Hey guys,

So I've been hosting a monthly tournament for almost 2 years (we just had the 21st tourney a couple weeks ago). We started with 2 tables, found a bar to let us host as long as we bought food/drink and expanded to 3 tables. Now I'm at 4 tables (9 handed so 36 players total) which is great.

Logistics:

Up to 36 players total

Top 5 Pay

Winner of last tourney has bounty on his/her head

Deepstack Turbo, 20k starting stack with blinds 25/50, but 15 minute levels.

Completion time: averages 5 hours so there is plenty of play. Has lasted 6 hours a few times.

Tournament is self-dealt and the table usually elects one dealer who is fast and can keep order. 2 decks are used and everyone takes turns shuffling/cutting (guy behind the button shuffles next deck).

I handle all color-ups at food breaks and am generally very quick/professional in organizing.

We run a side "ACES POT" awarding $$$ to the first player to get pocket black aces and pocket red aces.

Post-Tournament (as soon as we've lost a full table worth of players) cash game as well.

The following day I send out an email recap with a picture of the winner.

The problem is...The last 2 months attendance has been lagging. Last month was the first time I can remember in FOREVER that we had less than 30 players (came in at 27 after 7 people flaked last minute, many were actually going to be 1st timer fill-ins as many of the regs couldn't make it anyway).

I usually hold the tourney during the week in nice months, and on the weekends in colder months. Aside from the inevitable effect of losing regulars realizing they are at a disadvantage and not wanting to pony up the $$$ each month, lately I've been getting the feeling that people might be getting bored of the format.

Please keep in mind that this is not advertised to strangers, it's purely friends and their friends so its never really in the public eye. It was designed as a way to have a fun monthly tournament with none of the shady drama that so often goes hand in hand with underground "clubs." The goal has been to keep a nice clean environment with cool/chill people who vouch for any guests they want to bring. I've kept a tight list but now wondering if I should be a bit more loose. There is no real "rake" except that a small % of the buyins are used to rent the space. I also freeroll myself for the headache of organizing as I'm not taking a rake and not profiting from the game.

Any ideas on how I can liven up the scene and spark more interest short of handing out flyers to strangers? I want to make sure this thing keeps going strong.

Thanks

Personally, with 27 players showing up I think you're doing just fine. Maybe just add an per player bounty or a points system where the top X number of players win something more.

Home games will inevitably lose players - players move away, life gets busy, or they just get bored and quit playing. To maintain your game, you need to recruit.

It's very tough to maintain or grow an interest list if you're the only person looking for new blood, though. See if you can get your regs to start recruiting for you - maybe offer a new player bonus (bring a new player and get X bonus chips, freeroll one player each tourney from the pool of new player sponsors, etc.).

Reg recruitment help is a great idea thanks! I can offer a 2k chip bonus and be happy in knowing the new player will likely be a good fit with the group.

Any sort of format change? Bounty tourney? Mix max? Something that isn't a passing fad that will help?

Hey Gamble, check out the mix maxed format. Already suggested, i second that.

You can try organizing a league with a point system that rewards attendence as well as results. Keep part of the buy-in for a year end finale, people will have an incentive to keep showing up to have a chance at the year end prize. Could be a freeroll with a prizepool comprised of the money withheld throughtout the season and stacks given based on the points each player accumulated. Search the forum for examples of similar leagues organized by other posters.

That cuts both ways, since it actually discourages the most casual players from playing one or two weeks "just to see how they like it." It also discourages people from joining mid-season. It makes an already-illegal game a little less legal. Also, be careful about recording and reporting results, since this ALWAYS results in a decline in overall attendance, and a sharkening of the player pool.

There are advantages, too, of course. It's certainly fun to participate in a league with longer-term goals -- I just want to point out some downsides.

Since I'm playing the negative nanny role, I might as well object to OP's freerolling his own tournament. I understand the sentiment ("hey, it's a lot of work, I deserve some compensation!"), but it puts a very negative spin on the whole enterprise, and allows everyone to treat this as a business proposition for you.

Legally, this one fact flips the league into a very different category of game. In the player's minds (do they know?), it does a similar thing -- you are no longer doing this for fun and the benefit of everyone, but rather putting yourself in an advantaged spot. It doesn't matter that you or I think the cost>benefit, the mere appearance of inequity damages the game. I think the negatives outweigh the price of your buyins.

Your just having the normal turnover rate thats affects most games. I wouldn t change anything, keep going the way your doing it.

Just to add to this I think I'm going to suggest moving back to week nights year round and get a gauge on whether this will boost attendance.

Hey guys another question. I want to do something special/different for the 24th tourney aka the 2 year anniversary. Ideas?

If you are running a consistent tourney with 25+ people I would have no problem you freerolling unless the buy-in was high. If it was a rebuy I would expect you to pay for rebuys/add-ons. If it was a 9-12 person game I would be upset. I think a lot of regs would be appreciative of the fact you are keeping a good size tourney field going. I like the idea of adding chips to starting stack for bringing in a new player for the first time that player shows up.

Just to make all details known, it's a $100 entry, no re-entry/re-buy. I have 30 signed up for next Saturday so hopefully a few more this week. Once I move it back to Saturdays I hope to have 36 regularly again.

A key point I think I left out is that the bar has tables and chairs already so its that much easier to organize. I bring chips/cards/timer etc.

Correction: once I move it back to weekdays.

How much does the bar take out of that amount? You mentioned they took a small percentage for wear and tear. I'm taking a guess 5%

I would rather not get too specific but suffice to say there is a food charge and a space charge which are both very reasonable.

Your OP said there was no real rake, just a small percentage goes to rent the place. Now your saying there is a food charge in addition to a rent charge? Plus you freeroll the event. Maybe the reason the player numbers are dropping is too much money is being taken out of the pot. This is starting to look like its not a home game, more of a underground game.

If you want help, you should indicate what the charges are?


Is the cash game afterwards raked?

Happy to clarify on all your points. If I had something to hide I wouldn't post it on here to begin with, but anyway -

There is a rental fee for the bar which is very small. There is also a food requirement from the bar which is the reason that the bar allows us to hold the game there. Basically for the player it works out to a $90 +$10 fee. The $10 covers space rental, food charge, and my freeroll. Every player is fed during the break with multiple platters of hot food. Drinks are optional and must be purchased individually.

The bar cuts me a very good deal which is the only way I'm able to feed everyone and rent the space for this low amount of money. Keep in mind that this is a bar in New York City, so the rate they cut me is actually quite amazing. Part of the reason behind this is that I negotiate days/times with the bar when business would otherwise be slow and/or they don't have a private party booked.

The cash game is not raked and is also self dealt. We usually get the cash game running for about 6 hours each time.

okay, it seems reasonable to me but some may question the rake and it is a rake. Anyways, keep playing the game I'm sure the drop in players is just a tempo thing. Its a decent setup to me.

Thanks. Any ideas for a 2 year "anniversary" tourney to make it more special than the standard monthly event?

I've seen trophies given to the winners or commemorative chips given out to all who played the tourney

double the starting stacks, double the buyin, $2 bounties on everyone, jackpot for winning a hand with 22, a Double-D dealer for the final table...

$90+10 with snacks provided does sound eminently reasonable. I hope people are drinking, eating, and tipping the house liberally, because they're giving a sweet deal.

I agree. I play in a $40+10 tournament held in a suburban home. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are provided. The host is making a few dollars on the game, but per hour, it is laughable. Now, if he sold booze, he might turn a nice profit. But in New York? This is a great deal.

I love all the ideas (especially the Double D dealer although I'm not sure how the female players would feel!) but I'm not sure the players would be willing to shell out $200 on one tournament. There are some good players but definitely a few recreational players mixed in and $100 is already a lot for them on poker. Perhaps $150 would fly and starting with 1.5x stack...? Maybe a $10 bounty on every player.

Thoughts on making entry $150 (usually $100) and starting stack 30k (usually 20k) with $30 bounties on every player? This would be for the 2 year anniversary of the tourney.