Poker Night

Poker Night

Poker has always been a well liked game, but ever since Chris Moneymaker rocketed to fame a few years ago as the winner of the World Series of Poker, having only ever played online, it seems like its popularity has exploded. This little article will touch briefly on how to run a poker night and to give you some basic poker night ideas and sample formats.

The game is rearing its head everywhere in pop culture, so much so that when Casino Royale came out, in the pivotal scene where James Bond faces down Le Chiffre across the casino felt, the game they're playing was changed from Baccarat to Texas Hold'em poker.

Host a Home Poker Night

It's no surprise that the practice of throwing a private poker night is on the rise. A regular poker night is actually a wonderful social event; most people who indulge in this activity tend to host them on a monthly basis.

The typical format for a home poker night runs something like this. Early in the evening lighter forms of poker are played, such as five card stud or five card draw. As more of the guests arrive, the game can change to the increasingly popular but more complex Omaha Hi/Lo, or its cousin, pot limit Omaha.

Once the full complement of players have arrived, the poker night moves on to the main event, which is typically a last man standing Texas Hold'em tournament that will run until one single player is holding all of the chips. To keep things social and entertaining, most poker night hosts will typically allow a couple of re-buys to enable players knocked out early to get back into the game.

Organising a poker night can be incredibly rewarding on a number of levels. Most obviously, because you get unfettered access to a great game that is just as you choose to run it - with as many players as you choose to invite.

Next, because if you host a poker night regularly, you are likely to build up great friendships with a close circle of people. By playing with them, you will gain an understanding of how they think and react in a way that you could never have acquired under any other circumstances.

Poker Night Equipment

You don't need much poker equipment to host a great poker night. Really all you need if you having a poker night at home is a table that is large enough to host the number of players you will be inviting, a couple of decks of cards, and some chips to play with if you are not hosting a cash game.

Professional Poker Night – Add Dealers

Traditionally, the "dealer button" exists to indicate whose turn it is to shuffle the cards. But one simple and inexpensive way that you can elevate your poker night beyond the average is to consider renting in a professional poker dealer to run your game for you.

The main advantage is that it allows all players to focus purely on the game, and eliminates any accusations regarding dodgy shuffling. Also, as the evening wears on, it's an absolute pleasure to simply be able to play without having to maintain the coordination required to deal cards properly.