Settling up without the awkward part

Money is the one part of a home game that can sour a good night. A few habits make it easy.

Agree everything up front

The buy-in, rebuys, add-ons, bounties and payouts are all decided before the first hand, and everyone hears them. Nobody argues about a split they agreed to.

Make the host the bank

Everyone pays the host when they arrive, and the host pays the winners at the end. That is the fewest payments there can be: one in from each player, one out to each place. Nobody pays anybody else.

Collect at the door

Take each buy-in before the player gets chips. Rebuys are paid when they're taken, not at the end of the night.

Use one way to pay

Cash is simplest. If people pay by app, agree one (Venmo or Apple Cash, for example) and share the host's handle before the night, so nobody is looking it up at the table.

Check before anyone leaves

Before paying out, add it up: what the host collected should equal the prize pool, plus any bounties. Pay each place, then say the total out loud so everyone sees it balance.

Write it down

Keep a record of who paid, who won and what was paid out. Next time someone asks, the answer is there.

The payout calculator works out the pool and the places. On the night, Pokr Club shows the square-up: who has paid the host, what the host pays out, and the balance. How money works