So I'm getting ready to put together our December Tournament and Poker game.

Typically we run a basic $20 tournament with a cash game to follow. Generally 15 to 20 people. No frills really. Occasionally we'll add a bounty or do a re-buy tournament.

For the December game, I'd like to make it a festive tournament, so I was wondering what I could add to the game. As an sort of related example, we had a St. Patrick's Day tourney where I marked the 2 and the 2 with a leprechaun or 4-leaf clover, (can't remember exactly) - at any rate, if one of those cards fell on the river - you found the "pot of gold" and another river card was dealt. If I recollect it only affected one hand for the whole tourney.

Any thoughts?

Maybe something with 88 (Snowmen)... hmm...

It doesn't have to be related to the deck, it could do with structure, format, etc....

Or should I just leave well enough alone

Sarge

Combine it with a White Elephant gift exchange, tho' this requires people stay through the end (or abandon their gift).

Forgive me if everybody knows this, but just in case... In a White Elephant, everybody brings a wrapped gift, and everybody draws a number. Player A picks a gift, opens it. Player B has the choice of taking Player A's, or picking a new gift. If B takes A's gift, then A now gets to pick a new one. Player C can choose either of the two opened gifts, or pick a new one, and so forth.

If Player G picks Player D's gift, Player D can pick from Players A, B, C, E, or F, or get a new one. As you get more people picking gifts, they change all around, with many exchanges in one round (and you can't re-pick something that's been stolen that round).

Combine that with the tourney.

First person knocked out gets first pick from the random collection. The winner of the tournament gets to pick with almost complete knowledge of what's available, secure that nobody can re-take it later.

A twist that I've seen in some White Elephants is that the person who's unlucky to have to pick first, also gets to pick LAST.

If you think people won't stay 'til the end, then the first person who busted gets to choose one more time AFTER the winner of the tournament picks a gift (and all the resulting re-picks that trickle through). If that person leaves, then the next person up the list gains that privilege.

Might work?

How much would it screw with the game that if we said that (for instance) the K (or all Kings? are Santa) If "Santa" comes on the river, (and your still active in the hand) - you receive T100. You'd receive it immediately, before betting. if you were already all in, you now have live chips in play that can be played

Sarge

Hmm, as I think more about this - players are likely to have their hands face up at this point....

Sarge

My office does this every year, but we call it "Dirty Santa" (and first to open does get the option to steal another gift at the end). We also retire open gifts after they have changed hands three times, so there's a definite element of strategy if you're gunning for a particular gift.

Anyway, most of the fun of this game is that we all do it together. It might not work for my group; many of the casual players would not hang around for 2-3 hours after busting. However, if you play with a group where the bustouts commonly do a side cash game or mini-tourney, it would be much more likely to work (and might even encourage those who normally leave early to stick around and play longer).

I like this idea so much I might do it myself.

Ok, a couple things:

I've taken the white-elephant concept to my family Christmas. I bring about 40-50 $5 items in brown paper bags. The exact number is generally 4x or 5x the number of warm bodies I expect to be gathered around the tree. We pick much as described above. The youngest person (my daughter) picks first, and then in age order after that (with my father picking last). The first person must take a bag. All subsequent people must either (a) take a bag, or (b) steal someone else's gift. If you gift is stolen, it reverts to your turn, and remains the "stolen from" person's turn until someone picks a bag again.

I expect 9 people for Christmas this year, so if 1-2-3-4-5-6 all take bags, and then 7 steals from 2, 2 steals or picks before it goes to 8. And if 2 steals from someone, that person steals or picks before 8, etc. etc. With the 4-5 bags/person ratio that we have, it makes for plenty of stealing.

We also implement a 3-steal rule, with a prohibition on instant takebacks. 1-steal OK. 2-steals, OK. 3rd steal? Item locked.

Our "elephant" game is less disappointing for some because of the number of items. Nobody gets the thing nobody wants. Somebody gets the fruitcake. [And there IS a fruitcake out there...] ....but everyone gets a $5 gift card or two, and a toy or a game or a windchime or USB gadget or a strange spice grinder or whatever... You can't steal everything good out there.

I'm not suggesting that you make TONS of gifts, but I have a lot of luck with everyone getting a couple of picks from the pond. ...more of a Christmas tale than a tournament suggestion.

...I digress.

I have no objection to a "silly" event in the tournament where things like an ace or deuce on the river brings T100 (or one BB, or one SB, or whatever) to everyone at the table -- or still in the hand -- or whatever. A little bit of fun is more important than strict chipstack sizes. As long as everyone has equal chance of getting the chips, so be it.

I'll probably go something along this route as opposed to a gift exchange. We are a young group and not everyone knows everyone else, so the gift thing - even white elephant - i don't think would be as much fun, say this time next year.

I like your spin though about making it one SB or BB - Keeps it in proportion to where we are at in the tourney.

Sarge

Here's what I decided ---

Red Kings are Santa!!!

If you win a hand with a red King in your hand (two cards) - you will receive a $1 lottery ticket.

I'm purchasing 15 tickets, I have no idea how many will be given away. Any not given away will be distributed into the prize pool.

Sound good?

Sarge

An excellent suggestion; hope it goes well.

we call this dirty santa in louisiana