What's the biggest home game you've ever played in?

[kyotolaw]

I'm wondering what the practical limits are on home games before you need to start worrying about security, etc etc.

I'm defining a home game as a game played at someone's home; self dealt with no rake - non-casinos, non-underground card rooms.

FWIW, we play 5/10 Pot Limit.

Any ideas about at what point it all gets too much, and you need to have the game run by professionals?

[PokerintheI]

I used to play in a deep stacked 1-2 mixed PL game. I think the most we ever had on the table was about $4000-$5000. That had me a little concerned, but it was at my house and both my Great Dane and English Mastiff would be in the room with us. I'm pretty sure that 325 lbs of dog is enough protection at that level.

Any more that that though and I would likely start thinking about things like secure rooms and perhaps some personal defense. Our govenor just passed a law allowing the use of deadly force durning a home invasion, so that makes the possiblity of a weapon for security a bit more feasible.

5-10 PL?? If you are playing deep stacked... You've got to be talking about 20-30k at times? That would make me a little nervous without some serious precautions.

[kyotolaw]

Our stacks are not so deep - $500 is the standard buyin. Including what is in the players' pockets, I think you'd be hard-pressed to get $15K between us.

I'm not so worried about being held up or raided - we live in a safe and legal jurisdiction. I'm more thinking about the practicalities of logistics, bringing in and vetting new players, fraud when chips counted out etc.

I'm interested in hearing about other people's security precautions, but external forces are less relevant to our game than internal ones.

[Rosencrantz1]

Wow. Well, I guess it really depends on what you're looking for in a home game. We play a $20 buy-in tourney with 6-10 guys. Even if we play with rebuys, it's maybe $260.

The thought of the guys in my game rolling in with a grand or two each makes me laugh.

I know - this doesn't help you at all.

Sorry.

[i am run]

3-handed... mixed games.
over $1100 in the pot...

[mrw8419]

A 50 man tourney in some guys basement, was a pretty impressive setup.

Michael

[skitzofranik]

[ QUOTE ]
3-handed... mixed games.
over $1100 in the pot...

[/ QUOTE ]

I've played in this game and the pot gets pretty large considering its only a .25/.5 mixed game. $1000+

Also, been out in the middle of no where and played a $50 rebuy tourney with some co-workers of a friend. The pot is generally around $4000 (the winner taking half usually). This was probably the best tourney I ever played since it was constantly filled with drunk 18-30 year olds. However, the final table was always tough because the structure basically made it push fold from that point on.