Help setting up a home game?

DTM81

Hi one and all first post, love the the game and the site.

Me and a few friends are setting up a home game for this weekend and since this is the first time a few of us have played live or staged our own poker night we are a bit puzzled on how to set up the structure so i thought i would come here for some advice.

Basically there will be 8 of us and we ideally wsant the game to last for about 3-4 hours. So any ideas on blind structure chip allocation and values etc?

Any help would be much appreciated.

SoLack

My advice is to have 3 or 4 shorter games in that time - fast fun poker.  If you plan one game then if someone goes out early they get very bored.  Alternatively let everyone rebuy once.

diablo_pez

Why not play low-stakes cash

nagrom

In Response to Re: Help setting up a home game?:

Why not play low-stakes cash
Posted by diablo_pez

Keeps everyone involved and you can play for as long as you like.

booboo69

I agree with Diablo, I play in a home game once every two weeks and have done for years. We alternate homes, alternate times we will start etc, but always rigidly stick to a low stake cash game. 5p/10p blinds, max £50 to table. Nobody is gonna get rich, nobody is gonna lose their shirt, just how we like it.
If with friends and having beers and consequent trips to the loo, people popping out for a smoke etc, trying to play an increasing blind structure for set periods of time wouldn't work for us.

diablo_pez

exactly!

oynutter

we usually have 8 players --20k chips--20 min blinds--starting at 100/200-----2 rebuys only---first out that dos'nt rebuy cooks pizzas, burgers ect---this usually lasts 2 and half hours or so---hope this helps----gl

  ps--try to keep beer off the table if poss---i have a few side tables to keep stuff on

booboo69

 "ps--try to keep beer off the table if poss---i have a few side tables to keep stuff on"

I forgot the obvious! Best bit of advice so far.
And have at least one new spare deck of cards.
Nothing worse than someone accidently bending one or summat daft.
At one game a mate's dog ran off with two cards...

OMahonyO

"At one game a mate's dog ran off with two cards..."

K9 ?

BlackFish3

hahaha nice one mahony. If someone goes out early they could deal? and then play heads up or something with the next player out?

Hale72

We play one £5.00 tourney, 10 minute blinds and no rebuys, 2000 chips starting 10/20

After that finishes, we move over to cash 5p/10p blinds.

Mixes a bit of everything for people.

Unfortunately, the last one we had finished at 4am.

Keep kids out of the playing room. If you have a dining room use that for the poker, or your kitchen table. Leave the kids in the front watching spiderman.

Buy plenty of milk for coffee later on and don't forget the biccies.

Get everyone to put £3.00 aside early on for the midnight pizza you will order.

Generally, you will run out of beer by midnight so if you want to get plastered, get extra in before you start.

nirvana29

a chip set and a real poker table would be a big help.

ACESOVER8s

If your going to run a home tourney then a good idea is download a tournament director to your laptop. This can control blind times and display what the blinds are now, will be nect time they go up etc. Also these applications can store info in them for a league if you want to run tournaments  weekly, monthly etc.

Yo ucan find free or trial versions of tournament directors by using google.

unknown_username

when i play in the pub,normally bout 5or6 of us,stick a tenner in split chips up evenly 1s 2s and 5s 10 minute blinds £40/£50 for the winner 2nd gets his money back lasts about an hour great fun.Normally get 5 or 6 games in a session

margatemaf

ok, i have a monthly tourney at my house and this is the way we work it ....

15k starting chips

10 min blinds

starting blinds 50/100

everyone has a bounty chip if they get knocked out by another player they get the bounty chip which is a bonus point

scoring points as follows

1st place 5 pts 

2nd place 3 pts

3rd place 2 pts

we had our latest tourney last friday, we started at 8 finished at 12.30 and got 3 games in and there was 8 of us playing too. We messed around with starting chips etc till we found what was comfertable for us all and this system seems to play beautifully! We also have the added advantage that my daughter does all the dealing so we can concentrate on the cards too. We dont play for money, we all put a set amount in the pot each night which is paying for a little trophy and a lads night out at the g casino in thanet where everyone will have the first buy in to the tourney paid for. We have also created a group page on facebook where all the scores and tables are put up for everyone to view and make comments plus i do a little write up on the nights events usually with a little humour added on peoples mistakes or the stupid things we all say sometimes we now have a nice little page full of some cracking memories of the good night's we've had!!

What works for us may not work for you. Just keep messing about to you find what's good for you and your mates Hope it goes well you'll have a great night with some wicked memories too!!

Unknown

Make sure you have decent cards too. Proper plastic ones will last much much longer than plastic coated ones. And a decent table or table top. Can usually pick one up on eBay. And decent ale too. That's very important. 

zxghostxz

In Response to Re: Help setting up a home game?:

"At one game a mate's dog ran off with two cards..." K9 ?
Posted by OMahonyO

lol nice 1........ make it a rebuy.......keeps  fish involved   lolol

DTM81

Hi all many thanks for all of your input and suggestions.

We are thinking bout having a freeze-out and those that bust out can deal and when more bust out they can just go on the ps3, if we have say 250 chips or what ever what would be the best way to distribute them and value them in accordence with a blind structure?

Again many thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Sky_Dave

DTM - what chip values do your chips have on them? Are they the ones with 1,5, 10, 25, 50 and 100s, or more like the 25,100,500? If not numbered, how many of each chip do you have roughly? If you could say something like "got loads of reds, quite a lot of blues and some whites" that would do it.

If you let me know I'll pop together a quick blind structure for you.

Cheers,

Dave

DAVEYZZ

if you google"tournement director" you can download for free software for any structure you like with a countdown clock as well!

Hogg321

Think a few 1hour tournies is your best option

Stick a tenner in each as a prize pool,  booze. pizza and you'll have a good night

DTM81

In Response to Re: Help setting up a home game?:

DTM - what chip values do your chips have on them? Are they the ones with 1,5, 10, 25, 50 and 100s, or more like the 25,100,500? If not numbered, how many of each chip do you have roughly? If you could say something like "got loads of reds, quite a lot of blues and some whites" that would do it. If you let me know I'll pop together a quick blind structure for you. Cheers, Dave
Posted by Sky_Dave

Hi dave we got load of chips more than plenty for a 8 seater freeze out if u can recommend a decent structure that would last for 4 hours say, the chips are 4 coloured and unmarked. Much appreciated.

jimbo31

I find sometimes mixing the games up are quite good, have ur normal sngs/cash games.... then add a little bit of spice like double flop poker....so u have larger hands....also a good one is sometimes to put a little bounty on each players head... say a few quid then whoever knocks a player out gets to keep it,,, also try team poker.... if there are 8 of you.... either pair up or 4 up... put in a set amount and the best team wins... quite funny if u like the banter...main thing is tho to try and keep everyone involved... nothing worse if someone gets knocked out early and has to watch x factor while everyone else is playing.... have a good time, cheers jim ;-)

BigBluster

Have 2 decks and 2 tables then play continual SnGs - when four are knocked out, they start another one. The winner of the first joins the second with a small stack and it helps to even things out.