Thoughts on Playing Poker in Private Parties
Poker is extremely popular these days. Ever since the advent of the World Poker Tour and the string of amateur success stories at the World Series of Poker, everyone wants to play poker.

Some people will be playing at live casinos and others online. Still others may play at a private poker party.

Private Poker Games

Private poker games are the lifeblood of poker. Long before tournaments and casino poker, legends of the game like Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim were making their fortunes in private games all over the country.

Private poker games can be very serious high stakes affairs or Tuesday night kitchen parties with close friends. For all private poker games though, there are some rules of etiquette to keep in mind.

Chip In

The person who hosts the game usually provides not only the venue, but also the poker equipment and refreshments for the guests. If you’re not going to bring your own refreshments, it’s nice to put a little money aside so that the host does not have shoulder all the financial costs of the game.

Some private games may have the host raking some money out of the pot to pay for the amenities. In most states, it is illegal to rake more than needed to pay for these things, that is to say, to take a profit from the game. This is one of the key differences between online and private poker, at the private parties playing per se is for free, even though you might loose some of your wagers.

Coming and Going

Remember that you are not in a casino with a steady stream of players. If you leave the game, there may not be enough players to continue.

In addition, a “hit and run” strategy in which you cash out after winning a few big pots, is not proper etiquette. It’s tradition in private games to give people a chance to win their money back.

If you anticipate having to leave, you should announce it an hour in advance, or let people know when you arrive how long you can play. At the very least you should stay for a full rotation after announcing that you have to depart.

Being Social

Remember that you are probably a guest in someone’s home. It is not appropriate or welcome for you to be abusive to other players, even if you have just lost a lot of money. You may be able to get away with this when playing a video poker game in a casino, but do this in a private game and you probably will not receive an invitation to return.

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