Texas Hold'em Poker Tournaments
po·ker ˈpō-kər. : any of several card games in which a player bets that the value of his or her hand is greater than that of the hands held by others, in which each subsequent player must either equal or raise the bet or drop out, and in which the player holding the highest hand at the end of the betting wins the pot.
Texas Hold'em is the most popular game of poker. The meaning of TEXAS HOLD'EM is poker in which each player is dealt two cards facedown and all players share five cards dealt faceup. In a tournament, when a player loses all of their chips, they are eliminated from the contest. The final players are rewarded with prizes.
Charity Poker Tournaments are a great way to raise money for philanthropic causes as you can gather so many diverse people to play together. Regardless of athletic ability, financial background, or education, almost everyone has an equal chance at the poker tables since everyone starts with the same amount of chips and they each get the same amount of cards. Luck, skill, and the timing to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, and when to push all in is what makes this game fun!
Raise funds by charging admission to the event and getting sponsorships for each of the gaming tables and other aspects of the event. (Bar Sponsor; stage sponsor; napkin sponsor; etc) The individual players can make additional donations to replenish their chips after they are knocked out in the earlier rounds of the tournament.
Research the REVENUE Streams Associated with a Charity Poker Tournament
As with many fundraising events, planning begins with how much you want to raise from your poker tournament. Poker tournaments can be lucrative events when well-organized and promoted. How much you raise is relative to how much your guests will donate and your guests will always donate more when there are great prizes!
Plan with your committee what you want to raise and how many attendees you project for your event.
Before deciding the gross fundraising goal, understand the costs that are associated with a poker tournament. You should work with a casino company who will help you maximize revenues. If you shop around for the cheapest company, you may save a few dollars, but miss out on thousands in potential revenue.
10 Mistakes to avoid when planning a poker event
With decades of experience in running charity poker tournaments, we would like to share our knowledge:
1. Neglecting to preview your poker tournament – Poker is more than just the cards on the table. Consider how factors such as equipment, social atmosphere, and the experience levels of the dealers can affect your game. Every week, the Dream Dealers have regularly scheduled poker tournaments and we invite all of our perspective clients to either preview, or participate. Some clients have so much fun with the Dream Dealers that they have become regulars at our events.
Join us at any of our free weekly poker tournaments which are posted regularly on Facebook and Instagram
2.
Hosting an event with inadequate poker equipment – Never hire a company where denominations are not printed on the poker chips. Poker players like to concentrate on the game and not wonder the value of their bets because nobody remembers what each chip is worth. When your guests bet the wrong amounts due to cheap equipment, they will become frustrated and possibly leave. This costs you money! All of the Dream Dealers chips are custom labeled with the denomination on each chip. If you are having a concurrent poker tournament with a casino night, the Dream Dealer poker chips are different than the casino chips so you don’t have to worry about people trying to double their poker stack at the blackjack tables!
3. Lack of proven systems to run an organized event – The Dream Dealers utilize custom computer programs for our tournaments and display the blind schedules on multiple LED screens. Every player and every empty seat is tracked by our exclusive team of dealers and tournament directors. We work together many times a week, so our system of balancing tables, moving players, and rotating dealers is comparable to the World Series of Poker! We’ve dealt to some of the biggest names in poker and they’ve said that Dream Dealer tournaments are some of the best run events in the world!
4. Hiring a company that does not market their staff.
– The most important component of your poker game is the dealer! The dealer is responsible for delivering the cards, collecting all of the bets and raises, keeping the pace of the game, and enforcing rules. Many of the Dream Dealers have experience in real casinos, live card rooms, and some have dealt in the World Series of Poker! We frequently deal to poker celebrities and poker professionals. We have an alliance with the World Series of Poker Academy and some of our dealers have worked as poker coaches. It not uncommon to hear of a Dream Dealer making the final table or winning a local casino’s poker tournament. We love the game! Most importantly, our dealers keep the poker tournament enjoyable! Players at our events don’t like to leave the tables because they are having so much fun.
5. Failure to insist on a TDA certified tournament director – Our tournament directors are certified through the Poker Tournament Directors Association. They are there to assist with rules and ensure a fair and timely tournament. Having a knowledgeable tournament director is important because they often have to make difficult decisions which can affect which of your guests win prizes. As a host, you do not want to make these decisions because an unpopular ruling can have negative repercussions on your organization – especially if it is an incorrect ruling! We can custom print poker rules for your event or make them available online so that all your guests can access the rules before your event
6. Prizes without pizzazz – Guests attend fundraisers for three main reasons: 1) They attend to support the charity and don’t care about the event. 2) They are there because you (or another person) invited them. 3) They want to win something fantastic! If your poker tournament structure offers replenishments and add-ons, you want to give your guests a reason to make more contributions to your cause. A good prize will do this for you! And if you want to raise a lot of money, you’ll want to hire a group of dealers that encourages your Dream Dealers standard poker equipment includes: dealer’s personalized cut card; table/seat magnets; custom poker chips; Copag playing cards; and dealer buttons. guests to donate. Players have so much fun at a Dream Dealers table because they’re made to feel like winners! They’ll stick with their dealer and give generously, rather than leave the table.
7. Cutting costs while compromising revenue – The Dream Dealers are the best company for raising money. Since we have top of the line equipment and really fun dealers, people are more likely to donate more so that they can keep playing. Therefore, we encourage our guests to replenish and add-on to their chip stacks. We also have a huge following on social networks and through our Dream Dealers Poker community; it’s not uncommon for many Dream Dealers followers to attend client events. Companies who lack a great following and strong social outreach maybe cheaper, but they may also cost you thousands of dollars in potential revenue!
8. Hiring a company that doesn’t help promote – The Dream Dealers are the only company around that is a draw! When guests hear, “we hired the Dream Dealers!” they get excited and more people want to attend. If you’re hosting a charity event, we will gladly promote the event on our calendars, social media sites, and even help you with celebrities and marketing. We will provide you with a list of many internet event calendars that will announce your event FOR FREE! Partnering with the Dream Dealers extends your social reach to hundreds of potential new guests.
9. Using dealers and tournament directors you’ve never met – At your poker tournament, the dealer controls the pace of the game and helps set the atmosphere for your event. If you want your event to be serious, we can be serious. A lot of our staff has worked in casinos / card rooms, so we respect the sanctity of the game. On the other hand, our dealers are young, fun, and love the social aspects of poker! We are willing to assist new players with the game and/or offer our poker coaching skills to the intermediate players. When you have a Dream Dealer at the table, nobody wants to leave!
10. Ignoring guests’ alcohol consumption. Whenever possible, hire the Dream Dealers to bartend at your event. All of our bartenders and servers are certified through the State of Arizona’s Liquor Board and we have a $2 million liquor liability policy. Our staff knows how to safely serve drinks without letting any guests get out of control. Many of our dealers also bartend, so it makes sense to hire an extra dealer or two so they can rotate dealing and providing cocktails.
Dream Dealers is a preferred vendor with the Arizona Department of Liquor.
