Top Pair Podcast 337: Home Game Hosting Issues

In episode 337, Bruce Briggs and Robbie Strazynski invite Cody, from Nashville, a longtime listener and home game host to the show. They discuss a variety of home game hosting-related issues, such as vetting players, how to source new players, and more.

The hosts let you know about not one, not two, but THREE upcoming events in Las Vegas, as the World Series of Poker continues, plus some fun session recaps, talk about card pips and a fun One Outer from the WSOP Senior's Event that’ll have you chuckling.

Top Pair thanks their sponsor, the Poker Notes Live mobile app, for their support. Be sure to check it out!

Show Time Stamps

00:23Synopsis
1:05–23:09How Ya Runnin?
1:23Bruce: No games over the past week, but enjoying more poker on CBS All-Access, specifically the WSOP Senior’s Event. Compliments to the broadcasters for making the show interesting, even though the players are relatively unknown; kind of like what MLB’s Vin Scully had a talent for doing.
6:28What should the minimum age be for Seniors events? Metaphors for how to describe the shrinking fields over the course of a Seniors event as players get eliminated. Seniors vs. Super Seniors.
9:45Should “restricted” WSOP events be valued as highly as fully open events?
12:40Robbie: Managed to squeeze in a home game in between Las Vegas trips #bestwifeintheworld. Notched a nice win; running well and playing well. Confidence running high, ready for the next trip.
15:25Upcoming celebrity-laden $10,000 guaranteed charity poker tournament – Raising the Stakes for CP – to benefit the One Step Closer Foundation coming up at Aria on June 30th.
17:12PokerNews Family of Podcasts night on July 8th $150 tournament at Planet Hollywood.
18:15The biggest $4/8 Dealer’s Choice mixed game meet-up of the summer: July 1 at the Westgate.
26:10–1:05:43Door Card: Inviting a longtime listener, Cody from Nashville, on to the show
27:20Cody shares his poker and home game background and how things have evolved for him as a player and host over the years.
34:10What’s the right mix of games and stakes that isn’t “just boring old Hold’em for pennies” but it also isn’t “crazy games for full stacks”?
36:30What poker rooms does Cody play at that are closest to Nashville?
38:30The need to expand one’s network and have a large enough home game player pool so that you don’t have to skip a week due to lack of butts in seats. Bruce and Robbie share their respective experiences of how they initially attracted players to their home games.
47:20Cody’s actively aiming to find new home game players who play at the nearby casinos to Nashville; also possibly sourcing players through Reddit and a poker chip forum.
50:30How to best vet new potential players looking to join a home game.
56:20 A “two strikes, you’re out” policy to eliminate home game poker players who confirm but are no-shows.
57:33 Crowdsourcing new home game players from social media based on digital word of mouth; friends of friends. Much easier to find new hold’em home game players than mixed game aficionados.
1:02:20As former guest Chris Moneymaker is from Nashville (and has met Cody) maybe he’ll be a new participant in the home game?
1:06:27It’s in the Cards with Tom Wheaton of Faded Spade Playing Cards: Poker playing card indexes: it’s all about the pips (no, not the ones who sang with Gladys Knight).
1:11:30One Outer – A Father’s Day funny from the WSOP Seniors Event.

You can subscribe to PokerNews’ Top Pair Home Game Poker podcast on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here.

Follow hosts Bruce Briggs @toppair and Robbie Strazynski @cardplayerlife, also available via email: [email protected]

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