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.

On poker night, anything can happen; guys are free to be themselves. It's not about the money, the snacks or the beer. Okay it's about the money, but it's also a chance to celebrate being a man. 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. 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. Here are a few tips from my experiences with hosting ladies’ poker nights. Tip #1: Invite Intentionally To put it simply, don’t invite just anyone to your poker night, but do ask all different types of ladies. One of my favorite things to do is watch my friends from different areas of my life connect with each other. Hosting a home poker tournament can be a lot of fun. Organization is the key to success. Don't forget to have a poker timer for all players to see the tournament progress Buy a poker chip set. The most realistic affordable size is 500 chip.

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.

Looking for help hosting your next poker night? We’ve got you covered. Take a look at our best tips below. Catering First things first, we always recommend starting with the food. You can really turn poker night into an event with the right menu. Heavy hors devours are excellent for this kind of event, so think hot dips or guacamole and chips.

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!

Being the host of a poker night can be daunting. Whether you are starting a new poker game in your neighborhood or have been doing it for years, my goal is to provide you with all the setup info you need to make your poker nights a success. I have been playing poker for over 10 years, and here are a few keys I have learned along the way that will help you become a respected and gracious host.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan!

If I had to sum up this guide in two words, I would say, “be prepared.” Take the time and go over all of the factors involved in a successful poker night. Make a checklist and be as organized as possible. Take my advice and do not just wing it. There are several things that must be planned & setup including food, who and how many to invite, what game to play, & essentials to buy in advance. Careful planning is the key to success. One important thing to consider is whether any of your guests have special needs. I’m not talking about a wheelchair ramp here. Some examples would include having alternative snacks for players who might have allergies or digestive issues. Perhaps one or more of your friends are heavy or overweight? If so, consider investing in some heavy duty chairs, like these found on Amazon, to accommodate them. Imagine the embarrassment of having the heavy player show up last and finding that the only chair left is one of those cheaper folding chairs that would collapse under the weight of a small poodle. It’s the little things that can be the difference between an amazing experience for your friends, or the last time they ever RSVP for one of your events.

2. What Is Your Carrying Capacity?

The first thing you need to do is determine how many people your “venue” can comfortably entertain. There is nothing worse than having 7 people show up and your poker table only holds six. OOPS, talk about awkward! “Sorry Joe, you will have to sit out, since we like you the least.”

Most pressingly, you need to make sure you have adequate seating, snacks, and drinks to sustain a group of people over several hours. Many poker games can go into the wee hours of the morning. No one wants to be relegated to lukewarm tap water 4 hours into the game.

3. Make Sure You Have All The Essentials.

Invest in quality poker accessories. A sturdy and aesthetically appealing poker table will impress everyone and make them want to come back. Read my comprehensive poker table guide to find out all you will ever need to know about them. Or just use my favorite inexpensive poker table cover (click for Amazon price). Also, get some nice decent composite chips, not those flimsy kind found at the dollar store. Amazon has very nice high-quality chipsets that won’t break the bank. Lastly, we need to talk about playing cards. I recommend that you choose one of the three top brands, the same kinds used in many professional events. My personal favorite is Copag. Casual playing cards like Bicycle cards, while great for family play, are liable to be damaged and do not have the same feel and appeal as Copags. There simply is no comparison. You know the old saying, once you go Copag, you never go ba…. err never mind, that was lame.

Hosting A Poker Night Tips For Beginners

Being the host of a poker night can be daunting. Whether you are starting a new poker game in your neighborhood or have been doing it for years, my goal is to provide you with all the setup info you need to make your poker nights a success. I have been playing poker for over 10 years, and here are a few keys I have learned along the way that will help you become a respected and gracious host.

4. Establish The Game Format In Advance

Be sure to let everyone know exactly what game you will be playing well before the date of the event. Will you be playing Texas Hold’em only? Will it be a mixed game or dealer’s choice? Will it strictly be a cash game or a tournament? No matter what game you play, make sure that you are adequately prepared. Know exactly what the buy-in level is and how much each chip is worth. Provide a list of this info and display it near the table. Here is an *amazing tournament structure sheet for download.

Lastly, when everyone arrives, you want to be ready to play right now, not scrambling to get everything ready. For tournament play, you will want to already have several stacks of chips already counted out and ready to go. The more organized you are, the better.

5. Keep It Friendly

Whether your friends are “serious” players or just playing for recreation, make sure that you get a feel for their comfort level when it comes to the buy-in amount. You need to have a good idea for their tolerance in losing money beforehand. Remember, you are doing this to strengthen your bond with your friends, not create a rift among them. Setting it up so that someone could lose an excessive and painful amount of money is a recipe for disaster. Make sure the worst case scenario is tolerable and set the buy-in just high enough to make it interesting. And, for heaven’s sakes, do not charge rake or fees to play in your games. Besides being illegal in many areas, it’s just a cruddy thing to do. Instead, you might ask everyone to bring a snack or a beverage. There’s nothing wrong with mitigating your expenses by making it a “potluck.” Speaking of which, let’s talk about snacks.

6. Best Poker Night Foods

The food you choose, or lack thereof, can make or break an otherwise successful poker night. One tip to really wow your poker buddies is to set out a buffet server. Make some meatballs and a couple of other warm dishes. Well fed guests are happy guests! Beverages can vary, just make sure you pick something appropriate for your guests. If people from your church are in your poker group, you probably don’t want to offer anything but a cooler of beer. On the other hand, if it’s your bowling buddies, bottled water simply won’t suffice. Use common sense and you will be fine. Here are a few additional food ideas:

• A Finger Food Tray
  This can be anything offered at your local grocery. You can generally get a huge tray of food for under $50. I like to get a tray that is a mix of fruits, meats, and cheeses. Don’t forget to cater to possible vegetarians!
• Any Crock Pot Food
  Think weenies or meatballs. You may want to have your wife or husband help you throw something together.
• Grill Out
  Cooking some burgers, hot dogs, or ribs on the grill during the warm months of the year is a sure way to make your guests happy. Just remember to ask if they want cheese or no cheese on their burger!
• Brownies
  Brownies, cookies, or any other dessert that isn’t too messy work really well. How about that bowl of leftover Halloween candy? Perfect!
• Chips & Dip or Salsa
  Simple, delicious, and easy to eat while playing, nachos are a mainstay at many home games. I’m not a huge fan due to the mess factor, but I leave that to your discretion.
• Order Pizza
  Don’t feel like cooking? There’s nothing wrong with just ordering a few pies from the local pizzeria. Just make sure you get a variety, and always include at least one veggie! Trust me on this.
• Get Creative
  The only thing I would remind you of is to not get too crazy. And remember, try to avoid overly messy foods. Nothing will ruin a poker game (or your decks of cards) faster than some greasy chicken wings! Definitely not finger-lickin’ good.

To make eating food more convenient at the table, as a nice touch I also recommend getting mobile tray tables to put in between the players to help with space management. This high-end one found on Amazon is sturdy and has cup holders. For the budget conscious, here is a lesser priced one that will still do the trick nicely. Or, you can just go with old-fashioned TV trays

7. Speed Things Up

There are a few things I do to speed up the games and make the night flow faster. The first is to either have two decks or an automatic card shuffler. If you prefer to shuffle, I suggest that the big blind is always shuffling while the dealer is dealing. By the time all of the cards are dealt, the deck is shuffled and passed to the small blind, who will be dealing on the next hand. The alternative is to buy a sturdy automatic card shuffler, which can do the job in just a few seconds after each hand, while the winner is scooping his or her chips.

Another way to make the night proceed faster is to use a poker tournament clock and set each tournament to turbo speed. I recommend doing no more than 15-minute blind level changes throughout the night. In my experience, it’s much better to play several games and increase the chance that there are multiple winners.

8. Consistency Is Best

This key applies universally to all home games, no matter the groups level of seriousness. I recommend choosing a specific day of the week with specific intervals. For example, you could do every Saturday night, or the 2nd Friday of every month. It matters less when you do it than how consistent the event is.

Humans are creatures of habit in everything, and poker is no different. Just make sure that your scheduling fits best with the players in your group. Additionally, make sure everyone is aware of both the starting time and ending times, even if the latter is a bit loose occasionally. It’s important that your players can let their friends or loved ones know what the expectations are.

9. Choose Appropriate Entertainment

Hosting A Poker Night Tips Free

The range is wide on this one. I have heard stories of a wide spectrum of entertainment choices, from home games that include light classical music playing in the background and poker nights that have strippers in the mix.

You know your group; make sure they are on board with whatever form of background entertainment you choose (if any). My advice is to avoid visual entertainment, as it typically distracts from the game too much. A popular movie playing in the background makes for some distracted playing. Of course, if your group is okay with things coming to a grinding halt occasionally while you watch the finale of your favorite TV show together, more power to you.

10. Be A Good Host

Hosting A Poker Night Tips 1x2

Forget the poker part of the night, the game is actually less important than making sure everyone has a good time and is treated with respect. Don’t forget that manners matter in any social event. Always remember to occasionally ask if someone needs something, more food, another beer, whatever.

And, remember to take scheduled breaks to allow people the time to stretch their legs, light one up, or go to the bathroom. Of course, at the end of the night, make sure no one drives away after drinking too much. Take responsibility for your guests and respect will be returned equally to you.

Bonus Tip!

If you want to have a poker night everyone will remember, give a prize to the overall nightly winner. This makes playing “for fun” an attractive option, especially if your friends aren’t really into gambling. By far my favorite “trophy” to give is a commemorative poker weight guard. They act as a card protector that the winner can show off by using it on future poker nights! Just awesome.

Another idea is to come up with a points system that is tallied throughout a designated “season.” At the end of the season, award the one with the most points a special bragging rights jacket or trophy they can put on the mantle. A neighbor of mine does something similar in his fantasy football league, and I think it would work well for a home poker “league.”

Summary

The overriding key to success in hosting a successful poker event lies in thorough and proper planning. By obtaining essential accessories, organizing food and beverages, setting ground rules, and mastering consistent scheduling, you will be on your way to becoming the host of the home game that everyone wants to play in.

*Tournament structure sheet courtesy of homemtt.com.