How to host the perfect home poker game – Part 1

Hosting the Perfect Home Poker Game is something that is on the minds of seemingly millions of Americans. The overwhelming popularity of Texas Hold Em and Casino Games in general over the past few years has driven many to try to Host a Poker Game that has the same feel as their favorite casino poker room or something they saw on t.v. This combined with the recent issues surrounding playing poker online drive more and more groups of people to Host a game of their own.

In order to host a poker game, you will need certain things:

1) A good quality set of poker chips- the most common are made of a clay/composite material and weigh 11.5 grams each. There are also clay chips Paulson and Nexgen that are found in casinos that can be bought for home use as well.

2) A solid themed playing surface. While you can use any table, having a poker felt layout would be a great beginning. The next step up would be to buy a Folding Poker Table, which can seat up to 10 players, and can come with arm rests and cup holders. The obvious benefit to this type of table is that you can have a professional looking table during the game, and after the game is over it can either be folded and put away, or sent on to the Home where the game will be next time. Finally, for those of you with the space and the desire, you can purchase a Full Size Casino Grade Table….NICE!

3) Playing Cards. You will need at least 2 decks of cards. By using 2 decks, one can always be shuffled and ready for the next hand. You have got lots of options for cards, but the main difference is in the material they are made of. The best quality cards are made of a pvc material. Copag and Kem are the most popular pvc cards on the market. The benefits are that you can spill a drink on them and just wipe it clean and they are much more durable overall. They are more expensive, but because you won’t need to keep getting new cards every week…they are the best value.

4) Buttons. You will at least need a dealer button, but should also get a missed blind, big blind, and little blind buttons. If you play in a game with a kill, then you will need to get a kill button as well.

5) Tournament Timer. This will help you keep track of when to change the blinds/ante. You also have the option to set a timer for tounament teirs. These range from the very basic to the elegant.

These are the basics, but some people also use a Card Cover/Spinner. This lets the dealer know that you are in the hand. Some people use a coin, poker chip, or a bobblehead while others use something that is important to them-like a picture of your kids.

The Perfect Home Poker Game

• Ok so the chips are on the table, the beers are in the fridge you have your finest pair of all black sunglasses on stand by… so, is that all the bases covered for your home poker game? Well no is the simple answer. Don’t worry though this article gives you all the info to help you on your way to having a fine night of poker.What’s the Buy-In and what are the Stakes?

  Ok this is the most important part of the whole evening. Get this wrong, and the night may turn sour very fast. Make sure you set your limits before you start and don’t change them. Keep it friendly; remember the idea is to have a good night not to make it so your mate Terry can’t pay the rent.

  Set the blinds, amount of re-buys, and structure (limit, no-limit or pot limit) before you start. Make sure everyone is happy.

   Equipment

  This sounds easy but trust me something will be forgotten if you don’t double check everything. You will at least need all the items on this list to make sure you have a decent game.

  Cards x 2 decks minimum (one always gets damaged)
  Pastillion x1 this goes at the bottom of the deck so no one knows or can see the bottom card.
  Dealer button x 1
  Chips

Keep your players happy – if you want to be seen as a good host, make sure that you keep the players happy with a few pizzas and a good stock of beer. As a host collect a small flat fee from each player at the start of the night to cover food and drinks and this is a good way to keep everyone happy while not shelling out too much of your own money. Remember that a happy poker player will often spend (lose hopefully) more money than an unhappy one.