Hosting your own home game can be a fun and rewarding thing to do, especially if you get lots of friends involved and have a few beers! However, there are a few things you need to know before you start such as: are you going to play a cash game or sit and go? Is everyone aware of proper casino etiquette? Are you going to have house rules (and no, you can’t have a house “edge!”) Is there going to be food and drink supplied? In my opinion, house games are all about getting your mates together and having a fun (yet serious) game without any arguments.

Stakes for either cash or sit and go games should be made affordable, so no-one feels pressured and it can remain enjoyable for everyone involved, whether they be winning or losing! Make sure everyone attending is aware of the game format, and keep a written copy of the basic rules, hand rankings, etc. especially if you have beginners coming! Now onto the subject of who comes, I always like to think that your friends can bring guests along at their discretion, so that means their standard must be similar to the rest and no hustlers! As I stressed earlier, keep it friendly, don’t try hustle your mates or you may end up with none! For a set of rules try www.HomePokerTourney.com if you are unsure yourself!

Equipment wise, it is important to buy a decent set of poker chips (11.5g is a decent weight in either clay or composite) these can be bought from many websites, I got mine from ebay but you may wish to look on specialist sites. If you are going to play occasionally, don’t bother buying a poker table, most tables are fine, just make sure it is clean and people don’t spill drinks on it! If you are feeling adventurous you can make your own table using old pool table baize and a table! Other than that, just ensure you have plenty of sets of cards and if you want a blind/ante counter, try the “PokerGenie!” or just use a good old watch!

Lastly, it is important to have food and beverage supplies. Always stock up on snacks a buy a crate of beers, just to keep the moods high and if everyone gets hungry you could always chip in a get a pizza delivered. Don’t rake your home game or make people pay a fee like most casinos do, just make it informal and get everyone to contribute if you are worried about cost. Basic manners would mean that you shouldn’t get drunk when either attending or hosting a home game!

I think the most important thing about hosting a home game, is just to have fun! Enjoy it and relax! If you want to make your millions, go to the WSOP! If you are content elsewhere then invite some friends and get dealing!