RbPkr Field Reports
The Season of Giving - Organizing a Holiday Charity Home Game
As the year winds down, December 2025 is naturally focused on the holidays, family, and giving back. While the professional poker world is busy tracking massive guaranteed tournaments in the Bahamas or Las Vegas, the most important poker games happening this month are the ones in your living room.
The Rise of Holiday Charity Games
According to stories shared on Poker.org and throughout the r/poker community, holiday-themed charity home games have exploded in popularity.
Instead of a traditional cash game where the goal is simply to win your buddies' money, a charity tournament shifts the focus. Players "buy-in" by donating a set amount (e.g., $50) or bringing unwrapped toys for a local toy drive. You can offer a small prize to the winner—like a nice bottle of bourbon or a premium set of Bicycle Cards—while the bulk of the proceeds goes to a great cause.
Keeping the Event Stress-Free
The biggest challenge with hosting a holiday game is that you often have a mix of experienced grinders and complete beginners (like your uncle who only plays once a year).
If you ask an inexperienced player to shuffle a deck and deal a hand of Texas Hold'em, the game will immediately grind to a halt. Exposed cards, misdeals, and confusion over the dealer button will frustrate everyone.
This is the perfect scenario to use RbPkr. Set up an iPad in the center of the table showing the community cards and have everyone scan the QR code to view their hole cards on their phones. RbPkr handles the shuffle, automatically moves the dealer button, and ensures the game runs flawlessly.
You get to spend your evening pouring eggnog, socializing, and raising money for a good cause, rather than acting as a full-time casino floor manager.