown of your setup.

Everything from scented candles to your felts’ coefficient of friction.

Hosting is worth the effort…

What scented candles are you burning? Maybe their odiferousness is off putting?

Try these…I always get compliments.
1708304612660.png
 
DrStrange said:
Four handed? Sounds like a night for circus games that can't be played except short handed.
Click to expand...
I agree. This sounds like a great opportunity to break out the super degenerate circus games and go to town.

@Sparkynutz it sounds like you should connect with that doctor who also plays cards. What are the chances they're already a member here? :)
 
RadicusScout said:
I agree. This sounds like a great opportunity to break out the super degenerate circus games and go to town.

@Sparkynutz it sounds like you should connect with that doctor who also plays cards. What are the chances they're already a member here? :)
Click to expand...
It's possible. I can only hope.
 
I love @DrStrange 's response. Play something that works well short-handed... lots of fun circus games out there.

I also love @Machine 's advice. I'd say 80% of my players are from different games I've attended for years that I invited to my game. I recruited on my own as well... from work, Meetup, friends of friends, local casino players that I enjoyed seeing etc... makes up 15-20% of my player pool. Couldn't have done it without the existing games
 
Many of the guys I work with would love to play but unfortunately I work an hour from home and none of them want to travel or live in my direction.
 
Don't give up. My first home game is also quite a failure as I have planned for 6 only for 1 to be a no show and 1 to just left after an hour+.

Growing a game required extensive and continuous recruiting.

Always try to recruit among friends of friends as well, all you need is to get a core group of 4-6 and your weekly game will never dry up.

Fighting !!
 
DeeVee8 said:
I was born/raised in Point. Any bar league games? Again, you must be a good judge of character.
Click to expand...
I’ve found that these types of leagues are getting much stronger, at least in SE Wisconsin, over the last 18-24 months. Facebook has helped make them much more visible and easier to find.

Let the algorithm work for you. If you don’t follow any poker things on Facebook, start adding them. Locals will likely be following some of the same pages and the league games will start to be hand delivered to you.

Good luck! Hang onto your 4 and grow as you can. If you put together a good atmosphere, that will make people more likely to recruit for you too. And in the meantime, who can’t use a little practice their in short handed play?
 
DrStrange said:
Four handed? Sounds like a night for circus games that can't be played except short handed.

*** OR ***

play open face Chinese poker

*** OR ***

Play another card game like bridge or a tile game like Mahjong.

You don't have to play a full table Texas fold'em game to have fun -=- DrStrange
Click to expand...
Gamblers that I play with - mahjong / 13 paigow / deuces high / PLO / OFC
 

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