When you play poker in a casino, the rules of the game are clearly stated for you and enforced if anyone breaks them. Online, players are unable to act out of turn and can pre-select actions ahead of time. However, when you play poker at a home game, without clearly-defined rules, the tournament can sometimes resemble the Wild West. Luckily, Poker Bonuses has you covered with several important guidelines for your next home game.

1. One person, one hand. This rule holds true in a casino and is generally followed online. No player at your home game should be allowed to ask anyone else for advice in a hand, ever. He or she may not call any other person or ask anyone else at the table what action to take. This preserves the integrity of a game and should be followed even if the player in question is still learning poker. Home games are all about pride, so may the best man (or woman) win.
2. No one may act out of turn. Unless there is some sort of emergency, no one may act out of turn. Online, players aren’t able to do this anyway because of the poker room’s software. In live play, acting out of turn is chastised. Remind players in your home game not to fold, raise, or call before it is their opportunity to do so.
3. Decide payouts before the tournament begins. Believe it or not, I’ve played in several home games where the payouts were finally decided upon after the second knockout occurred. Vote on a payout structure beforehand and then stick to it. In an eight-, nine-, or ten-handed tournament, pay out to the top three spots. For five-, six-, or seven-handed games, pay out to the top two players. Four-handed or less, pay out to the winner only.
4. Schedule breaks. No one wants to play in a home game if they have to sit for three hours straight. In live tournaments, breaks are generally given every 90 minutes to two hours. Schedule a short break every hour to keep the mood light and give players a chance to stretch and use the bathroom. Your breaks can be anywhere from five to 15 minutes long.
5. Designate one person to be the “Tournament Director.” One person at your table should generally be the main authority figure. As such, he or she is charged with ensuring all rules are followed, all payouts are given accurately, and that play continues according to the blind structure. Just like any live tournament would have someone like Matt Savage or Linda Johnson directing play, so should your home game. I’ve found that the host is often the best person for this; however, the person who has the most poker experience is also an excellent candidate.
6. Designate one person to be the “Timekeeper.” This person’s role is pretty self-explanatory: They should manage the clock and keep track of the blind levels. Oftentimes, this responsibility falls to the person at the table wearing a watch. Just have them set the stopwatch function for 30 minutes or whatever blind level length players agree upon. When his watch goes off, he is responsible for announcing that “The price of poker is going up!” and then re-setting his watch.
7. BYOB: Especially when the number of players gets to be around eight or ten, everyone bringing their own beer is the optimal financial decision. Many home games designate a certain percentage of the prize pool towards purchasing beer and snacks for the next home game, which is also an excellent option. The host is expected to provide some nourishment, although providing alcohol for ten people can be a fairly large expenditure. Encourage your table mates to BYOB.