How to Run a Texas Hold Em Tournament

One of the many advantages about having and running a home poker tournament is the fact that these tournaments have a set playing cost. What this makes the players realize is that there is only a fixed amount to gamble upon and hence, lose. This is very endearing for someone who is a rookie and wants to play just for fun. All the while, the rookies will know that there will be a very limited amount to loose. Another aspect of this game is that of it being very easy-going. New players do not feel intimidated by the older ones as compared to how they would feel in a poker room. This helps to keep a relaxed atmosphere.

There are two ways to go about playing this game indoors: No Limit and Limit. No Limit poker may be more inviting because of all the excitement that the people see on the player's faces on television. The problem with this, however is that one bad round can knock you out. On the other hand, a limit game will help your guests enjoy the evening and relax a lot more because the longevity of the game will be more.

As far as pricing of the tournaments go, it can be a very liberal event with a democratic decision making the cut. This is one of the best aspects of the home tournaments. You can agree upon a price that is fine with everyone beforehand and then proceed to enjoy the evening stress free. As regards food and beverages, either you can ask everyone to chip in a fixed amount in the start itself or you can ask people to bring their own supplies from home. Personally, I prefer the former because then you can be sure of not having to take care of too much of a mess later on.

Now, payouts are an important aspect of the whole tournament that you must decide on beforehand. There are many ways to go about this and you should always make it a point to let the players know the break down of the pot early on. Make it clear just in case there is a spat later. The general rule is that if there are 10 players, the top 3 get the pool money distributed amongst them. The 1st would get 50%, the 2nd 30% and the 3rd 20%. You can alter the ratio in accordance to the amount of players present.

The last bit is the chips. Every player should get 2000 in chips when they start. The breakdown for this is generally 8 green chips, 8 black chips and 2 red chips that will sum up to 2000. The weights of the chips are 25, 100, and 500 respectively.

These tips should get you started on your Hold em home tournament.

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