Take, Take Me Home

By MattyZ

Above all else, playing poker is fun no matter the setting and it allows everyone to unleash their competitive urges. However, there are a variety of reasons why playing in a good home poker game trumps sitting at your computer and playing online.

Atmosphere

For the most part, playing poker online can be best described as sterile as you sit there in an isolated setting staring at your hand and the cards in the middle of the poker table. Interaction with your fellow player consists of complaining about a crazy play/player or typing out good hand every time someone hits a flush, straight, or quads.

That guy that keeps bullying you online, yeah that's him.

Meanwhile, your typical home game has everyone chatting things up and enjoying each other’s company. Sure, there will be the occasional dispute and serious situations during big pots where the conservation curtails for a quick moment.

Still, I prefer a few moments of solitude every few hours instead of the virtual solitude of any online poker session. From the friendly ribbing to the big bluff and the reactions to the night’s consequential hands, the atmosphere of the home game greatly trumps that of playing online.

Crew of Lost playing cards at "home" - big guy raises 7 coconuts.

To Win Money

With the online poker ban making it extremely difficult to win money playing online, the home game allows you to win money without dodging the restrictions to both invest and collect your money.

The goal for just about any poker player is to win money and the legislation (as unfair and ridiculous as it may be) banning playing poker for money online makes the home game the preferred setting.

Instead of spending time and energy trying to get around a litany of loopholes, call your poker playing friends and set up a home game.

That off-shore deposit account was to buy fresh Chilean Sea Bass, I swear.

Better Preparation

Anyone that has aspirations to being a great poker player needs to experience the live setting, especially if they have hopes of competing successfully in tournament poker.

Even in the more informal home games a player can pick up verbal and nonverbal cues about how their opponents play their hands and formulate strategy based on the information they gather.

To use a personal example, a lot of the tactics I have successfully utilized in online settings fail me whenever I play against a good friend that reads me like a book. Anyone that encounters a situation like that will now be able to make adjustments not previously needed before they played in the live setting of a home game.

While not everyone reading this has plans to play poker seriously, I advise people that do to find or organize home games as it will greatly helps their to gain necessary experience. After all, the vast majority of poker tournaments are held in a live setting and tips picked up through practice in a home game can pay major dividends in the future.

Be a shark at the table!

By MattyZ

For anyone interested in hosting a poker home game, here are a few friendly tips to ensure a quality time is had by all.

Ambiance/Environment

WSOP, 1893

No matter the level of competition at the home game everyone will be happier with a friendly, casual environment. Even the most hardened of competitors can loosen up and enjoy themselves in the right setting and it should be the goal of the host to provide that setting.

That being said there needs to control over the game so that it runs smoothly and minor issues do not become major ones. This may seem like a formality but I have seen my share of games devolve for silly reasons like the inability to keep the game moving.

Players

Spartan, the new look for Fall

First and foremost make sure everybody at the game knows the rules. The rules for Texas Hold Em are pretty easy to pick up but again you will all too often simple mistakes made by inexperienced that range from easily forgettable to very disrupting to your game.

Ideally all the players at the game will have a good understanding of how to play and the game will not have crazy ebbs and flows due to ridiculous plays often made by inexperienced players. However, many home games will have inexperienced players so that everyone will feel welcome and this is far from a deal breaker.

Equipment

Make sure to use multiple decks of cards in pristine condition so that the game runs quickly with no unfair advantages. Seasoned poker/card players can pick up on something minimally noticeable to most like a small bend/tear in a card and gain an edge on the lesser experienced players (knowing the exact card a player is holding).

Anyone interesting in hosting a poker home likely owns a quality chip set and that is an absolutely necessity for the game. Also, use a set that has enough chips in each color/style to keep the confusion at a minimum.

For the best poker experience a table specifically suited for poker should be utilized. Anyone that regularly hosts a home game should be glad to invest in a nice table and enjoy all the positives it adds to the home game.

At a minimum the host needs to have a poker table with enough room for everybody. After all, if things become cramped and people accidentally spill their food or beverages the host has to clean the mess up.

A Few Added Bonuses

Orange Chicken - The new fuel for poker.

For the optimal home game experience, the host or other players should provide snacks and beverages.

To ensure few distractions, host the game in a location isolated from other events and noises. While the game itself will hopefully have a live atmosphere it should not be a battle for people to have conservations or experiencing constant interruptions from roommates/housemates.

Finally, set aside enough time for the game so that the players can focus on playing without worrying about the time.