I find talking to players over the phone is the best form of vetting. I can usually tell if someone is BSing me or making up info about themselves, is really young, or thugged out sounding. I dont let players come by without at least a 5-10min chat about themselves, unless they are a friend of a good friend who vouches for them. Never had any issues, and my game is super healthy.

I ask them to join my FB page and have a look at their profile, to see if they are a real person!

I reached out to jz a few weeks ago, just before HPI. He was very quick in responding and was incredibly detailed in his description of both the game and his expectations of prospective players.

I had no problem with filling out the form, but I can see why some people might find it a bit much (which was mentioned by jz in his e-mail). However, when you're inviting people into your home, proper vetting is key. I'll admit that it also helped me feel more comfortable with the prospect of coming out and playing in his game. It's nice to know that a host cares enough about the integrity (and safety) of his game to put prospectives through this process.

I think my favorite part of the document was the section which asked about the stakes and games you'd be interested in playing. I read it as his wanting to be a proactive host and work toward constant improvement of his game. This section also makes it clear that he's looking for people who are willing to branch out and play more than just standard "tv poker." While I currently suck at mixed games, I'd gladly play in one at jz's place whenever they're offered.

I made it out to Friday's HOP game at the HPI and I fully intend on playing as often as possible in jz's home game...as long as I haven't made it on his "creepy list."

Cliffs:

• jz's process is thorough and fair
• I can't wait to make it out again
• I hope I'm not creepy

Don't worry your not on the creepy list. Glad to hear feedback from players going through the process that my intention is clear and helped make things easier for you as a new player coming into the game.

I think you're way overboard with your vetting process, and it's irrelevant anyway. If someone is planning on robbing your home game, or knows that they're a loud obnoxious person who will act out at it, or they know they're a drunk, etc etc etc, they're just going to lie to you during this process and come anyway.

I'm a perfectly legitimate person who would easily pass your background check, and let me be the first to tell you I'd be weirder out enough by it to begin with that I'd not bother taking it to begin with and just ignore your game. Seems very nitty and bizarre to be honest. As you said, you don't care because it's your house and this is how you choose to do things, and that's just fine, just giving you how I'd react to this.

I think you are overestimating the ability of most weirdos to appear normal.

This is probably an overkill process, but there's a legit justification (inviting strangers into your home to engage in a hobby that attracts weirdos), and once people get qualified, they're more likely to show up.

Saying it's overkill is an understatement.

I'm rather curious as to exactly how OP would detect that someone has a criminal record or not. Just asking? What if someone lies? What if someone decides to tell the truth, where's the line as far as what is a criminal record? What does OP do if they say there were arrested 12 years ago for weed?

Whole thing really does seem incredibly bizarre to be honest.

Vetting is irrelevant? People shouldn't vet the players interested in coming into their homes?

A belligerent drunk or creepy weirdo can always be uninvited after his first outburst.

If you're someone who is planning on robbing a .25/.50 NLHE home game, which would you rather hit: A game in which you are required to e-mail back and forth with the host, confirm your identity, maybe meet off-site beforehand, fill out paperwork, etc., or a game where you express interest and get the reply, "Great! Here's the address. See you tonight."?

I'm not a criminal, so I don't know how the criminal mind works. However, I would guess that someone looking to steal is likely seeking the easiest means to that end. Unless I'm missing something, that would be option B.

It certainly can be argued that OP's vetting process has probably chased away some players who could have contributed well to the game. That happens. But, as someone who has completed the process, I will say that it's comforting to know that everyone else in that room has gone through the same process. Is it a guarantee? Of course not. Bad people exist. But it helps, even if in the end it's just psychological.

The only way to (nearly) eliminate the possibility of bringing a bad dude into your home is to have a player pool in which only family and/or years-long friends of the host are invited. These games are incredibly difficult to build and are probably even harder to sustain.

He said he's having a background check done.

How can that be possible? He orders a criminal background check for people coming to his home game to play $40 buy in cash NL? Jesus Christ almighty. I understand 2p2 live players are socially awkward, boring people who take the game way too seriously, but that would be just downright weird.

Uh, yeah, it is. Anyone who had a reason to lie to any of the questions in the questionnaire would simply go ahead and lie, making the questions irrelevant.

I have no idea how the mind of someone looking to rob a home game would work. You'd gain the same exact information through normal social conversation for a couple of minutes, or exchanging an IM/email or two with a potential player, as you would having someone fill out a ridiculously nitty and bizarre form, with respect to weeding out a potential thief/lunatic/wild drunk.

Understatement of the century. I would happily be willing to bet that anyone who wasn't on this site who played in home games would find the questionnaire and the criminal background check to be the among the strangest things they've ever witnessed. This site is the only place where this would be considered normal.

Again, this is nothing against OP, if he likes it this way and has had success doing it, great for him, keep at it, it's his house and he can do what he wants, I'm just stating my opinion that it's incredibly awkward.

Hyperbole of the day.

Haha, this made me laugh quite a bit! I think I get it for the most part since it's your house vs strangers.

Wouldn't it be easier just to invite friends? Bi-monthly game, 1 table, should be possible no? And can't you trust your friends with new players they bring?

(Does sound cool to do a fancy background test on someone, just for fun)

Unless they lie about their address and name and cover all of their other tracks..... yeah, it could be done, but is it going to be worth it?


I think you're stretching this a bit. And it's not "incredibly awkward", it's only somewhat awkward... if a person doesn't react well to it. My experiences have been, the bad reactions/good reactions ratio is pretty low.

I have a similar process to jzpiano... and yes, some people are turned off/turned away by the process. That's the cost of screening.
I've also had people tell me that they felt better about the game, having seen the screening process.

So, perhaps your bet wouldn't work out so well, given that 90% of my players didn't come from 2+2 and all of them have gone through the "anal probe" as my members jokingly refer to it.


If you'd decide that you're not willing to give some info, coming into a new game... then perhaps you aren't a good fit for that game.

I guess both of us lose, then. I don't get a player, you don't get a game. If that's a acceptable loss to you..... great, good luck in the other games you find, to play in.

Never once had a problem with anyone who came to my home when I hadn't been familiar with them beforehand, and never gave anyone any problem when I attended their game when they didn't know me beforehand. That includes friends of friends, people from this site, people from other sites, etc.

I have zero to hide, I'm an educated, successful person with no shady history and I'd add socially to any game I went to, so I would have zero problem giving "some" info. This IMO is a little more than "some". Incredibly bizarre in my eyes. Like I said, I'll guarantee that any casual player who isn't a 2p2 reg would agree with me after viewing this thread.