Hosting Poker Night at Home

It has now become a trend to play poker online. However, traditional offline poker has not lost its value. You can make the smartest decision of arranging a poker game when you have thrown a bachelor party. With lots of fun activities in the poker game, your party will be successful. Now, how do you host the poker game at your home? You may need a guide, as it is the first time you host a poker night with your friends. A home poker tournament needs something more than a few glasses of beer and a deck of cards. You must focus on the right number of players, a playing surface, chips, and some other things. 

Planning

You need some preparatory steps to make your poker night successful. From cards to tables, every tool must be at your disposal. Create a jazzy playlist and a smoking-friendly environment.

Try to find answers to these questions:

• When will you start the game?
• Will you wait a few minutes for latecomers?
• What snacks and drinks will you serve?

As a host, you have to play a significant role in solving problems during the gaming sessions. Please send an email to your friends at least one week in advance to get them ready for the poker game. These are some steps to make your gaming session more enjoyable and entertaining. 

Variants of Poker: Which one is right for you?

 You may have already thought of inviting your friends to enjoy the poker night. However, before sending the invitation, you need to decide on the type of poker you like to play. There are multiple ways of playing the game, and the most popular variants are:

• Texas Hold’em Poker : You can find this poker variant in the Poker World Series. Players in the Hold’em Poker gaming session dealt 2 hole cards. 5 community cards are facing up your poker table. One who gets the strongest 5-card hand wins the game.
• Omaha: It is another poker variant where players get 4-hole cards. They use 2-hole cards for making a hand. The betting rounds are similar to what you find with the Hold’em poker. Moreover, community cards are dealt upfront in this game.
• 7 Card Stud: It was once a prevalent poker variant, and players have to deal with 3-hole cards. Two of these cards face down. When you have the lowest-value card, you need to kick off your betting. This poker variant does not include any community card. Each of the players is dealt 7 cards in total.

Based on your tastes and preferences, you may choose any of these variants. However, Texas Hold’em has the most straightforward rules, and you do not need to buy several cards. That is why you can choose this poker variant to play the game at your home. 

Poker Night Checklist

Playing Cards: You can buy at least 2 decks of cards for your poker players. Keep one deck of cards shuffled and make another one ready for your use. When any card is lost during your gaming session, you can find a replacement. That is why you need to purchase more than one deck of cards. Look for plastic cards and make sure that they are of different designs. Paper cards may get damaged easily from spills of your drinks. 

Poker Chips: While buying chips, you need to choose ones that have numbers. Do not choose blank chips. You may have players with different playing skills and knowledge. Thus, you must not confuse them. The numbered chips are available in a range of materials, like clay, plastic, and ceramic. The cheapest ones are the plastic chips, which are customizable based on your game’s logo. However, professional poker players always go for ceramic chips. When you like to host the poker game regularly, you can choose these chips. The poker chips of the highest standard are made of clay. High rollers prefer these clay chips. How many chips will you buy? You need at least 300 chips having a varying level of denominations. You can play the cash with 500 chips. Cash games and tournaments use chips of different types.

Dealer Button: You can look for a professional-style dealer button that ensures higher authority and clarity to the game. This button is white on one side and black on the other.

Poker Table: You may have chosen a room at your home where you like to install a poker table. A freestanding table is a popular choice for poker enthusiasts. However, there are also foldable tables. Make sure that your table accommodates at least 8 to 10 players. 

Chairs: While the table is an essential item, you must not overlook the need for chairs for your poker players. Let those players feel comfortable during the long poker gaming session. Based on the table size and the number of players, you can invest in the correct number of folding chairs.

Dealer: Choose a person who will deal with your cards and shuffle them properly. Some hosts like to hire a professional dealer. However, it may be costly for you. It is also stressful to play the role of both player and dealer. Still, you need to choose one who will take this responsibility.

Tournament Play vs Cash Games

You have already decided on betting variations and poker gaming format. Now, you have to choose between tournament play and cash games.

• You need one table for cash games. On the contrary, tournaments need multiple tables.
• Players in the cash games exchange money for poker chips. You need to set the highest and lowest limit of your buy-in amount based on the stakes. In contrast, players’ buy-in in tournaments is for a particular amount.
• There is an option for repeated buy-ins in case of the loss of chips in the cash games. You can continue playing the game. The loss of all chips in your poker tournament will get out of the gaming session.
• A player playing the cash game can quit any time. They may exchange chips for cash. The winner of the tournament wins all the chips.

Is it Legal to Gamble at Home?

You know that there are several gambling rules in the USA to protect everyone from gambling addiction. In the past few years, poker and other types of gambling activities have gained social acceptance. However, you have to be careful while hosting poker to avoid any illegal activities. You can host a legal home poker game as a social game. The social game has no rake, seat fee, and admission fee. 

Moreover, it would be best if you did not choose a private place to play the game. It is better to avoid engaging professional gamblers in the game. Besides, the game’s odds must not favor any player and a house. 

The most important thing is that you must not advertise your game to the public. To avoid any legal issue, it is safe to ensure that you are in a crime-free neighborhood.

Timings

Suppose it is a virtual poker game, most players like the prime hours (4 pm to 12 am PST). However, as it is a home poker game, you can choose any time and day to enjoy the game. In most cases, the poker players prefer holidays and weekends to take pleasure in the game. As a host, you have to know that the poker game’s average duration is about 1 to 3 hours. Poker tournaments with 1000 participants can last up to 8 to 10 hours. However, cash games can cover 1 to 2 hours.

Food to Serve

Players can play poker without eating and drinking anything. However, as a host of the home poker game, you have to arrange some food and snacks. To enjoy an awesome gaming session at your home, you can order pizza from a local store. If you have invited 3 players, it is better to buy 3 big pizzas. Choose tasty toppings and salads with your food. While having food and drinks, every player gets a chance to socialize with other players. They can talk about the game with their poker buddies.

You may also prepare food at your home. Chili, rice, beans, turkey soup, chicken soup, cheese, lasagna, pasta, and meatballs are some items that you can include in your food menu. Spicy items, like hamburgers and steaks, are also preferable. Moreover, at the end of the game, you can enjoy alcoholic beverages with your poker buddies.

Summary

This is a comprehensive guide on how to host a poker game at your home. Please read our guide and avoid wasting time while making arrangements. Before inviting friends, you have to make a proper setup at your home. You can buy a timer before starting the game. As the timer sounds, your players will take a break and grab some beers and snacks during the interval. Moreover, you have to set the gaming rules clearly to avoid any confusion.