How to raise money for your favorite organization or charity, playing poker!?!?!

How can you play poker to raise money for a cause, and have fun with friends while doing it? It's actually really easy.

How to Setup

This is what we do. However, there are many ways to do it, and games to play.

• Texas Hold'em
• Small and big blinds are 1 and 2 chips
• Buy-In is $5
• For that you get 50 chips
• $3 goes to the house (money raised)
• $2 will sit under your chips. 

The Play

• You lose your $2 when you've gone all in and lose. 
• The person that won your chips gets your $2. 
• The loser will buy back in for $5 and again 
• $3 goes to the house
• $2 under your chips
• An additional set of 50 chips comes onto the table
• NOTE only this additional 50 chips comes onto the table after that it needs to come from the chip leaders when someone looses. This will keep from bloating the table, its not fun if a single player gets way ahead.

How does a player buy in again and get chips now?

After someone goes out identify the chip leader once the chips are collected. The chip leader needs to be at least 5 chips ahead of everyone else and the player that bought chips needs to get 50 chips. Sometimes only one player will provide the chips for the buy-in. But, sometimes many players will need to contribute and this is where the chip leader needs to remain the chip leader. This rule is sometimes hard to get used to but it's necessary.

• Game Play continues

Ending The Game
You need to have a hard stop time. We play from 8 to 11 every Wednesday evening. Having a hard stop time adds a little fun to the end of the game. It can turn the game play to a frenzy to rush and make a player that may be holding out with only a few chips have to be the big blind, lose, and then buy in again for the last hand. Remember, this is for charity so it's supposed to be fun! But, you may ask, "why would he buy in again?" For a chance at the last hand!

The Last Hand

At the end of the night all of the people with $2 under their chips (or chip) put their $2 in the middle of the table for an all cards up, winner takes all, final hand. This is the one hand that gives potential for a single person to go home with a little more than they came with, and a reason to stick in till the end. Its a lot of fun and none of us ever miss the hand.

Additionally

Some of the additional things we do to make it a fun evening... Every hour we take a break, this often includes food. My group likes to smoke cigars during the breaks, its a real boys club! We encourage cheating, if you can get away with it. For instance, if your dealing and notice that your friend is on his phone texting... again, show his cards to the table as you deal. Its a good laugh and a friendly lesson.

Please, share your ideas on this concept and good luck!