diff --git a/api/player_info.go b/api/player_info.go
index be2b054..3540151 100644
--- a/api/player_info.go
+++ b/api/player_info.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package api
 import "github.com/google/uuid"
 
 type PlayerInfo struct {
-	PlayerID uuid.UUID `json:"playerID"`
-	LobbyID  uuid.UUID `json:"lobbyID"`
-    Passphrase *string `json:"passphrase,omitempty"`
+	PlayerID   *uuid.UUID `json:"playerID,omitempty"`
+	LobbyID    *uuid.UUID `json:"lobbyID,omitempty"`
+	Passphrase *string    `json:"passphrase,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/lobby_registry/lobby.go b/lobby_registry/lobby.go
index beab692..d47cb3b 100644
--- a/lobby_registry/lobby.go
+++ b/lobby_registry/lobby.go
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Lobby struct {
-	Uuid uuid.UUID
-	Game *chess.Game
+	Uuid         uuid.UUID
+	Game         *chess.Game
 	PlayerJoined chan bool
-    Passphrase utils.Passphrase 
+	Passphrase   utils.Passphrase
 }
 
 func NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ func NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
 	}
 }
 
-func NewEmptyLobbyWithPassphrase()*Lobby {
-    lobby := NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid.New())
-    lobby.Passphrase = utils.NewPassphrase() 
+func newEmptyLobbyWithPassphrase() *Lobby {
+	lobby := NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid.New())
+	lobby.Passphrase = utils.NewPassphrase()
 
-    return lobby
+	return lobby
 }
 
 func (l *Lobby) AddPlayerAndStartGameIfFull(player *chess.Player) {
diff --git a/lobby_registry/registry.go b/lobby_registry/registry.go
index 4e001d6..1412462 100644
--- a/lobby_registry/registry.go
+++ b/lobby_registry/registry.go
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ func newLobbyRegistry() *LobbyRegistry {
 	return &LobbyRegistry{lobbies: make(map[uuid.UUID]*Lobby)}
 }
 
+func (r *LobbyRegistry) CreateNewPrivateLobby() *Lobby {
+	lobby := newEmptyLobbyWithPassphrase()
+	r.addNewLobby(lobby)
+	return lobby
+}
+
 func (r *LobbyRegistry) GetLobbyForPlayer() *Lobby {
 	for _, lobby := range r.lobbies {
 		if !lobby.IsFull() {
@@ -41,12 +47,12 @@ func (r *LobbyRegistry) GetLobbyByUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
 }
 
 func (r *LobbyRegistry) GetLobbyByPassphrase(p utils.Passphrase) *Lobby {
-        for _,lobby := range r.lobbies {
-            if lobby.Passphrase == p {
-                return lobby
-            }
-        }
-        return nil
+	for _, lobby := range r.lobbies {
+		if lobby.Passphrase == p {
+			return lobby
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *LobbyRegistry) addNewLobby(lobby *Lobby) uuid.UUID {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 86d7730..d4f77cf 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	router.GET("/api/random", registerForRandomGame)
 	router.GET("/api/hostPrivate", hostPrivateGame)
-	router.GET("/api/joinPrivate", joinPrivateGame)
+	router.POST("/api/joinPrivate", joinPrivateGame)
 	router.GET("/api/ws", registerWebSocketConnection)
 
 	if hostname == "mbook" {
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ func registerForRandomGame(c *gin.Context) {
 	mut.Unlock()
 
 	info := api.PlayerInfo{
-		PlayerID: player.Uuid,
-		LobbyID:  lobby.Uuid,
+		PlayerID: &player.Uuid,
+		LobbyID:  &lobby.Uuid,
 	}
 	log.Println("responding with info ", info)
 
@@ -73,47 +73,49 @@ func hostPrivateGame(c *gin.Context) {
 	u := usher.GetUsher()
 
 	mut.Lock()
-	lobby := u.FindNewPrivateLobby(player)
-    u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
+	lobby := u.CreateNewPrivateLobby(player)
+	u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
 	mut.Unlock()
 
 	passphrase := lobby.Passphrase.String()
 	info := api.PlayerInfo{
-		PlayerID:   player.Uuid,
-		LobbyID:    lobby.Uuid,
+		PlayerID:   &player.Uuid,
+		LobbyID:    &lobby.Uuid,
 		Passphrase: &passphrase,
 	}
-
 	c.Header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*")
 	c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, info)
 }
 
 func joinPrivateGame(c *gin.Context) {
-    req := api.PlayerInfo{}
-    err := c.ShouldBindJSON(req)
-    if err!= nil || req.Passphrase == nil || *req.Passphrase == "" {
-        c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
-    }
-    
-    player := chess.NewPlayer(uuid.New())
-    u := usher.GetUsher()
+	req := api.PlayerInfo{}
+	log.Println("OI, WHERES ME LOGS")
+	log.Println(c.Request.Body)
+	err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req)
+	if err != nil || req.Passphrase == nil || *req.Passphrase == "" {
+		c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
+	}
+
+	player := chess.NewPlayer(uuid.New())
+	u := usher.GetUsher()
 
 	mut.Lock()
-    defer mut.Unlock()
+	defer mut.Unlock()
 	lobby := u.FindExistingPrivateLobby(utils.Passphrase(*req.Passphrase))
-    if lobby != nil {
-        u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
-    } else {
-        c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
-        return
-    }
+	if lobby != nil {
+		u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
+	} else {
+		c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
+		return
+	}
 
-    info := api.PlayerInfo{
-        PlayerID: player.Uuid,
-        LobbyID: lobby.Uuid,
-        Passphrase: req.Passphrase,
-    }
-    c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, info)
+	info := api.PlayerInfo{
+		PlayerID:   &player.Uuid,
+		LobbyID:    &lobby.Uuid,
+		Passphrase: req.Passphrase,
+	}
+	c.Header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*")
+	c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, info)
 }
 
 func registerWebSocketConnection(c *gin.Context) {
@@ -145,8 +147,8 @@ func waitForAndHandlePlayerID(ctx context.Context, conn *websocket.Conn) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	lobby := lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().GetLobbyByUUID(info.LobbyID)
-	player, found := lobby.GetPlayerByUUID(info.PlayerID)
+	lobby := lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().GetLobbyByUUID(*info.LobbyID)
+	player, found := lobby.GetPlayerByUUID(*info.PlayerID)
 	if !found {
 		conn.Close(websocket.StatusCode(400), "player not found")
 		return
diff --git a/usher/usher.go b/usher/usher.go
index 4705bc6..239c111 100644
--- a/usher/usher.go
+++ b/usher/usher.go
@@ -27,13 +27,17 @@ func (u *Usher) WelcomeNewPlayer(player *chess.Player) *lobbies.Lobby {
 	return lobby
 }
 
-func (u*Usher) FindNewPrivateLobby(player *chess.Player) *lobbies.Lobby {
-    lobby := lobbies.NewEmptyLobbyWithPassphrase()
-    return lobby
+func (u *Usher) CreateNewPrivateLobby(player *chess.Player) *lobbies.Lobby {
+	lobby := lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().CreateNewPrivateLobby()
+	return lobby
 }
 
 func (u *Usher) FindExistingPrivateLobby(p utils.Passphrase) *lobbies.Lobby {
-   return lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().GetLobbyByPassphrase(p) 
+	lobby := lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().GetLobbyByPassphrase(p)
+	if lobby.IsFull() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return lobby
 }
 
 func (u *Usher) AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player *chess.Player, lobby *lobbies.Lobby) {