If you’re a fan of in-person and online poker, but you also like to spend time with your friends, there’s a perfect solution that will give you the best of both worlds.
Of course, we’re talking about creating your very own poker club. Whether it’s to play in-person or online poker with friends or to get some poker practice with people who are more experienced than you, starting a poker club can be hugely beneficial to your game.
Let’s take a look at why you should start a poker club, as well as a bunch of handy tips and tricks for getting the most out of it. We’ll also cover mistakes to avoid so that you can get your club up and running successfully at the drop of a hat.
Why start a poker club?
Before you start your own club, it’s important to know how it is going to benefit both you and the people who join. Just some of the benefits of starting one include:
- Getting more practice and experience playing poker.
- It’s convenient, as you can organize to play games whenever you have the time and inclination to play.
- You can host it at a number of different members’ houses if you want a change of scenery.
- You can choose between playing online and in-person poker, or both.
- You can introduce friends to the wonderful world of poker.
Online or in-person – the choice is yours
If you really enjoy playing online poker tournaments, then it might be worth considering starting an online poker club with your friends. However, if it’s the more social aspect you’re after, then a physical poker club with in-person interaction is a better option.
Of course, it’s totally possible to do both! You could play poker games online with your club regularly and then every once in a while throw a casino-themed party to get your social fix.
Determining whether you want to go fully online or in-person will impact the tools that you need to create your club, however, so do keep that in mind.
Choose your name and logo
Once you have decided to create a poker club, it’s time to get started on a name and a logo. It goes without saying that the name shouldn’t be offensive in any way. It’s also important to include club members when choosing the name. Everyone should be able to suggest a name and then vote for the one they like best.
If you have a graphic designer or artist on your team they can cover the logo design, but if not, it’s probably a good idea to get a professional to do this for you.
Appoint member positions
Ask the members of your club if any of them would like to have a more formal position within the club. This could be anything from a moderator or administrator to a director. Ensure that they know what is required of the role and choose the most suitable candidates for this.
Tools you’ll need
The tools you’ll need are going to vary depending on whether you choose to do online or in-person poker tournaments. In this case, we’re going to be looking at the tools that you’ll need for online poker clubs.
Administrative tools
Most online poker club software providers will have admin tools for you to take advantage of. These are simple things like registering members, having moderators, adjusting your poker times, choosing tournaments and so on.
Statistic tools
If you and your club mates are serious about getting better at poker, then it’s essential to get a tool that can help you to understand your statistics better. It also allows you to look at the statistics of opponents and other players to learn from them and understand their gameplay.
Saved home settings
You don’t want to have to go through the rigors of choosing the games you want to play, how long you play them, how many players are joining the game and all your other preferences every time you play a poker game. It’s essential to choose a system that can save your settings.
Ensuring privacy
You definitely don’t want to start a club that any random player can join. So it’s important to have the right tools to ensure privacy and exclusivity to your games and tournaments to stop gatecrashers from joining the party.
Mistakes to avoid
When starting something new, there’s always the chance that you’ll make mistakes. While mistakes are part and parcel of everyday life, we’d also like to help you avoid some if we can. So here are just a few of the most common mistakes people make when setting up a poker club that you should try to avoid.
Don’t try to do it all
As tempting as it might be, don’t try to be everything for everyone. It’s important that you delegate some tasks and positions to members of your poker club, otherwise you will be left feeling overwhelmed and unable to enjoy the experience.
Don’t overestimate the level of poker
It’s important that every member of the club gets to enjoy their poker experience, so it’s essential that you’re aware of the level of poker within the club. There’s nothing worse than a beginner constantly joining a game of experienced players. It will have a negative effect on their confidence levels.
Don’t play too many different poker variants
While it’s always nice to change things up and try new games, it’s not usually the best strategy for people who want to improve their poker skills. Rather choose one or two poker variants that your club is going to stick with and give your members the opportunity to really hone their skills in these games.
Don’t take it too seriously
Chances are that most people have joined the club to have fun and get better at poker. This is especially true if you’ve started a club with a group of friends. So, it’s essential that you don’t take it too seriously or players will start to lose interest in joining your games.
Get online poker experience at BetMGM
There’s nothing that will improve your poker quite like practice and at BetMGM, we have a whole host of options for you to choose from. Whether you’re just looking for a relaxing game, a serious tournament, or a more social and immersive live dealer experience, we’ve got you covered. Register with BetMGM and join in on the fun.
