Why is it so hard to get a game? (1 Viewer)

[KarateMaster72]

For the last few years even before covid, why is it so hard to get a home game together? I've even dropped down to 25 cent 50 cent blinds. Or we can go as high as you want. I can't go any lower it just kind of loses the fun to me like that. Anyway why is it so hard? Nobody wants to play anymore

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

Random simple reasons why people might not want to pull up:

1. Looks bad if the host is always scooping all the pots.
2. If you invite sketchy players.
3. If it's apparent that you're only hosting to get money over to the house.
4. If you're not following the laws of stupid.
5. Maybe update your playing area?
6. Change the music or freshen the air.
7. Always invite more people than your table can accommodate, worse comes to worst you'll have a couple people *waiting to play.
8. Give out bonuses? (Tourney)
9. Build up some hype! Invite players a week or so ahead of time. If you think they might not have the bankroll don't have games as often. Some players have it in there head, "Ohh, I'll make it to the next game"
10. Staying on top of the game...playing more than 5 hands an hour...

This is all totally subjective. I don't know you personally and have never been in your space but just a few recommendations that some people overlook!

 

[LeLe]

It always the start that is hard to get player, maybe you just short of conducts.

Start Small go 6 handed at the start, find 1-2 Best Friend and you already filled up 3 spots

Maybe they Interested in poker but don’t how to play, be patience start Low 10/20c is a very good starting stake to learn. Guide them make the player felt welcome enjoy the game play loss

Or maybe there are just too many home games around in your area, if you can’t win them join them. Make Friends with them offer to host once in awhile get your connection

Hopefully these help and any PCF who live near OP area can also consider inviting him to their home game

My very first game started small didn’t go as plan, planned for 6 only 4 show up, playing 25c/50c stake. Now it going strong having games every weekend playing 50/50c or 50c/$1

 

[Mr Winberg]

A low percentage of people enjoy poker. And of those people, a low percentage like to play regularly. So, the probability that a lot of your friends enoy poker regularly is very low. Therefore, it's imperative that your game grows, constantly. If it's not growing it's dying. You need to ask those few that enjoy poker to bring friends (which of course is a security risk, but we all like a good gambool, right?).

When I restarted hosting about 7-8 years ago, I struggled but managed to get 6-10 player STTs. The first tourney was easy since everyone was excited, but trying to gather players to a second one 4 weeks later was extremely hard. People were like "Poker.....again? So soon?"

Out of the regulars back then, there's only me and one more left. So without growth, there would have been 2 of us left playing heads up!

We're around 20 per game now and have been for 4-5 years, and I hardly knew any one of these players 6 years ago. Not to mention that of the player pool 2 years ago, only half are left. If it ain't growing, it's dying.

Nobody wants to play anymore

Almost true. Thankfully, there are exceptions. Find them!

 

[Mojo1312]

For the last few years even before covid, why is it so hard to get a home game together? I've even dropped down to 25 cent 50 cent blinds. Or we can go as high as you want. I can't go any lower it just kind of loses the fun to me like that. Anyway why is it so hard? Nobody wants to play anymore

Interesting question. I think for some players, hold-em has grown stale and for others their lives have become busier. Persistence is key. Host a game even if you only have five players. Word will get out. I still believe players will come if the game is good. (Nice setting/atmosphere with nice cards and chips, well organized, etc.) Ease of parking is also a plus.

 

[joeyshin]

I used to host a game twice a week and had to turn people down since it filled up so fast. That was 15 years ago while everyone was still on the holdem hype train. But with my game, the biggest kill to the game wasn’t that people didn’t play anymore, but everyone got married and started having kids. Kids slowed a lot of things down for friends who used to chill a lot. But now that kids are older and people haven’t played in a while, people want to play again.

That might only be true for my circle.

 

[Thomacetti]

I used to host a game twice a week and had to turn people down since it filled up so fast. That was 15 years ago while everyone was still on the holdem hype train. But with my game, the biggest kill to the game wasn’t that people didn’t play anymore, but everyone got married and started having kids. Kids slowed a lot of things down for friends who used to chill a lot. But now that kids are older and people haven’t played in a while, people want to play again.

That might only be true for my circle.

100% the same here...and now everyone has a decent roll and start to appreciate the nice stuff (chips, cards & table)

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

I used to host a game twice a week and had to turn people down since it filled up so fast. That was 15 years ago while everyone was still on the holdem hype train. But with my game, the biggest kill to the game wasn’t that people didn’t play anymore, but everyone got married and started having kids. Kids slowed a lot of things down for friends who used to chill a lot. But now that kids are older and people haven’t played in a while, people want to play again.

That might only be true for my circle.

This is my dream - while I’m still considered a youngin’ on here

 

[ekricket]

I used to host a game twice a week and had to turn people down since it filled up so fast. That was 15 years ago while everyone was still on the holdem hype train. But with my game, the biggest kill to the game wasn’t that people didn’t play anymore, but everyone got married and started having kids. Kids slowed a lot of things down for friends who used to chill a lot. But now that kids are older and people haven’t played in a while, people want to play again.

That might only be true for my circle.

 

[KarateMaster72]

Random simple reasons why people might not want to pull up:

1. Looks bad if the host is always scooping all the pots.
2. If you invite sketchy players.
3. If it's apparent that you're only hosting to get money over to the house.
4. If you're not following the laws of stupid.
5. Maybe update your playing area?
6. Change the music or freshen the air.
7. Always invite more people than your table can accommodate, worse comes to worst you'll have a couple people *waiting to play.
8. Give out bonuses? (Tourney)
9. Build up some hype! Invite players a week or so ahead of time. If you think they might not have the bankroll don't have games as often. Some players have it in there head, "Ohh, I'll make it to the next game"
10. Staying on top of the game...playing more than 5 hands an hour...

This is all totally subjective. I don't know you personally and have never been in your space but just a few recommendations that some people overlook!

I have a very nice eight person table but it's really mostly a six-person table and I have a really nice 8-ft 10-person table. Several sets of nice chips. The environment is nice and clean I don't smoke. I have scooped quite a many pots though and that probably is part of it. But that's part of poker sometimes I lose a lot sometimes I went a lot just like everybody else. It just seems like people don't like to interact with each other anymore

 

[KarateMaster72]

I think my friends got me started playing poker around 2003 maybe 2004. Up until 2017 we would play multiple times a night at different homes or at my karate school. Now it just seems impossible to get anybody to play. And I really don't feel like going to casinos where you have to play with plexiglass and masks.

 

[The_Worm]

I'm facing this same issue and racking my brains. Agree with the poster above that kids / families can be a huge obstacle. Then trying to lock in a day where everyone is free, has no work in the morning etc. can be tricky.

There are Facebook / Meetup home game groups you can join but obvs there are risks with having total randoms show up to your house.

 

[Eloe2000]

Random simple reasons why people might not want to pull up:

1. Looks bad if the host is always scooping all the pots.
2. If you invite sketchy players.
3. If it's apparent that you're only hosting to get money over to the house.
4. If you're not following the laws of stupid.
5. Maybe update your playing area?
6. Change the music or freshen the air.
7. Always invite more people than your table can accommodate, worse comes to worst you'll have a couple people *waiting to play.
8. Give out bonuses? (Tourney)
9. Build up some hype! Invite players a week or so ahead of time. If you think they might not have the bankroll don't have games as often. Some players have it in there head, "Ohh, I'll make it to the next game"
10. Staying on top of the game...playing more than 5 hands an hour...

This is all totally subjective. I don't know you personally and have never been in your space but just a few recommendations that some people overlook!

This is a great list! I just wanted to add one thing to it… perhaps the day/time is not ideal. Poll
Players about this. The wrong day or time can make it impossible to keep a game together. Also keeping the day consistent makes it easy for people to plan around the game.

For us, Thursday night works really well. Weekends don’t work because the young guys are partying and the old guys are doing family stuff or taking trips. Thursday night is close to the weekend so people don’t mind putting in a late night playing poker but are always free. If we tried to play on Saturday night it would definitely not work. Plus Thursday night football! But every group is different.

 

[KarateMaster72]

I'm facing this same issue and racking my brains. Agree with the poster above that kids / families can be a huge obstacle. Then trying to lock in a day where everyone is free, has no work in the morning etc. can be tricky.

There are Facebook / Meetup home game groups you can join but obvs there are risks with having total randoms show up to your house.

Yeah I run my own karate school so I work 24 hours a day basically even when I'm not there. I just want to get together with a couple good friends have some fun and steal their money lol just teasing

 

[KarateMaster72]

This is a great list! I just wanted to add one thing to it… perhaps the day/time is not ideal. Poll
Players about this. The wrong day or time can make it impossible to keep a game together. Also keeping the day consistent makes it easy for people to plan around the game.

For us, Thursday night works really well. Weekends don’t work because the young guys are partying and the old guys are doing family stuff or taking trips. Thursday night is close to the weekend so people don’t mind putting in a late night playing poker but are always free. If we tried to play on Saturday night it would definitely not work. Plus Thursday night football! But every group is different.

I'll play anytime they want as long as it's not a time when I'm teaching classes. So anytime after 8:00 at night I'm good during the week

 

[Grimace]

I’ve run into the same lack of interest in trying to restart a regular game here. I was able to find 6 to play a cash game last weekend but this weekend canceled because only had 3 interested. Probably invited 20-25 and schedules never seem to line up. Not giving up I’ll keep trying. I’d like to get together once a month so we will see how it goes.

 

[MrCatPants]

Some things I'd think about:

• Logistics - date, time, game, stakes, location - all of these can lose you players if they aren't aligned with what people want
• How far in advance are you planning? The further the better in my experience.
• How many people are you inviting? My "active" list is about 30 people (5 regs, another 10 semi regs, and 15 occassionals) to usually get 8-10 at a game.
• Does everyone actually want to play poker? People who "will" play poker occasionally, when it is part of another event are different than people who will show just to play poker.

 

[legonick]

A low percentage of people enjoy poker. And of those people, a low percentage like to play regularly. So, the probability that a lot of your friends enoy poker regularly is very low. Therefore, it's imperative that your game grows, constantly. If it's not growing it's dying. You need to ask those few that enjoy poker to bring friends (which of course is a security risk, but we all like a good gambool, right?).

When I restarted hosting about 7-8 years ago, I struggled but managed to get 6-10 player STTs. The first tourney was easy since everyone was excited, but trying to gather players to a second one 4 weeks later was extremely hard. People were like "Poker.....again? So soon?"

Out of the regulars back then, there's only me and one more left. So without growth, there would have been 2 of us left playing heads up!

We're around 20 per game now and have been for 4-5 years, and I hardly knew any one of these players 6 years ago. Not to mention that of the player pool 2 years ago, only half are left. If it ain't growing, it's dying.


Almost true. Thankfully, there are exceptions. Find them!

So is your growth truly friends-of-friends stuff? I've been trying to hit that and not had much luck. Basically 1 player has brought in 2 guys, 1 was his brother from out-of-state who won't be able to return, the other missed the next game but I'll invite him back again, but I don't have high hopes. I think most of the other guys, due to COVID-19, have smallish friend circles themselves.

 

[Mr Winberg]

So is your growth truly friends-of-friends stuff?

For me it has been. That, and asking acquaintances on the off chance that they might like to join. Like if a sister in-law has a new boyfriend or whatever, I'll be sure to ask if he plays. But that hasn't been nearly as effective for me as asking friends to bring friends.

 

[KarateMaster72]

Some things I'd think about:

• Logistics - date, time, game, stakes, location - all of these can lose you players if they aren't aligned with what people want
• How far in advance are you planning? The further the better in my experience.
• How many people are you inviting? My "active" list is about 30 people (5 regs, another 10 semi regs, and 15 occassionals) to usually get 8-10 at a game.
• Does everyone actually want to play poker? People who "will" play poker occasionally, when it is part of another event are different than people who will show just to play poker.

Stakes or anywhere from $0.25 / $0.25 blinds to as high as you'd like to go. Or a tournament with a buy-in that can start at $25 or as high as they would like to make it with rebuys also. The people I ask total about 40 out of those people at least 15 are regular players who play quite a bit. The rest have expressed a ton of interest. I am offering a weekly game or a monthly game whatever they want. And I ask at least a week in advance. But it is known that it is a running offer for the weekly game

 

[doublebooyah85]

Need online poker to get legal again then we should have another boom

 

[Josh Kifer]

For the last few years even before covid, why is it so hard to get a home game together? I've even dropped down to 25 cent 50 cent blinds. Or we can go as high as you want. I can't go any lower it just kind of loses the fun to me like that. Anyway why is it so hard? Nobody wants to play anymore

Just my opinion...

Find a reason to play. My game for 16 years started because it was a fun thing to do with Monday Night Football. Try and get a base that want to do it annually for that "thing". If you get 5-6 that show up, it'll start bringing in people slowly as they chat about how much fun it is. Don't worry about blinds. I did tourneys for 6-8 years with zero cash games. But it gave some people a reason to spend 20 bucks, watch football, drink beer, and heck, sometimes you win!

As it grows firmer and legs, then you can get a bit more degen.

 

[MrCatPants]

Just my opinion...

Find a reason to play. My game for 16 years started because it was a fun thing to do with Monday Night Football. Try and get a base that want to do it annually for that "thing". If you get 5-6 that show up, it'll start bringing in people slowly as they chat about how much fun it is. Don't worry about blinds. I did tourneys for 6-8 years with zero cash games. But it gave some people a reason to spend 20 bucks, watch football, drink beer, and heck, sometimes you win!

As it grows firmer and legs, then you can get a bit more degen.

Just to add to this, a week in advance is way too little for busy professionals with jobs that travel/folks with kids at home. I'd shoot more for a month in advance. I already have my games booked through October, and am starting to think about November dates.

 

[legonick]

Just to add to this, a week in advance is way too little for busy professionals with jobs that travel/folks with kids at home. I'd shoot more for a month in advance. I already have my games booked through October, and am starting to think about November dates.

Yeah, I try to angle between 3 and 2 weeks notice. And of course you get stuck with the mostly ghosters who you have to ping as it gets closer.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Yeah, I try to angle between 3 and 2 weeks notice. And of course you get stuck with the mostly ghosters who you have to ping as it gets closer.

See, I've had worse luck with long lead times. Everyone is game a month out, but as you get closer people find reasons not to come. When it's annually (weekly, monthly, etc), it becomes apart of people's life rotation. They might miss a game or two a year, but they try and make all of them.

 

[legonick]

See, I've had worse luck with long lead times. Everyone is game a month out, but as you get closer people find reasons not to come. When it's annually (weekly, monthly, etc), it becomes apart of people's life rotation. They might miss a game or two a year, but they try and make all of them.

I should clarify - I go for 1 a month, on the same day of the month (2nd to last Friday of the month), and I send out the Evite 2-3 weeks ahead of the game.

@Josh Kifer when do you remind people of your game?

 

[MrCatPants]

See, I've had worse luck with long lead times. Everyone is game a month out, but as you get closer people find reasons not to come. When it's annually (weekly, monthly, etc), it becomes apart of people's life rotation. They might miss a game or two a year, but they try and make all of them.

Definitely depends on your player base and like you said the regularity of it. I'm twice a month on Thursday nights (but which Thursdays depend on my work travel schedule) and my player base is (mostly) good about following through on commitments.

That said, I have a regular cadence of reminder and confirmation emails too to keep everything front of mind.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I should clarify - I go for 1 a month, on the same day of the month (2nd to last Friday of the month), and I send out the Evite 2-3 weeks ahead of the game.

@Josh Kifer when do you remind people of your game?

Day of. I sent a text message to a group every Monday at 9am, everyone RSVPs then. But our game happens religiously Mondays at 7pm.

Also, I send to 14 people, first 10 gets a seat. And I do not take RSVPs outside of the day of. They gotta call there shot and show up.

 

[KarateMaster72]

Just to add to this, a week in advance is way too little for busy professionals with jobs that travel/folks with kids at home. I'd shoot more for a month in advance. I already have my games booked through October, and am starting to think about November dates.

Totally agree that's short notice but as I said it's basically just common knowledge if people want to get together there's a game going. It's an open ongoing invitation

 

[tones215]

I feel your pain. I’ve been trying to get a game going for a month+. Last week, we finally settled on tomorrow. Not shockingly, three guys let me know today they couldn’t make it. I have four for Saturday, but I’d much prefer to roll with 6.