 Frequently Asked Questions |
| Q: Address/Phone
|
| YOU MUST LOG IN OR CLICK ON EMAIL LINK TO SEE THIS |
| Q: How do I sign up for PokerStars?
|
| A: You can Download here
|
| PLEASE NOTE: My understanding is that there is a mobile app for PokerStars, but home games do not work in the mobile app. You must be on a desktop/laptop.
|
| Create a login, please email/text/IM your account to me so I know it's you, and:
|
| YOU MUST LOG IN OR CLICK ON EMAIL LINK TO SEE THIS |
| Q: PokerStars won't let me play for money, how do we play for money?
|
| A: We handle the money outside of PokerStars.
|
| First and foremost, in order to sign up for games on PokerStars you must have "play chips". When you first sign up for PokerStars you are given 50,000 chips. You need 20,000 to buy into our tournaments and 17,000 to rebuy (and we do up to two rebuys). You have three methods available to you to get more play chips:
|
- Click the "Get Chips" button at the top of the PokerStars screen, which will give you another 15,000. You can only do that every 4 hours.
- Win them. Chips are awarded for our tournaments and there are plenty of other tournaments for play chips available to you.
- Buy some. $2.99 will get you 500,000 but they seem to always have them "on sale" and I've seen 750,000 and 1,000,000 for $2.99 at different times.
|
| Our tournaments are not a "zero sum game" because they "keep" 3000 of your 20,000 buyin, we can't just endlessly pass them around among ourselves. So folks do need to keep clicking that get chips button...
|
| As far as money, see the next Q/A for details. You can see your current balance on the RSVP page plus there's a link to your transaction history.
|
| Players are expected to keep enough cash in their "account" to cover any potential buyins and rebuys on our "cash" nights so please check your balance and make sure you have enough before you sign up.
|
| Q: Where do I send money to?
|
| YOU MUST LOG IN OR CLICK ON EMAIL LINK TO SEE THIS |
| Q: Is there any kind of chat room for the game?
|
| A:
|
| YOU MUST LOG IN OR CLICK ON EMAIL LINK TO SEE THIS |
| Q: What time does the game start/end?
|
| A: The tournaments will start at the time announced in the event. We will generally play 2-3 tournaments per cash night both live and online and will typically break up between midnight and 2AM. If you can't make the first tournament you're welcome to come for the second or even third one.
|
| For ONLINE games on PokerStars the tournaments start at the scheduled time and late registration lasts for the first hour (rebuys get an extra 5 minutes). PokerStars does not allow me to change that, and there were a few days it was turned off so I encourage you to check the tournament lobby ahead of time if you think you might be a little late. Rebuys are for the first hour.
|
| For second-plus online tournaments I will create the "next" tournament as soon as the running tournament gets into the money to start within 10-15 minutes. Players who are in the money can strike a deal or choose to multi-table and play in both until the prior one finishes.
|
| For LIVE events players who arrive by the start time will receive a chip bonus that is usually about 10% of the starting stack. Click on the first tournament on the right side of the page for more info. Buyins and rebuys are allowed until the end of the first break, which is at the end of the 4th level.
|
| Q: What are the rules and how does the game operate?
|
| A: For online games on PokerStars we are subject to their rules and I would simply refer you to the tournament lobby for structure and other details as well as their online documentation.
|
| For our live games check out the rules page but the short version is that we play fairly strictly by TDA rules. I prefer to have a designated dealer rather than passing the deal around the table, so what we do is is that whoever gets randomly assigned "1" seat is asked to deal and is given an additional chip bonus equal to the "on time" bonus. It is voluntary, if that person does not want to deal then we try the "2" seat and so-on until we find a volunteer.
|
| Q: What can/should I bring to live games?
|
| A: Money and whatever you want to drink. I supply some snacks, but if there's something in particular you like to eat while enjoying your favorite beverage feel free to bring it. My snack choices are fairly run-of-the-mill.
|
| I have one nice poker table I built that comfortably sits 10 players and we don't exceed that too often. But I also have two old poker tables and can accommodate 8-10 each if needed. If we ever started needing a second table regularly I'll build another one.
|
| Q: Since Pete has a keg or two of beer, it's open bar, right?
|
| A: For beer you basically have three choices:
|
- You can contribute to "the keg fund" and drink my beer
- You can bring your own - but if you do please don't feel like you should leave behind what you don't drink because I probably won't drink it. If you do leave something behind, it's fair game for the next event
- You can help yourself to what people have left behind from past events
|
| For most of the liquor, basically the same deal. Bring your own, bring a new bottle next time or make a contribution to the keg fund for most of the stuff that isn't whisky. A fair amount of the whisky is off limits, tho, you should ask before touching those. It's not all mine and much of what is mine is higher end hooch that is not for "public consumption" being honest about it.
|
| Q: Why don't you drink what people leave behind? Not good enough for you?
|
| A: I've heard that I have about four months from the time I tap a keg to finish it off before the beer starts to go bad. I have no intention of letting that happen and, well, there's only so much I can drink...
|
| Q: How much are you looking for in the keg fund?
|
| A: Beer costs me about 2/3-3/4 what it costs by the six-pack, one of the kegs will usually be some kind of amber. I'm looking for you to contribute a fair amount of money for the amount of beer you drink... Please note that although the keg fund is a non-profit enterprise, contributions are not tax-deductible :-)
|
| Q: If I'm first out of a tournament I just have to sit around and wait for the next one to start?
|
| A: You're welcome to volunteer to deal or try to organize a cash side-game 'til the next one starts. There's the pool table, the pinball machine, TVs that can be tuned to your favorite sporting event...we have lots of ways to hopefully entertain you in the meantime!
|
| Q: Why can't someone who stumbled on this website ask to be included?
|
| A: Colorado state law says that our game is legal as long as there are no rules designed to insure a profit for any of the participants (i.e. if the house were raking the pot it would be illegal) and all of the participants have a relationship outside the poker game. Everyone involved in the game is either a friend of mine, a co-worker of mine or a friend or co-worker of someone else in the game. Sorry, but you have to know someone to join us.
|
| Excerpts of a press release from the Colorado State AG office relevent to our game:
|
Attorney General Suthers and Gaming Commission Caution Against Illegal Gambling Activities
08/31/2005
|
| DENVER Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission Chairman Natalie Meyer today cautioned Colorado residents against participating in illegal gambling activities. With the increased popularity of internet gambling, televised poker tournaments and sports pools, much confusion surrounds the legality of these activities.
|
| ....
|
| Home poker tournaments and office sports pools are allowed under a "social gambling" exception under state law. For an activity to be considered "social gambling," all participants must have a "bona fide social relationship," meaning that they have an established social relationship based upon some other common interest other than the gambling activity, and no one other than the participants can profit from the game or activity in any manner, such as taking part of the pot in a poker game or a sports pool to be compensated for organizing the activity.
|
| ....
|
| QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: ILLEGAL GAMBLING
|
| ....
|
| Q: What is "social gambling"?
|
| A: State law allows "social gambling" among participants who have a "bona fide social relationship" and in which all moneys wagered goes out in prizes. A "bona fide social relationship" means that the parties must have an established social relationship based upon some other common interest other than the gambling activity. Further, participants cannot directly or indirectly participate in "professional gambling," which is defined as "aiding or inducing another to engage in gambling, with the intent to derive a profit therefrom." This generally means that no one other than the players can profit from the game or activity in any manner. The profit does not need to be direct profit. For example, if a liquor establishment or other commercial enterprise derives increased sales or revenues by attracting customers, even without charging a cover or other direct consideration, as the result of gambling taking place at that business, the business is considered to have profited from the activity and the activity would no longer fall under the social gambling exception. These two criteria.a bonafide social relationship and no profit motive must be present for a gambling activity to be considered legal "social gambling." |