Blog
Short guides for running a home poker game.
Home poker side games, explained
The 7-2 game, the nit game, bomb pots and high hand bonuses: what each one is, and how to keep the side game money straight.
October 13, 2026 · 4 min read
The 7-2 game: how it works and how to run it at home
Win a pot with seven-deuce and everyone pays you. The rules, the four things to agree first, and how to settle it.
October 13, 2026 · 4 min read
The nit game: how it works and how to run it
Everyone starts with a button, you lose yours by winning a pot, and the last one holding pays the table. Rules and variations.
October 13, 2026 · 4 min read
How to run bomb pots at a home poker game
Everyone antes, nobody bets preflop, and play starts on the flop. How to set the ante, how often, and the rules to agree first.
October 13, 2026 · 4 min read
How to run a high hand bonus at your home game
A small pot for the best hand shown each hour. How to fund it, what to count, and the rules to write down first.
October 13, 2026 · 5 min read
How to settle up after a home poker game
A step-by-step way to work out who pays who at the end of a home game, with a worked example you can copy.
October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
How to track buy-ins and rebuys at a home poker game
What to write down, when to write it, and who should keep the record, so the numbers still add up at the end of the night.
October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
What to do when the chips don't match the money
The table is a few dollars short or over at cash-out. Here is how to find the mistake, and how to split it fairly if you can't.
October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
House rules worth agreeing on before your next home game
Eight rules about buy-ins, rebuys, cashing out, and paying up. Settle them once and most arguments never happen.
October 12, 2026 · 4 min read
How to collect what you're owed after poker night
How to ask for money from friends without it getting awkward, with a message you can copy and a rule that stops debts piling up.
October 12, 2026 · 4 min read
Cash game or tournament for your home game?
How the two formats differ for the person running them, plus common payout splits for a small home tournament.
October 12, 2026 · 5 min read