Helpful Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Poker Night
Everyone has a hobby. It’s good to get rid of stress from our daily routine. Playing poker can be fun and so rewarding at the same time. It’s why many people are addicted to playing poker. Aside from poker, people also love playing darts as a hobby. You can add an electronic dartboard to your Poker room. Talking about poker room, it’s always essential to regularly practice your strategy on poker. You can try to speed it up or twist your gameplay, so your opponents don’t see what’s coming. But, the best way to enjoy poker is by hosting a poker night.
The popularity of poker has grown over the past few decades. Friends, neighbors, and family members have come together to play poker while enjoying good food, conversation, and fun. It’s a great way to escape the banks of the casino or the solitude of online poker. Hosting a poker party is a great way to make your game unique. A good host will reward guest gratitude and a few chips. Hosting a poker game at home comes with some responsibilities. However, these tasks can be balanced with the fun and laughter from chatting and playing cards.
Set Up a Proper Fixtures and Lighting
I prepare my home the same way I prepare for other social events, such as dinner parties or parties. I put the card table in the center of the room and arrange all the furniture around it, so everyone has enough space to move around. To illuminate the felt surface, I use desk lights or lamps while turning off the main lighting. This way, the table is decorated in contrast to the dark spaces around it. This creates an intimate and cozy atmosphere.
It is unusual to listen to music while playing poker. I prefer to choose a station with few commercials and DJ chatter between songs, and turn the music down. I don’t feel the need to get up when the CD or playlist ends. Music is optional, as is everything else when it comes to setting the mood. You can choose light, relaxing background music if that’s what you want. You might prefer Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead to Rage Against the Machine and Dutch Techno.
Prepare Your House for Smokers
Do you allow your players to smoke at the tables or drink at the table during their home poker games? While many tables are equipped with cup holders, this won’t stop drunk or clumsy patrons from spilling their wine on the flop while trying to win a big pot. If you don’t allow alcohol consumption at your table, you’ll need to provide alternative surfaces, such as mini tables and food carts. Otherwise, players will hold their drink in their hands, count chips, or bend over to put their drink on the table. Dealing with smokers is easy. You just need to prepare some ashtrays available and keep the room well ventilated. My poker table is already years old, and I don’t mind players putting ashtrays or drinks on it.
Install a Poker Table
It’s not mandatory, but it will significantly improve your game. A rail or padded edge on the table prevents cards from sliding on the floor (which often happens with glass tables). In general, it is easier to play poker on a felt surface than on wood or glass. You can buy many types of tables for as low as $30 if you don’t already have one. My current poker table is a simple folding top that fits perfectly on my round kitchen table. I taped it down to give it more stability. I will be purchasing an oval poker table with a vinyl railing and folding legs in the next few months. They can be stored behind cabinets or in the garage and cost about $150.
Set up a Mini-Bar
If guests are playing for several hours at a time, they will be hungry. Ask each player to bring a bag of peanuts or a tube of Pringles, so they don’t eat all the food in your refrigerator. You can have several takeout menus ready so guests can order pizza at any time. If you don’t have the means to set up a bar, you can ask your guests to bring their own drinks.
If you alternate poker nights among friends, the host could provide drinks and food at each event. If the other players are hard-core alcoholics who like single malt whiskey and champagne, this arrangement might not be so good.
