Hosting a Poker Party

I will cover in this guide some of what you will need to do leading up to the event, and what you will need to do on the day of the event. This is important because if you’re going to be hosting a poker party and the best one at that, you want to be able to enjoy it right? Of course you do.

Perhaps the most basic element of hosting a poker party is the table. You do have a table, don't you? Now a poker table is not a requirement but it is nice to have. What you want in a good table is one that will not only seat everyone comfortably, but one that isn’t too big so that interaction is difficult. Poker is as much about the other players as it is about the cards. One of the reasons to host or attend a poker party is to have some interaction with the other players at the table.

Now that you have found the perfect table you will need to get some cards and poker chips. I highly recommend picking up a couple nice sets of poker cards and some nice plastic or clay chips. There are some really good sets available that do not cost a lot of money, and playing with real chips will add that “Vegas” feel to the game that might be missing from other games. The number of chips that you will need when hosting a poker party will vary depending on the number of players in the game.

Make life interesting, liven up game night abit. There are so many varieties available that can be played of the 3 styles of poker, so don’t let old favorites like 7 card stud rule the night. Throw in a curve ball, make everyone test their skills. Play some Omaha, Texas Hold’em, or Lowball. How about even having a dealers night were the dealer gets to pick the game to be played ?

I know there is the romantic (perhaps thats not the right word, maybe classic or traditional would be better suited) vision of a bunch of guys sitting around a poker table with a low slung light, a low ceiling of smoke, a glass of single malt and a stack of chips. Well times have changed. Many people hosting a poker party today provide beverages and snack food to the players. With so many hors d'oeuvres or snacks like jalapeño poppers, wings, and various other deep fried options available at the local grocery store you can easily add a new level of enjoyment to the game.

While food and drink add to the enjoyment of the game, how about giving some thought to some entertainment? Music playing in the background can add to the evening’s enjoyment. It doesn’t need to be loud, just something to fill the silence during the game. Want to go a step better than music? Check to see if there is there a poker game on TV that you can watch while playing. This will definitely set the poker night atmosphere and provide poker related topics for your game.

Now that the table is ready, the food and drink has been selected, and the TV is ready to show the Celebrity poker, WTP, or the WSOP game(s) that are on, it’s time to lay down the law.

Hosting a poker party that is great is more then providing the place to play with good food, drink and entertainment. You maybe needed to quickly diffuse any problems that might arise. Nothing wrecks a night as fast as when someone feels that they’ve been cheated. For this reason I would strongly recommend that you write down the rules for the night and make sure that everyone agrees with them. Now I am not saying that you can’t make changes to them if everyone agrees, but write the changes down. Rules that are in written that everyone agreed to are hard to argue with. Remember this is a friendly game being played more for the camaraderie then the money, it’s not a high stakes Vegas game.

Setting some rules will help to prevent bad feelings and ill words because of some misunderstanding. Some rule ideas are as follows . By no means is this a complete list. Decide which games will be played and research the possible rule variations.

• Make sure the value of hands are known if you’re mixing up play a bit. For example, what is the best low hand?
• Decide the time limit and give a warning like “5 more hands and the game is done”.
• Will wild cards or High-Low splits be permitted?
• Will there be a limit on the stakes?
• When will payment be required and how? Will payment be at the end of the night by cash or the next time you meet?

This last point should be a decision made by all, but do write it down and any changes you make to the rules. This will hopefully prevent any ill words and feelings. I personally favour all players to actually buy their chips and then the players cash out at the end of the night. Sure this is a little bit more work but it potentially saves more bad feelings.

An Alternative

Ok so you’ve read through this hosting a poker party guide, and now you’re all ready to host a poker party but Mike and Bob have to remain home for the night. Perhaps poker night just doesn’t feel right with 3 players or you don't want to leave Mike and Bob out of the fun. Well, why not have poker night online? This way Mike and Bob can stay home and play poker at the same time. Many sites like OnlineCasino.com offer the ability to open a table to only friends and family so you know exactly who you are playing against.

A Printable Guide to Hosting a Poker Party from Better-Betting.com

Better-Betting.com is pleased to provide you with this printable guide to Hosting a Poker Party. Hopefully it will make your poker night one to remember for all the right reasons.

1 week before the game

• Decide on what games will be played.
• Research the rule variants for the games.
• Compile your rules (be prepared to make some adjustments).
• Get a firm number on how many people are showing up.
• Make sure your cards and chips are in good order, if not get some new ones.
• Assemble your music collection and decide on the songs to be played.
• Find out if there is a poker game on TV on game night.

The week leading up to the game

• Buy your food and drinks for the game; remember get more than potato chips.
• Make Ice if needed.

The Day before the game

• Refrigerate your beverages.
• Does any of the food need to defrost?
• Prepare the food to be cooked.
• Set the table up.
• Are you going to have the game on TV or Music playing?
• Does the TV or stereo need to be moved?

Game Day

Since you’ve already done all the prep during the week, all you need to do is put the food into cook as needed and freshen the drinks.

Sit back and enjoy the game, Oh and winning a few hands wouldn’t hurt either.