Okay, I might be biased, but our poker game really is just great. Why? Because no two games are ever the same. Any two cards can win, and you never quite know what’s coming next — maybe even more so in our game with all the jokers involved (and I’m not talking about the cards lol).
Poker is a game that can be played in so many different ways. You can play it cagey (tight), you can play it wild (loose), you can sit back and observe (passive), or you can come charging in (aggressive). Then you can mix it up and play everything in between. There’s no “right way” to play — and that’s why I love it. It really is that old cliché: poker takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.
What makes our game even better is that it’s among friends. Some faces pop up every week, others disappear for a bit then suddenly reappear — which is always nice. It’s as much about catching up as it is about winning pots.
This weekly game is a bit like a familiar local pub you can just drop into — and there’ll always be some of your mates in there to catch up with and have a drink with.
The game itself is kept really simple: £3 in, two free rebuys for everyone, and you’re good to go. Or if you don’t fancy paying, you can actually just play for free. Either way, you’re at the table, same footing as everyone else. Honestly, is a few pounds really worth losing players over? Nah. Better to keep everyone in and keep the game alive.
We used to play on PokerStars, and don’t get me wrong — that was good, really good. It’s not one of the world’s biggest poker platforms for nothing. But for our home game? This is better. On PokerStars I think the game didn’t “count” (in terms of ranking points) unless there were four or five players? Something like that. Here, it always counts. Three players, four players, seven players… whatever. Heads-up is still poker. And short-handed games can be brilliant — sometimes even better than full tables. And the structure? Spot on.
The step up from pot-limit to no-limit works well too, especially with the balance of being able to play for free if that feels like enough, or stepping into the low £3 buy-in. Moving from pot-limit to no-limit feels like taking the stabilisers off. Suddenly we’re playing proper poker — the kind where one big bet can change everything.
I really do look forward to these games each Saturday, and it’s nice to have something to look forward to — that catch-up with friends. Whether we’ve got a full table or just a few of us, it’s always a good game and a great addition to the evening.
So a big thanks to everyone who plays and makes it what it is. And if you’re new and wondering whether to join — do it. It’s friendly, it’s flexible, it’s about as easy as poker gets to try out and see if you like it. Unlike other “freerolls,” in this one you’re literally playing alongside players who are playing for money — even if it’s not much — and that works surprisingly well. You get a better feel for how the game really plays when moving from free to £3, because that’s what most of the table is in for.
Yep… just great.