How to Plan the Perfect Poker Party

How to Host, Texas Hold'Em Tips & More

So you just got a new poker table and you’re ready to get some use out of it. Maybe you know a few people who share your interests in poker and would like to set up a few games, but you’re not the best host/hostess. Here are some pointers to help you make sure the evening runs smoothly and everyone has a good time.

The trick is to make things comfortable for your guests, without looking like you spent all week preparing. You don’t want your party to look like it came out of a Martha Stewart magazine but you also want to give your guests some basic accommodations. Here’s how you can strike a good balance:

Unless you’re using real cash and if you plan on having more than just this one poker party, I would strongly advise that in addition to having a table, you have a nice set of real poker chips. How many and what variations of colors are completely a personal decision but the clay/composite chips are so inexpensive nowadays, it would be a real let-down for your guests if you had those flimsy plastic ones.

So assuming you now have a suitable table and a set of chips, first make sure you get commitments from everyone who says they’ll come. The last thing you want is to have an empty room or even worse, 2 or 3 people who were expecting to play with a group of 10-12. I’ve found that at least in my personal experience, this will involve “chasing down” everyone but your best of friends, even up to the day of the party.

Due diligence is worth it in the end though and everyone will have a much better time if the right number of guests show up. For Texas Hold’em, you really need at least 5 people playing. Most other games can be played with 4 or even 3 people, but try to get at least 6-8 playing if you can.

Next: food and beer. Poker is a draining, strenuous sport that requires constant refueling of these two main ingredients. Most people at a poker party don’t care what is offered for food, so long as there is some.