Hosting A Poker Night Tips
Indeed, hosting poker night is a science, but just like string theory, it can be easily explained to the layman. So get out a pen and a pad and start taking notes, one misstep could cost you your reputation and your social circle. First things first: ask your spouse if you can have poker night. “The best part of hosting a good game is the people you invite. During a night of poker, you’ll spend most of the time telling stories and making conversation with the other players at the table. How to Host a Poker Home Game: Keep it Simple. This refers to how much money to put in the game, the chips you’ll need and whether to host a small tournament or cash game. To keep a home game running smoothly is have one person handles all the buying in, cashing out and re-buys.
Poker night with the guys. Cards, food, music, maybe even some cigars to go along with your beverage of choice? Many great memories have been made over games of cards, but those games don’t come together by accident. They take smart planning. If you’re tired of waiting for one of your buddies to organize one, you can take the initiative and host a few of your own. In this article we’ll talk about the key things you will want to keep in mind to have an awesome poker night with your fellow Gents.
Who, When, and Where
Who
Keep in mind that not everyone you invite is going to be able to make it any given week. Also keep in mind that at a certain number, a game becomes more difficult to manage. Consider having an invite list of up to 12-15, while limiting attendance to 6-8 to start. After you’ve hosted a few you’ll have a better sense of RSVP dynamics and how to plan. Don’t go for a weekly game to start. Try monthly and see how it goes from there.
When
You can’t pick a day and time that will work for everyone all the time, but it should work for everyone at least some of the time. Rather than torture yourself with a giant email chain, consider using a tool like Doodle that is purpose built for finding a common meeting time.
Where
You don’t have to have a specialized poker table, but wherever you have the game should have enough room for everyone to sit around the table comfortably, and if cigars are involved, where you can smoke.
What Version of Poker?
The most popular variation, popularized by all those World Series of Poker tournaments, is Texas Hold'em. Make sure you know your audience’s range and plan accordingly. Newbies might want to study up and hard-core enthusiasts who can name a dozen professional players without hesitating should know not to be too hard on newer players. Remember the goal isn’t to crush your opponents, but to have a good night with the guys.
Supplies
Hosting A Poker Night Tips 1x2
Game Gear
You’re going to want two decks of cards; make sure the second deck is always shuffled and ready to go so you can seamlessly move on when you run through the first deck.
You will also want a 500-chip set and possibly a table-topper to give your game an authentic look and feel without shelling out for a genuine poker table.
Rules
A buy-in game is pretty common but payouts vary: some prefer a winner-takes-all settlement at the end of the night, others split out the pot in descending order. Again, your buy-in doesn’t need to be $1000 per person: it could be as simple as $25 or $50. If you have any house rules you should all agree to them ahead of time and on an ongoing basis.
Food
While it’s fun to eat at the table, we’ve learned the hard way that for some reason green felt attracts spilled alcohol or dropped chicken wings. Have a designated snack table away from the action, but not so far away that those out of the hand and taking a break can’t follow along. Keep the food simple: things like chips and dip, nuts, and wings.
Drinks
The easiest way to handle drinks is always a six pack of someone’s favorite beverage, but if you want to step things up a notch you can also ask for one ingredient of a classic cocktail so that those who want to make one can do so.
Music
Those of you who’ve been inside our clubs know that we prefer our music classic and mellow: think Frank Sinatra or a long Miles Davis set. This keeps the aspiring karaoke singers quiet and the the mood perfect for conversations, which is half the reason to get together in the first place.
When done well, poker nights are a perfect time to bond with your band of brothers without waiting for a special occasion. That’s something worth putting in some effort to make happen.
Anything else you’d add to our list for poker game beginners? Share in the comments below.
Hosting A Poker Night Tips For Real
About Ben Davis
A serial entrepreneur, Ben Davis is founder of The Gents Place and a leading investor in gentlemen's refinement and confidence.
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Our guide on how to host a poker night outlines everything you need to consider, even how to social distance while playing poker.
The current pandemic has forced people to slow down and enjoy being at home more than ever before. Also, with so many events, parties and travel plans canceled or postponed, we’ve all had to get creative in planning fun activities with our friends.
What better way to have fun with your group of friends than to host a poker night at your house? If you’ve never hosted your own game night and don’t know what to expect, we’ve outlined a few tips and tricks below to host a poker night successfully.
4 key factors to host a poker night
Strategy and Rules
Since you are the host, you’ll get to decide the strategy of what type of game will you play. Will it be a cash game or a tournament? What is the buy-in, and will there be rebuys? You’ll also need to think about how to handle disputes. If you set the rules from the beginning, it will help avoid confusion.
The experts at Global Poker explain, “Unfortunately, if money is involved, arguments can and will happen, no matter how friendly everyone is at the start. Outlining rules such as if there are rebuys, what happens in the event of a draw and what happens to someone’s power hand if they are out on smoke break or in the bathroom when the cards are dealt, will ensure it doesn’t fall on you as the host to play referee and settle disputes.” Also, if there are disagreements throughout the night, it’s best to take a vote and rule that majority wins.
Social Distancing
With being in the middle of a pandemic, social distancing will be important at your poker game night. Plan to have at least two good tables with your players evenly spaced apart – more tables depending on the number of people you invite. Depending on the weather and where you live, you could host the poker night entirely outside. It’s important to check with your attendees on what they would feel comfortable doing.
It’s also important to remind your attendees if they feel ill or have been around anyone who is sick to kindly not attend. This could affect your numbers and the overall game, but it is important to keep your other guests safe. Plan on being flexible the day of – just like you would with any party you’re hosting.
Provide Food and Drink
What’s a game night without food and drink for your guests? If you don’t want to spend hours cooking, consider ordering take out or pizza to arrive as the party starts. It’s a perfect way to minimize a mess in your kitchen or stress over if the food will taste good. Also, if you are inviting a large group, it’s easy to feed a crowd with takeout.
You could even go with a theme of a “Mexican Poker Night” or “Italian Poker Night” and order accordingly. Also ensure you have enough drinks for you guests. Whether alcoholic or not, you’ll need to provide beverages over the course of your game night! You could also ask your guests to bring their favorite beverage with them.
Have Fun!
The most important part of hosting a successful poker night is to have fun. Things will likely stray from what you planned, but just roll with it! If you have any questions or are stuck with the rules of the game, work together to figure it out. Get creative with the prize for the winner (besides the cash they win) – you could even look at getting a trophy made or some other fun keepsake. If you a host a fun party the first go around, your friends will be begging you to host again!