Land Based Poker,
Beginner Strategies
July 28 2008
Online poker may be booming across the globe, but the most popular poker setting for many is still the kitchen table or the basement poker table. The home game is the place where a lot of people get their first taste of poker and begin their journey to winning or losing a lot of cash to the game. Most people think running a home game is easy. They think all you need is a table, some chairs, chips, cards and some refreshments. Those things will get the game going, but don’t guarantee a good time. Here are a few things to keep in mind the next time you plan your home game to make sure things run smoothly.
First, make sure everyone knows the rules of the game, and the rules of the house. Even though poker has become immensely popular, there are still people who either get the rules wrong or have their own rules they think apply away from the online room or the casino. Be sure that everyone knows how the game is going to be played, and that they know house rules such as “no looking at the next card to come after a hand has been folded.” This can keep a fight or an argument from breaking out.
Next, keep the chips to a minimum. Just because you have seven different colors of chips in your case doesn’t mean you need to use them all. The more different colored chips you use, the harder you make it on everyone, especially when the blinds get high and half the chips on the table become useless. Keep the chips simple and keep the game moving at a good pace.
Make sure the buy-in is affordable and practical for everyone who’s playing. Don’t invite your newly unemployed buddy to play with your rich friends who like to up the stakes. If you’re playing a cash game, set the opening buy-in at a max of 100 times the big blind. So, if your blinds are 5 cents and 10 cents, the max buy-in would be $10.
The thing to remember when getting a home game going is to keep everything as simple as possible, and make sure everyone has a good time. That way they should be back again so you can take some more of their money.
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