Home Poker Hands Per Hour: What to Expect
Most home poker games run slower than people expect.
A realistic pace for full-ring live games is often around 20–30 hands per hour, depending on table habits and structure.
What affects hands per hour
The biggest factors are:
- table size (6-max moves faster than 9-max)
- decision speed
- how often players make change
- side conversations during action
- dealer/shuffle workflow
Typical pace bands
- Fast home game: ~30+ hands/hour
- Normal home game: ~20–30 hands/hour
- Slow home game: <20 hands/hour
If your game feels slow, usually it is process—not strategy.
How to increase pace without making it miserable
- Keep action on the current player
- Set clear house rules before the first hand
- Use simple chip denominations
- Assign one person to settle quick rulings
- Keep breaks planned instead of random
Why this matters
More hands per hour means more meaningful decisions and less dead time.
You do not need to rush people—you need better flow.