If you could structure your game any way you want, how would you do it? Assume that you could get as many eager players as you need.

• Cash or tournament?
• Length of game? Games played? Orbits or time of each?
• Betting limits, Buy-ins, blinds, etc?
• Players per table? Number of tables? Different games as different tables?
• If you like, throw in the extras like food, drink, and other amenities.

Tournaments can be fun, but I'd much rather play cash.
Length: 6-8 hours for a weeknight session, play until the sun comes up on the weekend.
Games: I like NLHE, but I've also had great fun the few times I've played mixed FL. I'd probably play both.
No preference on orbits vs. time in a mixed game.
Mixed FL: 2/4 half kill seems about right for a home game.
NLHE: .25/.50 or .50/1 with a 200bb max buy-in.
Two tables fit just right in the Schmendy Mancave. I prefer nine players for NLHE, seven for mixed FL.

For part of HPI 2012, we had mixed FL running at one table and NLHE running at the other. That's the bomb IMO.
A long session needs sandwiches, munchies, and draft beer fo sho.

Beer/Pizza/two tv's to accomodate Yanks/Mets Fans!

A man of simple needs. I like it. And a little poker on the side?

I would change our regular Friday game a little , but I would likely lose too many part timers and a couple of cheap regs.

I would like 7 PM till 2AM but many folks bust out or poop out early
I would prefer .50-1.00 NLH but that would price out half our crew (.25-50 remains)
At .50-1.00 I would like a wide open $1 - $100 BI with rebuys of up to $100 if your stack goes below $50. (Again a total fantasy for our group)
We have a large family room, huge table, TV Computer, music, Fridge, Deck for smokers, even a poker library. The only change I would like is to limit the table to 10 ( we can seat 12), but I try to get everyone in, and couple of us even "box" from time to time until some shortstackers leave.
I provide soft drinks and cheap beer, pretzels and candy. Some folks also bring stuff quite often to add. Others never do. I can't make them do it , but I wish the group would collectively do a little more, even if some do a lot already.

Lastly I wish I could eliminate Pine Apple and Crazy Pine Apple, but, since I introduced them to bring some "variety" to our group I have to eat this. We have 2 or 3 guys who love that and the rest either ignore it, tolerate it, or mildly like it. My bad!

one of my fantasy games:

Mixed game, once a week. Each night is only one game though. Maybe 3 weeks per game.

Strat discussion required. We start playing ~an hour face up to get started on the new game and get familiar with the probabilities and equities of different scenarios. Players will want an equity calculator on their cel phone, or one will be available on a laptop. That's followed by a period of private hole cards but we flip them up after the hand and replay the action. And of course periods of more normal play, with discussion of key hands later. Probably need a camera running to jog memories.

Between weeks of the same game, players may be asked to write essays on specific strategy topics.

Invite list is ~6 of the smartest people I can get. Not necessarily the best or most studied poker players -- in fact I'd try hard to get a very smart poker novice or two in the mix to help the other players stay honest and keep fundamentals in mind. Probably has a fight club rule. Contract signed in blood that nobody involved ever participates in collusion or other form of cheating.

I like tournaments in a friendly environment because it is a set amount that can be lost and you don't have to worry about anyone losing their mortgage payment because he had a bad run of cards or is a poor player. Everyone knows that can a maximum of $X can be lost that night and hence budget for it.

About 6 hours is good. I would love a HORSE game (very rarely get to play it). (NLHE or PLO are also good.) 15 minutes rounds would be good. 15 minutes break for color-ups.

$25 buy-in, one $25 re-buy allowed ("full" stack), one $25 add-on ("full" stack) allowed (but add-on can be forfeited with a second re-buy.) It's how the NLHE game I play in now is structured and I kind of like it. 50,000 starting stack. 100-200 blinds in first round.

8 (for HORSE) or 10 (PLO or NLHE) players per table, 3 tables (most I can fit in my place).

As I do now, I would provide soft drinks and snacks like soft pretzels, chips, dip, M&M's at no charge (but willing to accept any donations which I never have been offered). Anything else would be the players responsibility.

I like a mix of cash and tournaments, NLHE/PLO/PLO8 and other games. I guess I just like variety, period.

But I couldn't play that long. I'd be comatose by 1 AM.

I could have written that paragraph. Most people contribute something, but I don't think some realize what it takes to host, because they never have.

We used to play Crazy Pineapple all the time, but it has dropped out of our rotation. We used to play HOPE (NLHE, PLO, NL Crazy Pineapple, and PLO8). But lately it has been HHHO with the O being dealer's choice of PLO or PLO8. It is a good mix, but we might bring CP back. I am OK with or without it.

Would you provide pocket protectors with the club name on them? Seriously, this would be a fun thing to participate in.

We never lose more than $100 or so on any given night, but you are right, this does give some protection. Our tournaments tend to bring in people who do not often play cash, and I suspect this is the reason.

Tournaments also have certain do or die element that low stakes cash does not have. I like that. You can always rebuy in cash, but in a tournament, when you're out, you're out.

We rarely play tournaments which are not NLHE. I need to host a mixed tournament.

This is one of the reasons I dislike tournaments for a regular, casual home game. When I go to a home game, I set the entire evening aside for poker, and this often requires schedule juggling and some negotiation with the missus. If I get coolered or just play a hand like a moran and bust out early, I've got nothing to do except a) wait and hope a cash game will get started, or b) go home early.

In a cash game, you can play as long as you want. It's easy to make the game tolerable for the risk-averse and casual players; simply play micro stakes and/or limit. I played five hours of .20/.40 limit last night with a group like this, everyone had a great time, and the biggest loser was stuck less than the cost of a movie ticket at the end of the night.

Cash, ainec. I find tournaments to be very stressful and have stopped playing them with rare exceptions.

As long as possible; 8-10+ hours is good. NL/PLO/Limit are all good. Omaha and variants are my favorites, with most flop games, HORSE games, and Badugi and variants for a little variety. No wild cards. Orbits for predetermined rotations, orbit+1 for dealer's choice.

I have to stop my winter games at 1:45 a.m. because of local winter parking restrictions. Summers = no predetermined quitting time.

NL/PL .25/.50 or 1/1; Limit 2/4, 3/6, 4/8. Buy-ins $60-$200 depending on the structure.

4-8 ppt, favorite is 5-6. The advantage of starting with 8 is that the game survives if a few players leave early. Having two tables with different games/stakes would be nice for when one needs a change of pace midway through the night. Unfortunately, I have no room for a second table, but as long as we're fantasizing here, I'd have a bigger home with a huge poker room, big enough for 4 custom tables and a bar.

Staples at my game are bottled water, soft drinks, beer, snacks, and coffee with Bailey's and whipped cream.

I'm starting to think I need to work on my length-of-game mojo. Maybe it is like exercising: go a little longer each time and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish.

Yeah, that is the downside. I usually have a re-buy period which gives a 1.5 hour safety net no matter what, but early knockouts do happen.

Amateur!

Tournaments are stressful? Weak-kneed ninny!

Cash or tournament?

Cash. Perfect for people to arrive and depart as they wish, without inconveniencing anyone else or busting way earlier than most others. I do enjoy an occasional tourney, but only multiple table so that cash games can develop on a non-tourney table.

Length of game? Games played? Orbits or time of each?

Much like other elements of my life... I can't do things like I did 20 year ago (boy I'm feeling old)... I'm enjoying poker for 3 - 4 hours at a clip. The next couple of hours are sometimes a struggle, but a weekend day game I can see going a casual 10 hours with meal breaks.

I'm a huge fan of dealers choice games. Our game has some that are non-casino standard, and can be frustrating when you are on the wrong end of variance. I'd include most, but not all the games we play, mostly riffs on Omaha, Hold'em and 7-stud. I would not include any wild card games.

I do really like the idea of 1 game per orbit, to let everyone get into the feel of each different game from each different position. Unfortunately, that is not the consensus of the group, and we rarely play the same game twice in a row. I could see a 20-30 minute round of a game, to give some the choice to break on a game they don't like.

Betting limits, Buy-ins, blinds, etc?

For the home game, I like a spread limit. One of my regular games has a $5 limit on each bet (bet + 3 raises = $20 max per betting round). We play $0.25-$0.50 blinds. Most buy-ins are for $40-50. Cash on the table plays, so players often back up their chips with cash on the table. It's spread limit, so knowing exact amounts rarely comes into play. I think I'd like to play it with a higher limit ($10 or $20).

Players per table? Number of tables? Different games as different tables?

We usually have 6-8 players these days. The table seems crowded at 8, we aren't a small bunch, and there are a couple of games that are scratched from the playlist with 8. Only reason for the 2nd (or more) table would be a feeder or starting tourney style. No reason to have different games at different tables for me.


If you like, throw in the extras like food, drink, and other amenities.

1. Most of the existing people I currently play with. The laughs and ball busting is the only reason I clear my schedule each week, and go to work tired each Friday. With them, I'd play sitting on a curb in the cold.
2. Cigar smoking allowed/encouraged.
3. Subs and pizza upon arrival. Cold pizza available all night. A non-playing host/chef would be welcome to serve/cook certain dishes. Anything in a bun, but easy on the toppings. I think anything you would normally eat with a spoon or fork is good too. Nothing to get hands dirty or take 2 hands to eat.
4. Coffee and soft drinks. Beer and wine. No hard liquor. No slowing the game down, or disruptive behavior.
5. Some background noise. Music preferred. TV screens OK, but just headlines, no plot or games to distract/follow.

When the lotteries start reaching hundred million dollar jackpots, I buy my tickets and wonder how I will set up the new poker room in my basement. Also wonder about new chips, new table, etc.

If TV's showing "the game", sound off and subtitles on. For those of us that don't GAF about teh sperts, I seriously want others distracted watching and reading, without me having to squelch out the noise.

Game: $0.50/$1.00 NLHE Cash (No Straddles Allowed)
Length: 7pm to 3am on Friday or Saturday night
Min Buy In: 60bb
Max Buy In: 200bb
Re-buys: Up to 200bb or the biggest stack at the table, whatever is larger
Players per Table: 8
Number of Tables: 2. Not that it would matter for a cash game, but there would just be more people to socialize with.

Other:
-Dedicated dealer for each table.
-No Rake, but tip the dealer.
-Bartender serving tap beers and a few special cocktails for each night.
-Heavy appetizer spread is easy to eat with out utensils
-Background Music, No TVs

I live just outside of Philly so I'm 20 mins from PARX, 30 mins from Harrah's - Philly/Chester and about 75 mins from AC. With that in mind, all my answers are for the cash game I have at my place (and what I'd be interested at someone else's) By that I mean, fun social stakes (no rake). If I want to play 1-2NL or PLO, 2-5NL or some kind of limit mix game (up to 10-20) I'll go to one of the casinos. Our home games are fun/social with a group of 12 friends (max 8 show up at a time). All are pretty solid players of the games listed earlier (with normal 9-5 day jobs)


Cash or tournament?
I prefer a cash game with friends/co-workers.

Length of game? Games played? Orbits or time of each?
During the week: start somewhere around 7 or 8pm and end pretty much any time. I get up at 7am for work and don't need a ton of sleep so I'm fine with it going til 2 or 3am.
On the weekend: I still prefer an evening start time (can be as early as 4 or 5pm I guess). No quit time in mind.

Games: basically anything spread in a casino (no wild card games). NLHE/PLO/PLO8 all the HORSE variants, badugi, razzdugi, 2-7 (NL single draw and limit triple draw)

Betting limits, Buy-ins, blinds, etc?
Again, I live close to multiple casinos so if I'm looking for "higher" stakes, I'll just go there.

So for a home game: 25c-50c or 50c-$1 NLHE/PLO/PLO8/2-7 single draw. We'll do $2-$4 for limit games (Stud, Stud-8, O8...etc)
$50 min buy, no max...but I think the highest initial buy in was like $120.

Players per table? Number of tables? Different games as different tables?
1 table cash game. A player selects a game and we play 1 round/orbit of it then the next player selects a game...we play one round/orbit of it and so on.

Preferred # of players (in order) 6, 7, 8, 9, 5, 10(max).

If you like, throw in the extras like food, drink, and other amenities

We usually have chips/pretzels/snacks and order pizza if we get hungry (split cost). Host provides a 30 pack of something like Miller Lite. BYO-premium beer.

TV is roughly 10 feet from the table and always has some kind of sporting event on. After midnight (no sports on) we'll switch to music.

Heads up limit holdem. Lots of cigarette breaks, beer, and players waiting to take me on when I bust the present opponent.