Home Game Setup
Whether you're hosting a 7 Card Stud cash game or a No Limit Texas Hold'em multi-table tournament, there are several essential components to every home poker game that you'll need to include. Follow these simple standards of our setup guide to ensure that your home game runs smoothly.
Setting Up a Cash Game
A typical cash game consists of a table of 2 to 10 players, playing any variety of game with pre-defined rules and static limits. Chips, if used, are given relative monetary values, and players can buy-in for any amount within a predetermined range at any time. Here are a few basic things you should remember when preparing your cash game setup.
SUPPLIES
Before the game begins, make a mental checklist of everything you'll absolutely need: standard 52-card deck (two distinguishable decks can make the game run faster), poker chips (if desired), table and chairs, a dealer button of some sorts, and, of course, players!
SEATING
In most home cash games, players are allowed to join in at any time wherever there is an open seat. Certainly you can choose to alter this rule, as you may also want to insist that players announce when they will be leaving a specific amount of time before they intend to cash out. This can prevent potential hit-and-run's from ruining a short-handed game for the unfortunate victims of a bad beat.
GAMEPLAY
Regardless of what poker game, or games, you choose to play, you'll want to ensure that each player is informed of and accepts the fundamentals: things such as dealing, posting blinds, placing bets, hand rankings, etc. In addition, you may want to discuss rules concerning incidents that are likely to happen every once in a while, such as string bets, out-of-turn plays, shown cards, etc. If an argument does arise over an implied rule for which you have no previous documentation, a quick internet search of online poker forums and resources should be able to pick up even the most trivial of solutions.
Setting Up a Tournament
Home game tournaments are a bit more demanding than cash games in terms of pre-game setup requirements. Not only does the host have to consider the variety of poker game to be played, but he or she must also determine the structure of the tournament, the buy-in amounts, the starting chip denominations, the prize pool distribution, and a wide array of other components that all players should be able to agree upon. Having said this, let's take a look at some of the most important home poker tournament aspects that need to be resolved before play can begin.
SUPPLIES
As in the cash game, you're going to need the poker essentials: one or two standard 52-card decks, poker chips, table(s) and chairs (you might need to improvise if you're hosting a large multi-table tournament), a dealer button, and the players of course. In addition to these, you may want to have a tournament clock (many downloadable versions are available online for free) and a safe of some sort for the prize pool.
SEATING
If you want to run your tournament strictly by the book, then you'll want to randomly assign players to the table or tables, rather than having them choose their seats. One of the most convenient ways to do this is to set aside a specific portion of a deck of cards, using each suit to denote a certain table, with one card representing each seat at a table. For instance, if their were two tables with 7 players at each table, set aside the Aces through 7's of Spades and Hearts, shuffle them, and deal one card to each player. Aces represent seat 1, 2's seat 2, and so on, with Spades being at one table and Hearts at the other. When players exit the tournament and those remaining can be combined at less tables, this process can be repeated as needed.
GAMEPLAY
Before you shuffle up and deal that first hand, you'll need to decide who exactly is to begin the dealing. This can be handled by simply high-carding for the button, that is dealing one card to each player and assigning the button to the player with the highest card. In the event of a tie, it is typically the first high-card player who deals. By the time the tournament clock starts, (assuming you increase levels based on time as opposed to increasing them with every so many hands played) all players should be aware of the tournament structure - essentially the limits, blinds, and antes of each corresponding level, in addition to the means by which they are increased. There are a wide variety of ways to structure a tournament, but the best methods tend to involve a good balance of patience and pressure, allowing players to see a good amount of hands before the blinds force turn everything into a reckless all-in bonanza.
As players are ousted from the tournament, you may wish to establish re-buy rates for the less fortunate individuals who seek a second chance. An add-on amount can also be created for players that would like to add a little kick to their chip stacks. Both re-buys and add-ons are generally made available within the earlier stages of a tournament, and if neither is used then you have yourself a bona fide freezeout, where once you're out you're out for good. In the case of the latter, it may be nice to have an empty table available for all the non-winners to partake in a cash game on the side, instead of being forced to spectate.
At the end of the tournament, or in the event of a deal made between tired final table participants, the prize pool can be dished out in portions that were hopefully arranged before the first hand was dealt. A typical payout structure involves the top three finishers of a ten-person tournament being paid (50, 30, and 20% of the total prize pool, respectively), with an extra payout slot being added for each additional table. As the night comes to a close, hopefully all participants, richer and poorer alike, will be able to walk out the door feeling satisfied over a tournament well-played, and well-hosted.
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