Learn Texas Holdem

Question: I just wanted to drop a note an mention that we play a few twists once in awhile in our home games. I don't like my friends to feel as if they were cheated so I attempt offer different ways to win part, if not all of their buy-in back even if they don't place high enough. One way is that I randomly draw people to be BOUNTIED. I will place 10 dollars on their head. I try to even it out. If there are two tables then I will pick 3 from each table to be Bountied.

Whoever eliminates a Bountied player from the tournament wins the Bounty. The more you eliminate the more you win. Of course, if you win the whole thing then you would win your own Bounty. Last game we had a player add 5 Bounties to his 1st place finish.

At the beginning people thought they would be "targeted" and get ganged up on but the cash isn't enough to warrant such aggressive play against them. In the end if someone wins 2-3 bounties throughout the night, then they make some cash back.

We also offer a optional HIGH HAND pot. Everyone puts in 5 bucks. Whoever has the highest "Called" hand at the end of the night wins the pot.

This actually changes some play. Especially if you hit QUADS, because you want to get called so you can record that hand as a HIGH HAND. the reward of the High Hand Pot is more cash then the pot in the middle of the table. If you blow people out of the pot and everyone folds....OOPS.

This is really fun when you know someone hit a HUGE hand and you fold after they 'check'.....since they never got called they cannot record the hand. So fun....

One last thing - I also have a point system. I tried to copy the WPT system. I usually get the same group of guys playing so it is fun to RANK them. I assign points for people who place 1-9. At the end of the year I host an ALL- STAR game for those people who rank in the TOP 12.

Point System:

3 factors

Place finished - first place receives 120 points; second place, 100; third place, 80; fourth place, 60; fifth place, 50; sixth place, 40; seventh place, 30; eighth place, 20; and ninth place, 10.

Buy-ins - $5-$25 = 1 point, $26-$35 = 2 points, $36-74 = 3 points, and $75 and higher = 4 points. The buy-in in rebuy tournaments is calculated by dividing the total gross prize pool by the number of entrants.

Number of entrants - 2-10 = 1 point. Every 1 additional number of entrants increases the number of points by 0.1. The maximum number of points is 2. Examples are: 6 players = 1 point, 14 players = 1.4 points, 19 players = 1.9 points, and 24 players = 2 points.

Here is a hypothetical total point calculation example: You finished in eighth place in a $35 buy-in event that had 21 entrants. You receive 20 points for eighth place; the buy-in is $35, which is a 2-point event; and there are 21 entrants, which is good for 2 points. Thus, you receive 80 total points (20 x 2 x 2 = 80 player points).

I also assign small points to player who never finish in top 9 but always show up. It helps me rank those bottom players. ONE more thing, I also found a jewler that has a bracelet I can get engraved etc.. for the winner of my ALL STAR game. They are like 80 bucks....something fun....I also used to go to the bank and get 100 dollars in new crisp SINGLES still wrapped by the bank...I would then place a 20 dollar bill on top and have a money presentation for the final two players. It was amusing seeing a few hundred like that.

Later.....

Answer: Thanks for sending this in Eric, sounds like fun!