Cash Game Recruiting higher stakes players (2 Viewers)

[kk405]

Probably back to the Uber job when the game broke...



Actually, probably bank box keys and keys to the main floor of the house (I think @Rhodeman77 said the poker room has a separate entrance).

Just reminded me of the HSP episode where the dude who flopped quad kings asks the dude playing 72o, and blasting each street, whether the Role he is wearing is in play! Lol

 

[namsupak]

Just curious why you aren't using the club house set, those chips are amazing, and I love the changing art.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Just curious why you aren't using the club house set, those chips are amazing, and I love the changing art.

I will be once the $25 chips come in. These guys are used to $5/$25/$100 chips. It is a $2/5 game a $20 chip doesn’t make sense. I don’t want to rock this boat full of money so I use the PCA set since it is all standard colors and denominations they know.

Plus 500 $5 is just a little low but I would make it work if I had a $25 chip.

I used almost 500 $5’s just for starting stacks in last nights game. I’d like a few more per player so everyone can have a decent stack of chips to play with. It keeps the game loose.

I’m guessing it will be 3-4 months to get the $25 chips, then The Club House Set will see plenty of felt time.

 

[honkydevil]

I didn’t. I was the second biggest winner last night. In for $300, out for $2275

Damn, a lot of wild PLO pots? How deep do most players buy and whats the max?

 

[Rhodeman77]

Damn, a lot of wild PLO pots? How deep do most players buy and whats the max?

The PLO gets crazy as expected, not uncommon for 3-5 people to see a flop for a $100 each.

Everyone has to buy-in for $300 to start. But can reload or add-on up to $500, but nobody has ever specified when exactly $500 becomes allowed.

Once the night gets going I get a lot of exercise running for more chips!

The average stack was about $1,200

 

[honkydevil]

Everyone has to buy-in for $300 to start.

So no one can initially sit w/$500? I thought you play $2/5? or is this only $1/2? I assumed you'd be $500 starting just curious.

Sounds like a fun game either way!

 

[Rhodeman77]

So no one can initially sit w/$500? I thought you play $2/5? or is this only $1/2? I assumed you'd be $500 starting just curious.

Sounds like a fun game either way!

It is a $1/2 with a $5 bring-in. So to me it is a $2/5 game. I think the $300 initial buy in is to help recruit $1/2 players. Every player has to bring at least 2 buy-ins as well in case they go broke early. Also if someone shows up late they can buy in for the full $500.

I’ve only been playing in the game for about 2 months now. I’m slowly getting the game to be a little more normally run.

 

[honkydevil]

Thats cool. I've played the $1/2 ($5) PLO games in Vegas occasionally over the last couple years and that sounds pretty reasonable for that structure.

I think the $300 initial buy in is to help recruit $1/2 players.

That and doing a Hold Em/Omaha mix has to be great for the game. I've been playing a microstakes HO game and the mix has a nice dynamic.

 

[Lemonzest]

did you end up leaving the buy ins all cash?

 

[Rhodeman77]

did you end up leaving the buy ins all cash?

Since I came into an existing game, we use the same system when I host as the regular host.

Mostly cash with some credit for regulars. The players borrow from the Bad Beat and have until the following week to pay it back. So far in 3+ years nobody has welched in paying back any borrowed money.

 

[Rhodeman77]

So the weekly game I have been crushing has officially broke. The 4 biggest losing players in it have all stopped playing in it over the last 2 weeks with the host sending out a text saying he is done after losing $3k last week alone.

The good news is I am left to host and fix the game with the players that are left. 3-4 regulars and 2-4 occasional players.

Maybe 1-2 of the original regulars left are slightly winning players (mostly because the rest of the group was even worse).

My problem is much like it was when I started this thread except I have a few more regulars. I want to keep the game going and have already sent out mass texts to everyone so that I don’t lose the few guys that are used to playing every week already.

I have 2 casino dealers that I am going to tap to try recruiting players. My biggest problem is I need a few big fish. Our main whale that dropped $12k in the first 3 months is gone.

I will either update this thread or maybe start a new one about the trials of building a game.

I am sad to lose my cash cow, but excited to be hosting a weekly game again and hopefully watch it grow.

 

[honkydevil]

Wow that's a decent chunk of change. I can see why they'd quit, when losing money that fast.

I've enjoyed reading about the game so I hope your recruiting works out.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Wow that's a decent chunk of change. I can see why they'd quit, when losing money that fast.

I've enjoyed reading about the game so I hope your recruiting works out.

Poker games always have to be recruiting new players to keep it going. This game has been going for about 3 years with the same 7-8 players. I was brought in after one of regulars quite playing. As a seat opened up I suggested one of my regulars and a good player, (bad move). Never bring another shark to your swimming pool unless you have no other choice!

Over the last 3 months she and I crushed the game, consistently being the biggest winners.

So while a game needs new blood, make sure the fish you think you are bringing into your game don’t have bigger teeth than you!

 

[honkydevil]

I suggested one of my regulars and a good player, (bad move).

Lol I'll note that to my strategy book. Maybe you should have tried to lose a few more hands and keep them in the game!

 

[Rhodeman77]

Lol I'll note that to my strategy book. Maybe you should have tried to lose a few more hands and keep them in the game!

The 4 big losers were on a self destruct course. If I had tanked some hands to then they would have lost it to someone else.

The main reason the game melted down was players were allowed to on credit. They always paid it off thankfully, but guys drinking or on major tilt and no self control don’t need unlimited rebuys available to them.

My pleas to stop it fell on deaf ears as the other players saw blood in the water, but very few of them really capitalized on it al much as the guy that wanted the system to stop, ironic.

 

[mabel.5]

Great read! It’s hard to keep a game that juicy going indefinitely. What has worked for us is jumping up stakes for occasional “big games”, every other month or so, which seems to scratch the itch without degrading the long term health of the game. Good luck going forward. I want that PCA set!

 

[Rhodeman77]

8 handed game. In for $600.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Final stack photo. I may have broke the game again. Played 3 handed until 4 am.
In for $600. Out for a little over $2600.

 

[Lemonzest]

You are a beast... This thread needs more updates....breakdown some big hands....tell us about the players...

 

[Kain8]

Those $25s are so nice

 

[Rhodeman77]

You are a beast... This thread needs more updates....breakdown some big hands....tell us about the players...

None of them are very good at PLO and they all think I just get lucky all the time lol.

One of the biggest pots I have Q10 88 on a J86 rainbow flop. I bet close to pot get 2 calls. Turn is 5 that I hate and it brings in a flush draw, but it gets checked to me so I make another bet and get 1 caller this time.

River is an off suit 9 giving me the nuts. The caller now bets $200 into me, wooohoo!!

I raise all in and he calls saying we must be chopping showing 7 10 for the second nuts.

His jaw hit the table when he saw my hand.

Pot was just over $1600

 

[Lemonzest]

Hero: *shrugs* and in his most matter of fact tone says "everyone gets lucky sometimes..."

Villain: *breathes out a long breath and hangs his head* visibly deflated he raps the table twice.."nice hand" he mumbles as he reaches into his pocket for 5 crunched up hundred dollar bills...

 

[Rhodeman77]

Last weeks game almost didn’t happen. I was texting players and damn near begging a few of them to play until 5pm when I finally had 6 for sure yeses. We ended up 8 handed actually!!!

So Friday morning I made sure to send out plenty of pics and texts of the game and stacks and some of crazy hands to the people that didn’t play.

This morning I am sending out text invites for this weeks game and the first 5 I sent have all said yes they are playing! Lol.

Now I get to pick a choose who I want to fill out the table.

 

[Kain8]

Last weeks game almost didn’t happen. I was texting players and damn near begging a few of them to play until 5pm when I finally had 6 for sure yeses. We ended up 8 handed actually!!!

So Friday morning I made sure to send out plenty of pics and texts of the game and stacks and some of crazy hands to the people that didn’t play.

This morning I am sending out text invites for this weeks game and the first 5 I sent have all said yes they are playing! Lol.

Now I get to pick a choose who I want to fill out the table.

Ummmm, me good Omaha player, me call off whole stack with on flop because me have royal draw. Me come play in your game now?

 

[Rhodeman77]

Ummmm, me good Omaha player, me call off whole stack with on flop because me have royal draw. Me come play in your game now?

One seat open, flight to Cleveland are cheap, I’ll even pick you up at the airport

 

[Old State]

I’ve found keeping a regular (like weekly or biweekly) NL cash game with stakes $1/2 or higher is nearly impossible.

No Limit is killing the Home cash game and I’ve felt that way since 2005. I had a (basically) weekly $2/4 or $3/6 Limit game for 4 years. They all wanted to switch to NL when AC started spreading it around 2004-05. I said “are all you guys going to come every week for NL?” They all said YES.

Well guess what? The game basically evaporated within 6 months. People talk a big game but the average Home Poker player can’t handle the swings of NL. And it doesn’t really matter as far as income level. Tolerance for losing money is different with everyone no mater how much they make.

We just started playing again last year after a break of a few years. Maybe every month or every other month. $1/2NL and a recent $2/5 game. One guy is down at least $3000 in the last three games. Bet he is busy when I schedule the next one.

I personally loved Limit Poker and crushed that old game. Everyone is to macho to play it now but there is a reason people went to Limit for over 100 years for cash games.

PS: I started playing $.25/50 just to keep a regular game with other players because I really prefer to not to play single table tourneys. I feel it’s hurting my skills but it is what I can get on regular basis. Now I need to have custom .25 chips made

 

[Rhodeman77]

Cleveland has never had a lack of players problem. Before the casino opened a several years ago we had weekly cash games of $1/1 or $1/2 going for over 10 years easily. But once the casino opened and players could play any night, not just when a host posted a game we no longer get had a captive audience and it was much harder to get cash games above 25/50c.

I think now that the newness of the casino has warn off and there are mostly grinders and min buy-in people at the casino left, other than weekends or when there is a big concert or sporting event to draw the more casual player in, that players like myself are moving back towards home games.

The tournament scene didn’t suffer st all because the casino structures suck compared to the home games.

I have a pool of about 40 people that I consider cash game players to fill a 1 table game from week to week. Hopefully some of those players will then recommend a friend as well on occasion to increase the pool.

 

[Kain8]

I’ve found keeping a regular (like weekly or biweekly) NL cash game with stakes $1/2 or higher is nearly impossible.

No Limit is killing the Home cash game and I’ve felt that way since 2005. I had a (basically) weekly $2/4 or $3/6 Limit game for 4 years. They all wanted to switch to NL when AC started spreading it around 2004-05. I said “are all you guys going to come every week for NL?” They all said YES.

Well guess what? The game basically evaporated within 6 months. People talk a big game but the average Home Poker player can’t handle the swings of NL. And it doesn’t really matter as far as income level. Tolerance for losing money is different with everyone no mater how much they make.

We just started playing again last year after a break of a few years. Maybe every month or every other month. $1/2NL and a recent $2/5 game. One guy is down at least $3000 in the last three games. Bet he is busy when I schedule the next one.

I personally loved Limit Poker and crushed that old game. Everyone is to macho to play it now but there is a reason people went to Limit for over 100 years for cash games.

PS: I started playing $.25/50 just to keep a regular game with other players because I really prefer to nit play single table tourneys. I feel it’s hurting my skills but it what I can get on regular basis. Now I need to have custom .25 chips made

Couldn't agree with this more if it were possible. While No Limit definitely has its place as a game to be played, it has to be done in moderation. I've seen games fold up after being a hotbed for six months to a year. Inevitably, the losers keep losing and then they don't show up. If you have only a lineup of 8 - 10 players with the losers included, the game will crumble. Luckily now, we have a group of 15 players so if a couple players aren't showing up, there are people to come in all the same.

Limit games should try to be incorporated in your rotation not only to change things up but as a stop gap measure if a few players are really taking it on the chin lately. Now if the big losers aren't willing to pay limit (ignorant to it as a game choice, chasing losses, big gamblers at heart) then you can't make them. But as the old saying goes, "You can shear a sheep many times, but only skin it once."

 

[Rhodeman77]

I tend to disagree that a NL can’t be sustained compared to a Limit game.

A $1/2 NL game usually buy is between $200-$300. A comparable Limit game would be $4/8. So if you are playing $1/2 or $3/6 Limit, that would be closer to playing 25/50c or 50c/$1 NL not $1/2NL.

Poker is a zero sum game. It doesn’t generate money. It has to have money from outside to sustain it. So no matter what form you are playing be it NL or limit if the people playing it don’t have the disposable income to lose at those stakes from another income stream, they will go broke and leave the game. All poker games need to recruite players to keep running. I used to have a $20 weekly tournament. Started with 16-20 guys every week. Slowly as the same few people kept winning the players that always lost started dropping out. Eventually I folded up the game as we were down to 6-7 people and I had found the current network of players I am part of.

It is very hard to keep losing players around for a long time at any stakes. They either get better and become at least break even players, or get frustrated at losing and stop playing. The amount of money isn’t always the reason. A lot of people are competitive and if they can’t compete at a high enough level to win on some kind of regular basis they will find some other game/sport or poker group to do it with.

That is why so many posts are about catering to the losing players. Making sure the beer they like is in the fridge or the game they want to watch is on the TV or the kind of snacks they prefer.

I’ve seen hosts change the TP in the bathroom because a player complained or was too thin.

It has been said before, and it still true, if you aren’t recruiting new players your game is dying.

 

[Old State]

That’s the point...you need to recruit new players constantly. That’s easier said then done.

My Limit game only had 15-18 players in the loop to fill 10 seats. We almost always filled 10 seats and sometime had two tables going...for FOUR years! The core group was about 7-8 guys who always showed up. The balance was really only used to fill 2-3 seats. Of that core group 5 were consistent losers but they usually played all night on a buy-in...maybe 1 1/2 buy-ins on a really bad night.

Back then we cashed in for $60 for $2/4, $100 for $3/6Limit and only $100-$150 for $1/2NL. Some of those guys went through 3 buy ins a night in NL. All the sudden, after four years, they were too busy to make the games. We couldn’t even get 6 people of our 18 or so to play even once a month.

The initial attraction to NL from the losing group was that their loose play would be occasionally rewarded in NL when they got lucky and flopped two pair with J4 against kings, etc. Loose play in Limit will bleed you out with a smaller chance of winning enough pots to pay for your bad play.