I am often asked when it was that I first began playing poker, and I find it difficult to answer exactly. Cards have been a part of my life since I was a little kid - from playing Go Fish and Old Maid to learning Gin Rummy and Euchre. 

Being the youngest of almost thirty cousins, I watched with envy as the older kids were allowed to play cards with the adults, while us younger ones played hide and go seek and such. Sometimes one of my aunts or uncles would let me sit in with them for a hand or two, and that was always my favorite time of the night. 

When I was an opinionated and disagreeable teenager my Mom and I played cribbage endlessly. She would be lying on her bed watching television and I would plop myself down with a deck of cards and begin dealing. She never once refused and we would play for hours - even when we were angry at each other. At times not a word was spoken other than the card count...fifteen two, fifteen four, and the rest don't score...silently taking out our aggression by skunking or double skunking each other. She didn't tell me until recently that she actually disliked the game itself - would have much rather played something different, yet she never complained. I have to admit that I was never really a big fan of crib either; though I very much enjoyed the time we got to spend together.  

As a family we played many other card games like bridge and hearts. My Dad was always the one to watch out for though. He has a natural combination of luck and skill which serves him well - even if it is a game he isn't overly familiar with. I have learned a lot from just watching him play. 

As the years passed, we began to play more and more poker. I used to go over to my brother's house and we would play dealer's choice, even if it was just the two of us. I was always predictable when picking the game - Whores, Fours, and One-Eyed Jacks was by far my favorite, not because I enjoyed playing poker with ten wild cards, I just simply liked saying it. Ultimately though, we would always come back to 'that seven-card game' as I called it at the time, which of course was Texas Hold'em. I loved the game so much that I could have stayed up for days playing it, even back then. 

My brother introduced me to many other variations of poker over the pre-internet gaming years and I developed a great fondness for Omaha and O8, though I never really got into it as much then as I would have liked. Once online poker became a staple in my gaming diet, my brother and I would spend hours discussing hands and theory - though I was usually much more on the receiving end of the conversation than participating with counter-thoughts of my own since those skills of mine had yet to be developed.  

I began taking the game quite seriously, and found my niche to be in tournament play. I would pour over books and articles about strategy and tactics, and of course consult with my brother when I got stuck in one style or began to pick up bad habits. Few people will be brutally honest about your game, and even fewer will take the time to analyze Every. Single. Hand. that you played in a tournament, yet he did - pointing out the good moves along with the many true bonehead maneuvers that I made. The best part was he never expected me to agree with his analysis. Conversely, he welcomed the debate. One thing is for certain; we both walked away much better players with an increased ability to think outside of the box. 

To this day my brother analyzes my play and helps point out holes in my games - some of which are quite deep and complicated, while others should be blatantly obvious to me yet aren't at the time. Though many people have contributed to my love of cards, for the better part of a decade my brother has been my poker mentor and I wouldn't be half the player I am today without his coaching, guidance, and patience - but most importantly his ability to turn my faults into lessons I could learn from rather than repeating the same old mistakes over and over. 

It happens to be his birthday today, so I would like to take this opportunity to say 'Happy Birthday' as well as to say thanks for all the lessons in poker and in life. 

How will we be celebrating? A family poker home game, of course. Is there any other way? 

People used to go to out for dinner and a movie on the weekends, but now it seems there are more and more home games occurring. If you are planning to host one, there are a lot of things that you need to plan for in advance. Following is a basic checklist of ideas that you may want to consider before starting the tournament clock. 

A Few Weeks Before 

• Decide how many poker tables you can acquire and set up, and how many people you can realistically seat comfortably
• Compile the invitation list. It is best to plan for the number of people you can seat, as some will decline invitation and others may want to bring a friend along
• Send out the invitations as early as possible. You have a much better chance of people attending when they have proper notice. Also, send out a reminder one week prior to the event

1-3 Days Prior

• Print out a sheet with the blind structure clearly detailed and post in the room
• Print out the rules that you will be following, and post in the room as well
• Set up the poker tables and chairs (or have guests bring their own chairs if required)
• Make sure you have enough decks of cards for each table, as well as a few extras
• Count out the starting chips for each player, and store each pile in its own container or zip-lock bag, along with a slip of paper indicating a table and seat number
• Have higher denomination chips ready for when you chip-up
• Decide on what food (if any) you will provide, and set up a table for this. Include room for napkins/paper towels, paper plates, plastic silverware and condiments if required
• Have a spare fridge or cooler available for drinks that your guests will bring with them
• Stock up on ice
• Buy several cases of bottled water. It is cheap, and should always be available to your guests
• Decide on several non-alcoholic drinks and purchase. Also, have plastic cups available
• If you are planning on playing music in the background, set up a stereo
• Go to the bank and get some small bills for change
• Plan to set up a side game for those who bust out early

Day of the Tournament

• Place a deck of cards and a dealer button on each table
• Set up buffet table with food if it is to be served
• Set out drinks
• Put out ashtrays (if smoking is allowed)
• When guests arrive state the house rules, blind structure and breaks
• Take care of all the buy-ins, recording who has paid on a sheet of paper
• Seperate the entry money into envelopes for each place that pays and lock it away if possible
• Start the game

I received an email from a reader asking me to discuss food served at a home poker game. Though this may sound a little trivial, the idea has definite merit. Besides, it is Friday night and we could use something a little lighter than all the tragedy surrounding the hurricane disasters recently. 

So, in the spirit of the weekend, I have compiled a top 5 list of food not to serve at a home poker game. 

5. Ribs. Seriously. Do not serve ribs. I don't care if they are dry ribs, barbeque ribs, honey garlic ribs, etc. They are messy, there are bones, the grease can stain your poker tables or muck up your cards. 

4. Fried Chicken. Read: Ribs. The same holds true for any form of fried chicken.

3. Pizza. Ok, pizza is definitely debatable since it is convenient, tastes good, and feeds a crowd of people for a nominal charge. However, use a little discretion and serve it during a break. You don't want to have to hand-wash your KEM cards after every home game.

2. Popcorn and/or Chips. Yet another greasy nightmare. Also, it is guaranteed that someone will spill it them all over the floor. 

1. Cheetos. Cheezies. Basically anything that is orange and puffy should be outlawed at a home game. The orange mess stains your cards, your tables, your clothes, well...you get the picture.  

The weekend is here, and that means that a lot of people will be playing in home games. If you are thinking of hosting one, there are a few things that you should take into consideration.

• Will you be running a tournament, or playing cash games only?
• Who are you going to invite?
• Set a start time and an end time to the game, unless you are running a tournament. Make sure that you are willing to host the game until it finishes.
• Who has the final word when it comes to settling disputes?

• Are you providing food and drinks? Or are guests required to bring their own?
• Are you serving / allowing alcohol?
• It is highly recommended to use chips rather than cash, so if you don't have a set, borrow one
• If you are playing cash games, decide in advance if IOU's are allowed, and for what amount
• Don't allow rabbit hunting, it slows down the game
• Make sure you cover the rules prior to the game, and that everyone understands them
• Make sure everyone has a comfortable chair. If you don't have enough, ask them to bring their own.
• Decide in advance if players who are out, or spouses/friends who are there but not playing, are allowed to watch
• If you are playing a game that requires antes, have the dealer ante for everyone. This saves time and settles the dispute of "who didn't ante". Since everyone has equal turns being dealer, everyone pays the same amount over the course of the game.
• If you are taking a rake, make sure everyone is aware of this prior to starting the game. It is usually a better idea to ask everyone for a small amount (like $5) to cover your costs if you provide soft drinks / snacks
• Be a good winner, and a good loser. If you want people to return, this is imperative

I played in a 20-player home tournament this past weekend. It was my first time in a home game that big and it was a lot of fun. You gotta enjoy flopping quads with the money looming. My buddy Joe did a great job running it, particularlay since it was his first time managing multiple tables. The main takeaway was the usefulness of a good tournament clock. Without the monitor indicating time left and the blinds and antes for each level, I think the task of balancing tables, coloring up chips, and keeping the players informed would've become pretty overwhelming. Luckily, before the tourney Joe had downloaded Poker Clock, which performed admirably. It's not freeware, but if you are in the habit of hosting multitable tournaments, the $40 price tag seems pretty reasonable. It has everything you could want from tournament software: real-time stats, audio prompts, a flexible display, payout calculators, templates your can modify and save, and a bunch of other features. It's definitely worth a look, considering the 14-day trial version isn't crippled -- usually a good sign of a solid piece of software.

If you're like me, you've already replaced your dining room table with a full-size Hold'em poker table (pictured at right)...

Well, you're probably not like me, but if you've always wanted to own your own Hold'em table there's never been a better time to be in the market for one. Seemingly hundreds of companies are marketing professional-quality (and crap) Hold'em tables both online and in magazines like Card Player. A Google search for "Texas Hold'em table" turns up 980,000 results. Prices range from $200 to more than $7500 for very high-end furniture examples.

Or...if a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot is your idea of a good time, you can just build your own! Jeff Croft has one of the best instructional posts on the internet for constructing a home-built Hold'em table, and it's even entertaining along the way. A high-quality, sturdy table can be built at home for around $125 (not including beer and pizza costs). So what did I do? I found a guy who builds 96 x 42 versions out of his garage and sells them on Ebay for around $240. Since he was in suburban Chicago, I was able to pick up the table in person and save shipping costs (which will kill you on this heavy item). A tip: stay away from the $120 range tables on Ebay, they are of extremely cheap quality.

While Harold is doing it up right out there in Vegas this weekend, I'm stuck in Indianapolis. Although miles away from the closest actual poker room, I always find ways to get in a game. Last night I was able to play in a nice little charity event put on by a member of my local poker circle, Jay N (it's like Tony G, but he's also known as 'whojedi' online). Proceeds from the event went to help fund Rupert's Kids - the charity founded by local Rupert Boneham, of Survivor Pearl Islands fame.

Jay always hosts solid tournaments for friends and associates; good food and good times. Unfortunately, I've averaged about a 26th place showing in events held in connection with Jay and didn't improve much this week with a 17th place finish. I actually played solid poker this week (as opposed to my usual 'on tilt' in large fields where people call 1500 reraises with J9 offsuit). After my stack was severely damaged when my KK was cracked by a desperation A3 off, I chose to push all-in in a three-way pot situation with K2 spades (massive value when the blinds were threatening) and was bounced by AA that held up. As consolation, however, I went home with a fantastic Card Player-sponsored door prize of Barry Shulman's book, 52 Tips for Texas Hold'em Poker.

Despite my performance, I am happy to report that a Johnston family member went home with the top prize. At around 1:30am this morning, Derrick Johnston was able to come back from a dominated heads-up chip situation and win the event. Brett Weaver finished second, while tournament host Jay finished third. Congrats to my poker-playing partner who, with the win, has now pulled into an even tie with yours truly for local Hold'em tournament wins in the past 12 months. The battle for Johnston family honors is really heating up as summer approaches. Thanks to Jay and all who attended (as well as Card Player magazine) for an excellent night!

I played in my local Wednesday-night game last night and there were some interesting hands. It was limit hold 'em, which is certainly not my game, but the evening was enjoyable nonetheless. Danny, who runs the game, always does a nice job. There were quads hit by the same player several times. Aces were perpetually going down in flames, prompting a loud round of applause when they finally held up. And the hand of the night, which belonged to me, solely through dumb luck and perpetual chasing of gut-shot straights:  I held AK, the board showed a queen-high straight (with three diamonds), and my raise on the river brought two callers: KK and KQ suited (not diamonds, thankfully). The other hand that had gone all the way to the river before folding? AA. Sorry, Danny.

You want to start your own home game, but you don't know how? Well, there's no one method to achieve a well-balanced friendly game, but here are some pointers for the uninitiated:

• Play for money. Poker without money isn't really poker, in my humble opinion. It doesn't have to be high-stakes, that's for sure, but the money involved needs to mean something to everyone playing. College students might play for enough money to buy a six-pack. Bond traders probably bring enough for a three-star dinner in the city. Don't play for peanuts. Or bragging rights. It won't serve you well. (Of course, it goes without saying that you'll also need to know what you can wager according to your local laws.)
  

• Play a limited number of games. A sure recipe for frustration is having to explain the rules to a new game before each deal, especially when your players are of differing levels of skill. If you stick to a few well-known variations, your friends can actually spend time competing and not asking about the structure of the game. If you must play "Dealer's Choice," you can encourage uniformity by playing an entire round for each choice, or limiting the choice to a few house-determined variants.

• Don't play no-limit for cash. We've all come to know and love no-limit Texas Hold'em through the WPT and other televised tournaments. However, playing no-limit hold'em in a cash game is a quick way to turn a friendly game into an unintended fiasco. Bad beats can send good players home, or worse, reaching for their wallets to even the score, which can quickly escalate your quarter-ante game into a rent-jeopardizing affair. A great alternative to no-limit ring games is to play a single-table no-limit tournament for a set buy-in. (And we'll cover that in an upcoming post.) The only drawback to tournament-style play is the fact that players must sit out once they've been eliminated and that can curtail some of the social aspects of the occasion.

• Be ready to make the rules. As the host, you are not just a player, but also the one who sets the tone, and the rules. Explain every possible detail before the cards start flying. How many raises are allowed each round? When can players replenish their chips? What happens when a card flips up on the deal? And be prepared to make rulings on situations that have never come up before. Be fair and confident and, even if you make a mistake, you'll go a long way to keeping your friends comfortable, since they'll know you're in charge and looking to make the playing field level for everyone.
  

As if The Travel Channel, ESPN, BRAVO, and FSN hadn't already brought poker to the mainstream-Vanity Fair kicked it up a notch. Now it's mainstream mainstream. To be said like a teenage girl would ask her friend, "Yeah, but do you like him like him?" The article is a run down of who's who in Hollywood poker, as well as a peek into some of their home games. They reeled us in with the A-list names we could recognize like Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, and Leonardo DiCaprio, but those aren't even 1/50th of them.

I was enjoying reading "Poker's Wild" by Duff McDonald, but had to laugh every so often because I just couldn't follow the name-dropping. To amuse myself I reread the story while counting the aces mentioned. The 50th name didn't even get me half way through the article. Still, I'm willing to bet that Norby Walters, Charles Durning, Vince Edwards, Rod Steiger and Jerry Vale won't care if I don't recognize them in print or on the street. Or Mitch Glazer and Joe Foristal, for that matter.  McDonald-don't forget his name, he's the author-does a good job of briefly explaining where everyone can be recognized,  but the real kick is in hearing about the home games. Chris Masterson (Francis  on Malcolm in the Middle) and Laura Prepon (Donna on That 70s Show) have a $2,000 buy in game, while Scott Baio and Alec Baldwin play at Norby Walters's $1 minimum game.

Wanna get more goss about "Poker's Wild?" Poker News and the New York Daily News are talking.

There are several tutorials out there for enterprising home-game gurus who'd like to build a poker table rather than buy one. This one by Jeff Croft just popped up on del.icio.us. It's from early last year, but the comments have evolved to include a lot of reader advice. So if you want to make your spouse even madder at your poker obsession, just head down to Home Depot , buy some supplies, and get sawing...