Home Poker Nights

Home poker nights are some of the most social and popular of the casino-style parties that it's possible to throw, and some of the most successful. But why are home poker nights so popular? Why are more and more people throwing regular poker nights in the privacy of their own homes?

Well, to start with, and we say this without any implications of sexism, but poker nights tend to be a guy thing. We're not saying that women can't play, or that women aren't welcome at home poker nights, or that women aren't good players – they are. All we're saying is that poker nights - the regular, home hosted variety of poker nights - tend to be a guy thing.

Typically, regular home poker nights are evenings where the same group of guys get together, usually once a month but it's not uncommon for it to happen once a week. And at this gathering, they get to just be guys, with all that that entails. There'll be guy talk. There'll be beer drinking. And there'll be card playing.

All in all, it adds up to a pretty amazing evening that can go on until the wee small hours, and some pretty amazing things come out of it. One is that, since it's the same guys meeting every time, you tend to see strong, lifelong friendships getting built.

Guys who attend the same home poker nights get a feel for each other in a friendly yet combative environment which leads to a mutual understanding that can't be obtained in any other way. This in turn can lead to a solid mutual understanding that can result in some spectacular business dealings off the felt.

But it's more than that. People enjoy hanging out together, and guys being guys it can sometimes be difficult to articulate that without getting all soft. Home poker nights give guys the time they need to bond with each other, to laugh and connect and drink and tell dumb jokes without it having to be a big deal.

Successful home poker nights require a regular group of guys who take it in turn to host the event. It can all happen at one guy's house, but it's more communal and fair if it all swings around every time. The requirements to pull it off aren't really all that taxing. All the host requires is a big enough table to seat all of his friends – if necessary a couple of smaller tables can be pushed together in a garage and draped with a sheet or a big piece of felt. Apart from that, the host needs a couple of decks of cards (one isn't enough, a deck is sure to get damaged during the evening), some chips or something to double as chips, and a hired dealer to run the game (see our Dealers page).

Hiring in a dealer is very important because at really good home poker nights there will be drinking, and no one wants to hassle with trying to shuffle cards after a few beers. A good dealer will ensure the game continues to run smoothly while the players relax and enjoy themselves.