Splitting costs for food suggestions (1 Viewer)

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How do you split costs for food? My group likes to eat before our game (pizza, Chick-fil-a, wings, whatever), and it's been the tradition over the last 5 years. We've got 3 people who rotate hosting bi-weekly. Generally 10 people at a game. We seem to have problems almost every week. I don't mind providing food, but when it comes to splitting costs, though it seems simple, it ends up becoming a hassle. We set out a cash bowl and say the split cost to eat is $8, for example. The hassle is some people change their mind about eating, or we have to walk around and ask if people paid for food, or sometimes in the end we come up short.

I don't feel like asking everyone each game if they are eating or not. Or walking around checking if people paid for food. The simple solution seems like it would be to charge everyone, eating or not, $7-$8. The majority of the group likes to eat. Collect money for the game, collect money for food.

Any other thoughts?
 
We do a food banger/flip. Everyone except the host puts up a certain amount of money ( should be enough to make the pot worthwhile after taking out food costs). The cost of the food, snacks, whatever comes out of the pot. The winner of the banger gets the remaining amount. Host eats for free.
 
Skip the food a week or two and tell them why up front.
“ It’s too much of a hassle on top of getting the game set up.”

Ask if someone will volunteer to pick up food each week to lessen the burden on the host. When they start having to buy it they will start collecting.
 
Skip the food a week or two and tell them why up front.
“ It’s too much of a hassle on top of getting the game set up.”

Ask if someone will volunteer to pick up food each week to lessen the burden on the host. When they start having to buy it they will start collecting.
Squeaky wheel gets the oil, this is how I did it too. I never mind hosting and welcoming people, but at one point someone asked rudely, "This it?" about the food/snacks we'd put out. Mind you, they were probably kidding, but I blew up a bit cause it was in front of my wife and we had fronted everything the last handful of games; this player had graciously brought a 6pack of Bud and drank 5 of them, said I could keep the last one at the end like he was leaving a tip lol.

That player catered the next game for us and we're all good now.
 
We do a food banger/flip. Everyone except the host puts up a certain amount of money ( should be enough to make the pot worthwhile after taking out food costs). The cost of the food, snacks, whatever comes out of the pot. The winner of the banger gets the remaining amount. Host eats for free.
Pretty cool idea.

Skip the food a week or two and tell them why up front.
“ It’s too much of a hassle on top of getting the game set up.”

Ask if someone will volunteer to pick up food each week to lessen the burden on the host. When they start having to buy it they will start collecting.
I've thought about this too. Since only the same 3 people host ask the non-hosts to rotate bringing food.
 
No matter how you cut it, someone wins and someone loses. If you want to split, just split it evenly for everyone. It will even out over time.
 
I get lucky with my group.

Everyone but one guy (and we all know who he is, chip in on cost) and if I do something special usually one or two of the guys will ask in a dead period what food cost was and they all chip in extra if needed.

I know this case is probably the non-norm, but most of my players I have known since high school, but if this was not the case and I was the normal host I would not be too proud to say, Hey everyone needs to chip in for food and snacks, or I would stop providing them, they all know my set up is better than theirs, and I never asked money to cover chips/Cards/table/shuffler because it is for me not them, they just get the benefit
 
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I use to play in a tournament league where the winner would bring pizza or sandwiches and chips to the next game. Worked pretty well. If the winner couldn't make the next game, they would make sure to get another player to bring the food and they would pay for it.

For the cash game I host, I just put out a tip jar. Most of my players donate and I cover the difference if it's short for the next game.
 
I have a couple different people I call on to handle ordering food. My philosphy is I handle everything poker related (cards, tables, chips), someone else can take card of organizing food.

With all the different food ordering options now there is no reason people can't figure it out.

Life has been much easier since I started doing this. One less thing to deal with.
 
Cash games, I say I'm ordering pizza, everyone in throw me $15. I then get a mix of $15 in chips or cash.
That's how I do it too. I provide a few snacks and non-alcoholic drinks and order pizza and people just chip in with cash or chips.
 
This question may be dependent on culture. In some cultures, the guests are gods and the host is supposed to get a sense of pride and accomplishment if the guests have a good time. Therefore, it’s a huge faux pas to go Dutch at the end of a social event if it was not clearly stated to the guests ahead of time.

Most of my regulars know to bring their favorite drinks or snacks. If they occasionally forget that’s fine. If they habitually forget, I’ll occasionally “forget” to invite them. If a lot forget, I’ll occasionally say I didn’t have time to prep food and we can split DoorDash or something. Because I live in a food desert with not a lot of good food delivery options, the shock to the wallet and the bland options are enough for players to see the value in what I do
 
I think that over time, it’s +EV to be an accommodating host/guest.

As a host, I want players to feel comfortable and confident in attending. My life doesn’t allow me to play every day or every week, same for a lot of our locals, so I want when we do play to be easy and fun.

Meals are usually predetermined, last games we’ve had BBQ, Pizza, Steaks, Burgers, etc. That’s for the family meal, then every game I door dash pizzas for the late night crew. We messed up last night and ordered too late so had to Door Dash Taco Bell.

Most often it’s me footing the bill, occasionally we’ll do a bomb pot for the food or some folks will leave a donation. If it’s just friends getting together to shoot the shit we always split. Most importantly nothing is forced, everyone is comfortable, and I’m flexible.

What off sets that cost? Well for one thing, my time is limited. This cuts out stress, planning, communicating, etc. I don’t have to worry about anything and neither do players, lol everyone just knows they’re getting fed if they’re hungry. And generosity is contagious, we’re a small group. People are giving people rides, people are driving 2 hours to play at this game, people are bringing fun stuff to leave behind at the game, etc. If someone is using their one time to get out of the house after putting a newborn to bed, I want them to be able to just show up and enjoy.

If this was a weekly game and I was incurring giant losses, I might revisit and ask for some help.

Another no stress way, you have 10 players 3 hosts biweekly. Rotate, every player provides good one game. 26 games a year, that’s just over 2 meals per person per year. No stress no planning no exchange of funds.
 
Glad it works for you but I've never understood this approach. Why penalize someone for winning?
It wasn't my league. This was what was expected when I joined, so I just went along with it. I was fortunate enough to be the one supplying the food many times.
 
Most nights we have chips and hot dogs which I buy. A couple times a year we have a bbq with tri-tip and sausage which I also buy. Sometimes people bring chips or ask if they can grill a tri-tip at the game. I never ask for money, the culture we have is that if you book a decent win you leave a little for the house. I supply a lot of beer and liquor and people also bring a lot of beer and liquor. Never any shortage of drinks.
 
We’ve settled on $8 per person. Any amount short will come out of larger pots until the host is made right.
 
This is the beauty of the hot dog roller. Fifteen bucks feeds the whole table if they're hungry - I don't mind footing that bill. But to me it's not about the food.
This is an excellent idea! You have me looking at hotdog rollers now...
 
This is the beauty of the hot dog roller. Fifteen bucks feeds the whole table if they're hungry - I don't mind footing that bill. But to me it's not about the food.

Lol, “I like you guys enough to feed you, but only crap food.” Meta I know
 
We’ve settled on $8 per person. Any amount short will come out of larger pots until the host is made right.
Wow that’s crazy to me.
So during the game you’re counting the money in the food cash bowl and if there isn’t enough there, you start raking pots.
As a guy who would rather eat at home, I wouldn’t like seeing my pots raked for other peoples food.
It’s just all too much. Eat at home or keep it cheap and simple, I say.
 
Lol, “I like you guys enough to feed you, but only crap food.” Meta I know
No it’s more like, “I have no interest in feeding you guys, but if you’re hungry, have a hot dog.”
And at least I spring for the all beef Hebrew nationals!
 
Wow that’s crazy to me.
So during the game you’re counting the money in the food cash bowl and if there isn’t enough there, you start raking pots.
As a guy who would rather eat at home, I wouldn’t like seeing my pots raked for other peoples food.
It’s just all too much. Eat at home or keep it cheap and simple, I say.
I’d prefer not to have food altogether. It’s a headache and we only play for 5 hours or so starting around 630pm.

If we are short money it shouldn’t be any more than $15-20. So we would end up raking 5 pots over the night.

Not my preferred approach either, but we played Tuesday night and it’s what the group wanted.
 

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