Your first home game (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mojo1312
- Start date
Mine was in the galley of a US warship. (USS Mcclusky FFG-41). Paper cards with a hole punched in them from a vegas casino with those white, red, and blue plastic chips. $.10/.$25 cent blinds. 5 card draw and some other wild card type games. Half way through our first cruise we got a new officer who ran tournaments. Those were $20 entry and always the night before a port visit. The winner usually had to buy first round when we went ashore. Great times.
. I remember doing a lot of raising to see where I’m at moves.
Mr Winberg
Full House
The first one I played:
The first one I hosted I had just received these bad boys from the US:
It was back in 2004, and took 6 weeks to arrive! I remember thinking "Man, I bet shipping will be a lot quicker 16 years from now..." ;-)
People where very impressed, everyone was used to playing with dice chips, so these 3-color chips where a success!
I did a T1000 SNG with base T5. The players struggled with the "odd denominations" of 5 and 25. One even asked "why can't we have normal denoms like 10 and 50?". After that I changed to having the base T25 for subsequent tournaments.
The first one I hosted I had just received these bad boys from the US:
It was back in 2004, and took 6 weeks to arrive! I remember thinking "Man, I bet shipping will be a lot quicker 16 years from now..." ;-)
People where very impressed, everyone was used to playing with dice chips, so these 3-color chips where a success!
I did a T1000 SNG with base T5. The players struggled with the "odd denominations" of 5 and 25. One even asked "why can't we have normal denoms like 10 and 50?". After that I changed to having the base T25 for subsequent tournaments.
My first game was in a dorm. We had the cheap red, white, and blue plastic chips (probably like Craig mentioned). We didn't know any better -- $.01/.05/.10. It was penny-ante, dime limit, unlimited raises. We all started with $4. Fall 1981.
Then I played in a "home" game at some guy's apartment. Chips were basically the same, but it was either $.05 ante and $.25 limit, or $.01 ante and $.25 limit. 3-bump limit, with but with a right to bet rule (everyone had at least one shot at raising) and "picking up lights" rule. So if a guy raise $.05, someone else could raise another $.20 without that counting as a separate raise.
After college, a group of friends played in a $.01/.05/.10 for $4, but raise it to $.01/.25 limit with unlimited raises for $10.
All 3 of those games were just about ever poker game under the sun. Usually dealers choice, and at least half the hand played with wild cards.
Those 3 games were just a lot of fun.
My first tournaments were $10, all NLHE. Starting chips was 1,000, and we started with antes of 1. Had no idea what blinds were until much later.
Then I played in a "home" game at some guy's apartment. Chips were basically the same, but it was either $.05 ante and $.25 limit, or $.01 ante and $.25 limit. 3-bump limit, with but with a right to bet rule (everyone had at least one shot at raising) and "picking up lights" rule. So if a guy raise $.05, someone else could raise another $.20 without that counting as a separate raise.
After college, a group of friends played in a $.01/.05/.10 for $4, but raise it to $.01/.25 limit with unlimited raises for $10.
All 3 of those games were just about ever poker game under the sun. Usually dealers choice, and at least half the hand played with wild cards.
Those 3 games were just a lot of fun.
My first tournaments were $10, all NLHE. Starting chips was 1,000, and we started with antes of 1. Had no idea what blinds were until much later.
Frogzilla
4 of a Kind
The high school game we played on some decent nexgens and a quality home-made table. Felt came from a billiards store I think. The host was crushing us and put most of his winnings back into the supplies.
One night we found ourselves without a place to play, and ended up pulling an all-nighter at a Midland TX whataburger. Dealers choice was a good companion to the free soda refills. Met some interesting folks that night.
One night we found ourselves without a place to play, and ended up pulling an all-nighter at a Midland TX whataburger. Dealers choice was a good companion to the free soda refills. Met some interesting folks that night.
ES_Threeper
Pair
My first game I hosted in the army while stationed in Germany in 1995. I had gotten a set of joe camel poker chips in a metal tin. We played dealers choice.
Pinesol13
Flush
Sometime around 2001....Two table tournament in a friends garage. One table was a ping pong table with a large blanket or tablecloth over it, the other table was a pool table 
Dice chips. No blind progression schedule, we just doubled the blinds each time someone got knocked out.
I got knocked out early with pocket queens vs pocket aces, A Q ? on the flop.
Then I got drunk on steel reserve.
simpler times.....
Dice chips. No blind progression schedule, we just doubled the blinds each time someone got knocked out.
I got knocked out early with pocket queens vs pocket aces, A Q ? on the flop.
Then I got drunk on steel reserve.
simpler times.....
BruceWayne
Flush
High school, late 90's/early 2000, obsessed with Rounders. We were degenerates. It's where I became hooked. Every Friday night a buddy's mom worked night shift so his house was open. A regular 6-8 man NLHE game. .50/1. 60-100 buy ins usually, definitely rebuys if cracked early. A couple generous staking if a pal ran out but still wanted to play. We were all good for it.
Small room, uncomfortable chairs. No TV, just trash talk, high school gossip and movie quotes.
The occasional break which involved outdoor boxing with gloves and head gear... Taco Bell or McD runs... convenience store stops for scratch off lotto tickets and hopes of hitting it big quick.
Usually started 6-7p and ran until 2-3a. Could grind all night and then start playing high card for 20-40-60 bucks a pull like idiots.
These were the chips, which weren't the awful dice plastics.
Remember it like it was yesterday, and why I play today. Great times. Unfortunately a lot of us went our own separate ways shortly after graduating...
Small room, uncomfortable chairs. No TV, just trash talk, high school gossip and movie quotes.
The occasional break which involved outdoor boxing with gloves and head gear... Taco Bell or McD runs... convenience store stops for scratch off lotto tickets and hopes of hitting it big quick.
Usually started 6-7p and ran until 2-3a. Could grind all night and then start playing high card for 20-40-60 bucks a pull like idiots.
These were the chips, which weren't the awful dice plastics.
Remember it like it was yesterday, and why I play today. Great times. Unfortunately a lot of us went our own separate ways shortly after graduating...
Silver_Fiend
Flush
Mine was tournaments played with dice-chips in a haji chai shop on my FOB in Iraq. I wish we had taken some pics from those games. Crappy plastic tables, half dozen hookahs (not hookers LOL), Iraqi MTV playing on the TVs, machine guns.... those were the days.
detroitdad
Royal Flush
We did $15.00 pot luck NLHE tourneys. Gave everyone a shit ton of chips and doubled the blinds every 30 minutes. Shortly after my first game I stumbled on homepokertourney.com and it changed my life .
Jimulacrum
Full House
My first home game ever was at my family reunion, 1998.
The games: 7-Card Stud, including variants with wild cards and special rules (e.g., Chicago, sevens take the pot, Night Baseball), plus some 5-Card Draw and Acey-Deucey
The stakes: Fixed limit, $0.10 ante with $0.10/0.20 bets (3 bet cap); for Acey Deucey, $0.25 or $0.50 ante depending on how drunk everyone was; no min or max buy-in, but most people put $5–20 on the table, and it wasn't table stakes anyway (no all-in, players would "go light" instead)
The chips: No chips; we played with piles of nickels, dimes, and quarters, with occasional scraps of paper money making it into play
I think I made like $20 that night.
The games: 7-Card Stud, including variants with wild cards and special rules (e.g., Chicago, sevens take the pot, Night Baseball), plus some 5-Card Draw and Acey-Deucey
The stakes: Fixed limit, $0.10 ante with $0.10/0.20 bets (3 bet cap); for Acey Deucey, $0.25 or $0.50 ante depending on how drunk everyone was; no min or max buy-in, but most people put $5–20 on the table, and it wasn't table stakes anyway (no all-in, players would "go light" instead)
The chips: No chips; we played with piles of nickels, dimes, and quarters, with occasional scraps of paper money making it into play
I think I made like $20 that night.
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detroitdad
Royal Flush
My first cash game that I ever hosted was spread limit. I didn't even know that was a thing. Just something we thought we made up on the fly lol.
Rhodeman77
Straight Flush
In high school and until we my friends and I turned 21 and could go to bars, every NYE we would play poker after midnight until the sun came up the next day. We would all bring a bag of change. We played dealers choice with all the crazy wild card games like Midnight Baseball and follow the Queen. Most games were 7 card stud variations.
I bought my first home when I turned 21. I bought two 60” round plastic tables from Sam’s Club and covered them with 1/4” rubber and speed cloth. Along with 1000 dice chips from Trademark Poker that cost me about $600 back then!
I started hosting weekly $10, then $20, and eventually $40 Hold’em tournaments, that last for several years.
I bought my first home when I turned 21. I bought two 60” round plastic tables from Sam’s Club and covered them with 1/4” rubber and speed cloth. Along with 1000 dice chips from Trademark Poker that cost me about $600 back then!
I started hosting weekly $10, then $20, and eventually $40 Hold’em tournaments, that last for several years.
Jimulacrum
Full House
I can keep you in steady supply if you're still in the market for $0.60 dice chips.In high school and until we my friends and I turned 21 and could go to bars, every NYE we would play poker after midnight until the sun came up the next day. We would all bring a bag of change. We played dealers choice with all the crazy wild card games like Midnight Baseball and follow the Queen. Most games were 7 card stud variations.
I bought my first home when I turned 21. I bought two 60” round plastic tables from Sam’s Club and covered them with 1/4” rubber and speed cloth. Along with 1000 dice chips from Trademark Poker that cost me about $600 back then!
I started hosting weekly $10, then $20, and eventually $40 Hold’em tournaments, that last for several years.
Man, my tournaments only last for 3-4 hours. I must be doing something wrong.
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CrazyEddie
Full House
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
My studio apartment near campus, about 2003. 4 players. Folding card table and chairs from Target. Michael Graves chips from Target. 0.02-0.05 blinds $5 max. One of those guys is still a reg in my home game.
ES_Threeper
Pair
I had those target chips too
My first home game was in High School around 1996. The game was 5 card draw poker with a $0.10 ante and it was No Limit. The game was held at one of my friend's house. We played with paper Bicycle playing cards and with cheap plastic chips. After the movie Rounders came out we started playing No Limit Hold'em tournaments.
Seeking Alpha Social Club
4 of a Kind
At submarine school in Groton CT. Playing .05, .10, .25, call your own. Pretty drunk, so I don't remember if I won or lost. But I do remember playing Ace/Duece (Between the Sheets). Pot was over $400 on a stupid nickle, dime, quarter game. Petty Officer Stevens rolls a K2, bets the pot, and then hits a F'n K. Stands up and puts his coat on and says (while trying his hardest to contain his rage, "I NEED TO GO FIND AN ATM." The only other thing I remember is that Petty Officer Sanchez drank too much tequila and passed out on the bathroom floor. Damn those were great times!!
OfficerLovejoy
Full House
The year was 1999, I was 15 and we played 5 card draw with a bunch of my high school friends on my parents dining room table with the then german currency: Deutsche Mark Pfennige (about 1/2 ct in USD).
The rules were mostly made up, since all I had was a hand rankings chart and knowlegde 1 or 2 movies I had seen seen where they played this format.
I don't know the specifics, only that we had a blast and made it a weekly thing and soon after discovered nl he and started to play with proper rules, 1ct/2ct blinds and upgraded to a 300pc case of dice chips.
The rules were mostly made up, since all I had was a hand rankings chart and knowlegde 1 or 2 movies I had seen seen where they played this format.
I don't know the specifics, only that we had a blast and made it a weekly thing and soon after discovered nl he and started to play with proper rules, 1ct/2ct blinds and upgraded to a 300pc case of dice chips.
Papasatyr
Two Pair
Age nine-ish at my best friend Scott’s house in 1979. Myself, Scott, and his brother. Used pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters on their coffee table. Dealers choice, mixed games, mostly draw and stud games with occasional wild cards. No limit, but nobody ever bet more than 25 cents. Bought in for 20 cents; left with $1.50.
Doublebassa
Pair
Haha it was a shambles. UK, January 2019, we were 23 years old. My mate had bought a set of Dice chips with nasty BCG cards, dealer and blinds buttons on a whim after watching some youtuber play and thought it would be fun. We all just turned up for a social game night. None of us knew what we were doing or had ever played poker before. We played 6 handed and not for money. We all had the hand rankings up on our phones so everyone was constantly looking at the rankings when they had a hand. No one knew how to shuffle the cards properly so they were super bent. We all got drunk. We made up the most ridiculous denominations breakdown for the dice chips.
Something like:
Black (1) x 10
White (2) x 10
Red (5) x 5
Blue (10) x 5
Green (20) x 2
with 1/2 blinds.
I also recall that we had some crazy hands, no one every folded - quads and straight flushes in the game - (straight flushes probably due to piss poor deck shuffling).
I won in the end - didn't win anything but I won.
The funny thing is, even though it was a shambles, I was instantly hooked to this game that I had known about for years but never played. Within a week we had organised another game and we all played for £1 each (no rising blinds or anything - super informal). Within a month I was binging all the poker TV I could. Within 2 months I'd bought several chip sets looking for the right one (starting my chipping obsession). A year later I had a massive chip, playing card and poker book collection.
We had a few more games in the immediate aftermath of this, using the numbered laser chips I had bought but we still didn't really know what we were doing in terms of Blind/Stack ratio, buyins, rebuys, structure etc. It wasn't a cashgame but it also wasn't a tournament. Fast forward 2 years and I'm the only one still interested in poker (although my original buddy who set up the first game is always up for chatting about it and playing). Covid has destroyed any possibility of meeting up but I'm hoping to host my first PROPER home game when restrictions are lifted and everybody's vaccinated with the same friends. This time there will be proper chips, proper structure, proper rules, on a proper poker table with KEM cards and a proper buyin system (though no doubt it will be microstakes) - I can't wait.
Something like:
Black (1) x 10
White (2) x 10
Red (5) x 5
Blue (10) x 5
Green (20) x 2
with 1/2 blinds.
I also recall that we had some crazy hands, no one every folded - quads and straight flushes in the game - (straight flushes probably due to piss poor deck shuffling).
I won in the end - didn't win anything but I won.
The funny thing is, even though it was a shambles, I was instantly hooked to this game that I had known about for years but never played. Within a week we had organised another game and we all played for £1 each (no rising blinds or anything - super informal). Within a month I was binging all the poker TV I could. Within 2 months I'd bought several chip sets looking for the right one (starting my chipping obsession). A year later I had a massive chip, playing card and poker book collection.
We had a few more games in the immediate aftermath of this, using the numbered laser chips I had bought but we still didn't really know what we were doing in terms of Blind/Stack ratio, buyins, rebuys, structure etc. It wasn't a cashgame but it also wasn't a tournament. Fast forward 2 years and I'm the only one still interested in poker (although my original buddy who set up the first game is always up for chatting about it and playing). Covid has destroyed any possibility of meeting up but I'm hoping to host my first PROPER home game when restrictions are lifted and everybody's vaccinated with the same friends. This time there will be proper chips, proper structure, proper rules, on a proper poker table with KEM cards and a proper buyin system (though no doubt it will be microstakes) - I can't wait.
Year 2003 in JUCO. We would play $5 tournaments with slugged chips. I’m sure the structure was terrible but I can’t really remember what it was. We played multiple nights per week and I was hooked right away. I remember I lost like the first 8 times I played. Which meant I was down 40 bucks total and I thought I had a gambling problem and thought about not playing anymore. (Poor college kids at the time). Anyways, finally broke through and cashed in a tourney and there was no looking back. The tourneys were almost always 2 tables max. That was the start.
Got to Mizzou a year or so later and met a new group of buddies that were interested in playing poker. I was a consistent winner with them at the time as I had already had a year of games under my belt and they were just starting out A few of those guys are ones I still play with today. We’d play a minimum of 2 nights per week through that time while all in school. Played the same $5 tournaments mostly through that time and then started getting into cash games as well.
After graduating we still played weekly as we were mostly still near Columbia. Then a few key guys moved farther away and the game dropped to a just a few times per year and it’s been that way for a while. Last year when COVID started I got the idea (from PCF) to play online (Pokerrr2) and chat via zoom. We played a good 15 times in 2020 using that format and a few times in 2021. Plan to play live sometime soon.
Someday when my kids are older I hope to get back into playing live poker weekly. Till then I’ll live vicariously through the members of this forum!
Got to Mizzou a year or so later and met a new group of buddies that were interested in playing poker. I was a consistent winner with them at the time as I had already had a year of games under my belt and they were just starting out A few of those guys are ones I still play with today. We’d play a minimum of 2 nights per week through that time while all in school. Played the same $5 tournaments mostly through that time and then started getting into cash games as well.
After graduating we still played weekly as we were mostly still near Columbia. Then a few key guys moved farther away and the game dropped to a just a few times per year and it’s been that way for a while. Last year when COVID started I got the idea (from PCF) to play online (Pokerrr2) and chat via zoom. We played a good 15 times in 2020 using that format and a few times in 2021. Plan to play live sometime soon.
Someday when my kids are older I hope to get back into playing live poker weekly. Till then I’ll live vicariously through the members of this forum!
I was allowed to host in my parents' home as soon as I enrolled in university, in 1987.
I studied where I was born and anyway lived, which was a boon to my parents and a curse to me.
Smoking had always been allowed for guests here, so the windows were kept open till late next morning, after the people left.
Actually, they never left before 6am. We never played less than 8 hours.
All players, including of course myself, were clueless and drank a lot.
Mostly stud games and ultra-volatile community card games, with pre-dealt boards, with a short deck (5-up for 6 players, 6-up for 5 players, 7-up for 4 players). Everything always no-limit.
Old-time KEMs and crappy thin plastic plaques. Dice chips came after my graduation from the Law School and felt like top Vegas stuff
I studied where I was born and anyway lived, which was a boon to my parents and a curse to me.
Smoking had always been allowed for guests here, so the windows were kept open till late next morning, after the people left.
Actually, they never left before 6am. We never played less than 8 hours.
All players, including of course myself, were clueless and drank a lot.
Mostly stud games and ultra-volatile community card games, with pre-dealt boards, with a short deck (5-up for 6 players, 6-up for 5 players, 7-up for 4 players). Everything always no-limit.
Old-time KEMs and crappy thin plastic plaques. Dice chips came after my graduation from the Law School and felt like top Vegas stuff
Klobberer
Full House
Nickels, dimes & quarters at the kitchen table. Antes and circus games.
Not counting nickel and dime baseball acey deucy type games that came up occasionally, I’d say my first real game was around 200-2006 - right around the boom days.
It was with a bunch of guys I casually knew, pretty much all our wive and girlfriends were best friends. The game was no limit Texas Hold’em and they were all regs at this home game. don’t remember the stakes; I assume it was .25/.50. I’d never played Holdem, but I knew enough other poker games, that it should be fine, right?
Nope. I got crushed. And I couldn’t quite figure out why, because I’d always done well with dealers choice kitchen table games.
It became clear to me that I didn’t know what I was doing and that these guys all did. I was outclassed, so I never went back to that game, because I didn’t want to lose any more money like that.
Such a shame. I didn’t play Holdem again for ten years. When I finally did, and figured out how learnable the game was, and became a winning player (at stupid home games) after like 3 sessions I was kicking myself for missing ten years of poker.
It was with a bunch of guys I casually knew, pretty much all our wive and girlfriends were best friends. The game was no limit Texas Hold’em and they were all regs at this home game. don’t remember the stakes; I assume it was .25/.50. I’d never played Holdem, but I knew enough other poker games, that it should be fine, right?
Nope. I got crushed. And I couldn’t quite figure out why, because I’d always done well with dealers choice kitchen table games.
It became clear to me that I didn’t know what I was doing and that these guys all did. I was outclassed, so I never went back to that game, because I didn’t want to lose any more money like that.
Such a shame. I didn’t play Holdem again for ten years. When I finally did, and figured out how learnable the game was, and became a winning player (at stupid home games) after like 3 sessions I was kicking myself for missing ten years of poker.
TheDuke
Full House
First game I hosted (2004ish) was a 4 man $5 he tourney using Ace-Jack dice chips and gemaco plastic cards on a dining table. It was like a 300 non-denom set with 4 colors. I think we each took a color (75 chips) and treated them all as a denom of 1. Winner take all.
Mr Winberg
Full House
Are these the ones where the edge spots make it look like there are twice as many but half as thick chips in a stack?
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