How to get my friends into poker?

Daniel72 said:

But i tell them all, the difference between games vs. automats (no chance) or vs. humans (they make mistakes, good chances) and the full program. Its hopeless ! Especially to girls lol. Now i use other topics.

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MediaBLITZ said:

I don't even know what in the hell you just said...?!?!!??!

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dj11 said:

Expand your range of friends.

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MediaBLITZ said:

DJ is right. I was thinking about this. I got into it via a home game a few short years ago my boss threw at his place. I only went as a social/political insure I have a job move. My buddy (referred to above) had to explain to me what blinds were about 10 minutes before we started playing. It was a $30 BI and I took second for almost $200. I spent the next month thinking - "I can do this" and then made my first trip to the casino (my buddy had to take me - I was scared) - spazzed out trying to keep track of all the things I had read about and went all in with a weak pair of kings and was out after 20 minutes. The next time decided to play like I was at the kitchen table and made the final table - "I can do this".

I would make sure you have and distribute some clarifying "house rules" before the game to avoid any difficult situations that could turn some guys off for good. Just a one sheet should do it. Stuff like,

"If all the players in a hand are all-in, they must flip their cards over for all to see."

"Verbal declarations are binding."

"String bets are not allowed."

You will also probably have to define some things. Some will read "String bets are not allowed" and have no idea what string bet is.

A Google search should reveal something like -


Please check your firearms at the door.
No smoking. No spitting. No farting upwind.
The house has the authority to close any game at any time.
The house has the authority to remove any player, at any time, for any period of time.
The 'dead button' rule will be used.
Do not place anything on the poker table except your cards, your chips, and your drink.
Keep your cards and chips on the poker table and in plain view. Keep your big chips out front.
Never touch another player's cards or chips.
Do not splash the pot.
Do not bend or mark the cards.
Only one player to a hand.
Players may not show their live cards.
Players who are all-in must reveal their hands when no further action is possible.
The cards speak for themselves.
Do not reveal your folded cards, either physically or verbally.
String bets are not allowed.
Check-raising is acceptable and ... encouraged!
Unless you suspect cheating, please do not ask to view a hand that has been called.
No rabbit hunting (seeing what the next cards would have been).
Chopping (splitting) blinds is not permitted.
Straddle bets are not permitted.
Insurance is not permitted.
Only the English language may be spoken at the table.
No speaking on the phone at a table.
Be kind to the dealer and to other players.
Immediately inform the Tournament Director when a player has been eliminated.
No cheating! Remember, a Smith & Wesson beats five aces!


Etiquette During Play
• Act in turn
• Keep your cards on the table at all times
• Act in a timely manner. Don’t take too long to make your move.
• If you are not in the hand, don’t comment: Don’t give advice or information (about the flop or anything) to players who are playing. They are supposed to pay attention themselves.
• One hand one player: Don’t give advice to anyone. Don’t pursue them to make any actions. Everyone is grown up enough to make their own decisions.
• Keep your large denomination chips in front of your stack
• Don’t talk on the phone while playing
Betting
• Don’t splash the pot.
• Don’t string raise.
Showdown
• Don’t expose your cards until the hand is over
• At showdown flip both cards at the same time.
• Don’t slow roll: Slow rolling is to pretend your hand is not good enough and take a long time to reveal your cards at the end while your hand is really the winner. Do not do it – it is very frustrating.

Don’t give poker lessons
No one likes to take poker lessons at the poker table, besides why do you want them to know the right play anyways?

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dj11 said:

Another thought about getting your friends interested.

You need to throw those parties you mentioned. Kitchen poker. Not just Holdem, but every variant you can find. Dealers choice. You also need to cover the cost of the evening. Consider it the freeroll prize, a chance to get together with friends and share in what might be a good time..

Many of us have been 'hooked' that way.

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TheseNutsWin said:

It's going to be hard for you to find someone who is into the game theory/strategy. It takes a specific type of person who would. Do you have friends that love to play strategy games? These should be your first target. People who love strategy and analytical thinking should be drawn into games like poker.

I had a group of buddies who loved playing poker. They used to play every week $40 buy in with unlimited rebuys with pots reaching $1500 a night but NONE of them would ever want to talk about strategy or theory of the game. Even worse when I spoke to them about hand ranges, what hands to raise with , etc. They would ALL laugh at me. Till this day they don't understand that this game actually is not all about gambling. So sure, you will find people who enjoy playing the game, yet none of them might be interested in the theory and strategy.

I wish you lived in NY. We could do some home games or something. If everything fails and none of your friends are interested in a deep discussion about poker as you would like it to be , your option is to make new friends. Look for some Swedish poker forums and try to find people who live in your area who would be interested in what you are.

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dj11 said:

Sweden eh? Long winter nights with nothing to do?

I will guess you are late teens, early 20's, and NOT in college. For all of us who made it past that stage of life, may I suggest this is a defining moment in that all of your friends are entertaining their own interests, which you might not share in. I would think that if you were in college, it wouldn't be very hard to find other folks your approximate age who were in to poker.

It is natural, it is normal.

For talking poker...this is why we are here.

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Mortis said:

In 2006, my roommate at the time got me into poker by being persistent and annoying about showing me how to play Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha, and RAZZ. I finally gave in, lol.

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