[abby99]

The host doesn't need to provide a separate bank of change if he/she buys in with small bills (and some coins if appropriate to the game).

[hod]

Originally Posted by abby99

The host doesn't need to provide a separate bank of change if he/she buys in with small bills (and some coins if appropriate to the game).

When I'm hosting generally that's what I do, buy in with shrapnel and then there's plenty for cashing out people later on.

[mrcashflow]

As the bank, I assume the responsibility of buying in with small bills at the start of my session. I prefer to not leave it up to other players to remember. At the end of the night, I cash out with the small bills usually which means I have them available for next game. Also, our groups don't hassle with coins. We simply round up or down or let the host cash out for a couple extra dollars.

[mirageII]

Here are some tips (what we do is in brackets)

Your house, your chips, your rules.

You keep the chips in a chip case near you and always in sight. Someone gives you money, you give them the equivalent value in chips (we put the cash in the case). When cashing out they give you chips, you give them money to the value of the chips.

Q. Is your game Limit or No Limit?
A. if Limit poker set a minimum buy-in (£5)
if No Limit set a minimum (£5) and a maximum (£20)

Insist that re-buys are in multiple of a pound/euro/dollar etc. Nothing worse than some git re-buying for 27p. Making it £5 simplyfies things (just give them 5 x£1chips)

Have some chips set up in stacks of the min buyin
e.g. 10/20 limit game

Each player gets (£5) to start
20 x 5p (red)
20 x 20p (yellow)

Anyone buying in for more than £5 just gets £1 (grey) chips or £5 orange chips.

£10 add 5x£1
£20 add 5x£1 + 2x£5

As these are fixed limits the grey and orange chips wont play but are easier to cash in later. With 5 players there will still be 200 (red and yellow) chips in play.

In a no limit game the higher value chips will play.

Ensure you have a list of house rules and a copy of roberts rules available.

House rules should include:

Don't splash the pot. Place bets neatly in front of you.
Going South is not permitted (Taking money off the table or leaving the table and re-joining on the same night with less money than they left with)

If you will get upset when someone wins a big pot then heads for home with all the money add a house rule that "Hit & Run" is bad etiquette.

(The best place to learn about running a home game is www.HomePokerTourney.com ) They have printable rules and schedules too.

just a thought

Edit: Oh yeah.... don't forget to enjoy the game too

mirageII

[Freelancer72]

i write down all buy-ins on a stick-it note or sheet of paper, just in case i run into some sort of discrepancy at the end of the night. haven't had one yet.

[Vince]

You guys rock, thanks so much for your input.

[Jonah 99]

Another tip,

If someone is cashing out early, have everyone who is staying give you a ballpark figure for what they have in front of them, then double check the cash to ensure there is enough to cash them out.

This will help keep everything in sync, as people come and go.

Basically try to make sure the chips in play and the cash in hand balance out everytime you cashout or process a buy-in/re-buy, this doesn't need to be exact untill the end of the night but it'll help to keep a rough running total.

This will also help you track down when a discrepency occured if you are off at the end of the night.

[Vince]

Game Rules:

So I made some short rules, please check if I missed something important:

Raises have to be announced. Unannounced raises count as a call.

Chips place in front of your cards count as a blind bet/call.
(We got some guys that like to play with their chips out on the table and sometimes leave stacks there so you always have to ask "is that a bet/call?")

Splashin' the pot: chips splashed in the pot doens't count as a legal action. The chips are lost and stay in the pot.

acting out of turn:
call oot: call counts, no raise possible
bet oot: no action, chips have to go back (usefull info for prior players)
raise oot: same thing
folding oot: ?one Big blind panelty in the current pot? (not sure here )

No string bets, first stack placed counts

No slow rolling, 3 big blind panelty directly to the other in the pot involved player(s)

No dealer peaking, the dealer is not allowed to peak under the community cards before he places them in the middle (unethical)

Cash rules:

Only the cashier is allowed to cash in and cash out chips

minimum buy in 5€, max 15€ (NL10)

Buy in will be written down

Buy in should be matching and in small bills/coins

Rebuys possible at at least 10% buy in size, minimun 1€

Ethics:

No going south

No hit and run, a player has to at least finish the current round/orbit.



That what I got so far plus Roberts rules.

[Sneds]

Originally Posted by Vince

Raises have to be announced. Unannounced raises count as a call.

In my game if it's an obvious raise, such as it's £1 to call and he places 5 x £1 down, then it's a raise. However, if the guy puts down 1 x £5 intending to raise, but doesn't announce it - as it's only one chip that means it's a call.

I always say to people verbally declare your action to avoid any problems here, but I play if there is more than one chip placed down then it's a raise (I believe that how my local casinos play too)

Originally Posted by Vince

Splashin' the pot: chips splashed in the pot doens't count as a legal action. The chips are lost and stay in the pot.

acting out of turn:
call oot: call counts, no raise possible
bet oot: no action, chips have to go back (usefull info for prior players)
raise oot: same thing
folding oot: ?one Big blind panelty in the current pot? (not sure here )

I wouldn't go too OTT on this, I mean at the end of the day - these guys will probably be your friends and people do dumb things all the time. Maybe try and let a few slide, and then if there is one guy who repeatedly acts out of turn or splashes the pot then come in with these rules.

You want to remember that it's a bunch of guys socialising and having fun. Even a casino will give warnings before punishments and I think you'll want to be a bit more leniant in your home games.

Remember the rules, but have fun!!

Originally Posted by Vince

No slow rolling, 3 big blind panelty directly to the other in the pot involved player(s)

Lol, sometimes it's worth 3 big blinds to see the guys face... I'm a serial slow roller with friends, although I think it would get me in too much trouble in a casino


Also, with regards to the pot having change etc - nobody really buys in with coins in our games - it's all notes. obviously people need to cash out weird amount, but if it's at the end of the night, we usually go all in with all our change and it usually amount to the spare £10 note that we have left in the pot.

If somebody goes early, they usually just leave the spare change or they use some of their own change to make total amount into a note. I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

If somebody is REALLY bothered about getting that extra £0.70 from his stack, then he's probably too nitty to play with anyway

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Sneds

If somebody is REALLY bothered about getting that extra £0.70 from his stack, then he's probably too nitty to play with anyway

No, I disagree here. It's not about the money itself, it's about "my poker bankroll" as you will.
I don't mind tipping you some money since among my friends we loan and borrow money all the time BUT I#d like to take it serious when it comes to poker.

Yeah, I shouldn't do the penatly on folding out of turn. But they should be still working I think.
Just for the case there might be trouble you have it black on white.

Also I like the slow roll penalty, I think that's really really bad etiquette.