If you are looking to host a home poker game for the first time, make sure it's a poker-perfect night by setting it up right! There are a few things you'll need to decide before you start sending out emails and making phone calls to invite people to your big poker night.

Set the Rules

A poker game without well-established rules and guidelines can easily ruin a very promising night. For example, what happens if a player forgets to discard a card according to the rules of the game or the dealer accidentally turns over the wrong card? All players must agree to respect these rules and ,in addition, should be aware that all verbal bets are binding and act accordingly.

That sounds fun! But in order for you to successfully host a poker night you need to have a plan. Luckily we’ve made a to-do for the perfect poker night. Know your rules. First you need to decide what kind of poker you are playing. There are lots of different types of poker games out there so you need to choose which game to play. Poker night, particularly for the host, is the absolute test of manhood. Indeed, hosting poker night is a science, but just like string theory, it can be easily explained to the layman. So get out a pen and a pad and start taking notes, one misstep could cost you your reputation and your social circle.

D.C.T. (Decks, Chips & Table)

If you’re planning on hosting a poker night, you need to make sure you have all the supplies to do it. D.C.T. is the triplet that guarantees a casino atmosphere for your guests. Make sure you have at least 2 quality decks of cards and a lot of casino-like chips. As far as the table is concerned, you will need a round one, for about 9-10 people. There’s nothing worse than crowding nine players around a six-person table. If you are planning on inviting more than 10 people, then it’s better to divide them into two groups. This means you have to double up the decks and the poker chips.

Food & Drink

If you want to be remembered as a good host for a poker night, you should always provide for your guests. Light snacks and some alcohol make the atmosphere more enjoyable. The best snacks for this occasion include potato chips, tortilla chips with salsa, and cookies for later on. Be sure to serve more food than drinks. You don’t want tipsy players start acting crazy or losing all their money in two rounds. Or do you?

End Time

Setting the time that your poker night will come to an end is essential, especially if you don’t want to hear “you call it a night because you are winning, hum?” or any other similar comment from the players. In addition, it’s better for the players to know how much time they have left to turn their game around and go back to “profit-land”.

Dealer’s Choice games

Everyone loves Texas Hol’ Em, right? Wrong. It's surely the most famous poker game out there, but that doesn't mean that players want to play it all the time. You have so many poker game variations to choose from. As the host during the game, it would be great to suggest some new variations of poker games on your deal. What was that? You don’t remember the rules??? That’s what we 're here for.

Hosting A Poker Night

And last but not least: Make sure everyone has a good time

If you’re fortunate enough to host, or even find a good house game, enjoy every moment of it. They’re hard to come by.You can't guarantee everyone walks away a winner (it is mathematically impossible), but you can do your best to make sure everyone has fun.

Hosting A Poker Night Fundraiser

Best of luck to you all!!!