Hosting A Good Poker Night
A poker night can be an excellent opportunity for networking and to become the hero at the office. However, you need to ensure that your reputation remains on point, and when you invite business associates or your boss, you want to be sure that everyone will get along. Because of this, you need to be particularly careful about who you invite. Whether you’re a regular at hosting game nights or you’re a novice, just looking for a different reason to plan a get-together, today I’m talking about 10 game night ideas you have to try at your next party. I bet there’s even some tips and creative nuggets you’ve never seen before!
The fifth article in our How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game is a special one as Christopher Null of Drinkhacker.com fame has provided a fantastic selection of potential adult beverages to serve at your next poker game.
Hosting A Good Poker Nightmare
If you like this piece, be sure to head over to Drinkhacker.com where you’ll find a plethora of recipes, reviews and all-around knowledge for the discriminating drinker.
By Christopher Null
You’ve got the cards, chips, and table all set – now what? You can toss a case of Busch tallboys in an Igloo, or you can put a little thought into what you drink.
Take it from me: A bad beat goes down much easier if you chase it with a shot of high-grade Bourbon.
Here are three suggestions on what to serve your crew, depending on the stakes of your game.
What to Serve at Your Poker Home Game
Blue Collar
When beer is on the menu, Busch or Bud will work well enough, but even the most casual of players are likely to appreciate a little extra thoughts. Check out Guinness Black Lager – a new brand from Guinness that is black as coffee but drinks like a traditional lager. $8.50 per six-pack.
Casual
One of the best values in the spirits world today is Bourbon and other U.S. whiskeys, and you can find an awful lot of great American whiskeys on the market without having to spend a whole lot of money. Try Evan Williams Single Barrel 2002 or Big Bottom Port Cask Finished Whiskey, both of which are available for $30 a bottle or less. Of course, if you’re ever worried the bottles will offend, you can always pour the whiskey into a crystal decanter and tell everyone it’s Pappy Van Winkle.
High Stakes
It’s not cheating to get your opponents stinking drunk before the game ever starts, and the best way to do that is by serving a delicious, high-end cocktail that goes down easy (but is manly enough to invite continued consumption). This original cocktail drinks like a martini but adds a touch of sweetness so your victims, er, guests, never know what hit them. You can make these bad boys a pitcher at a time (just multiply all proportions by 8) so you can have refills at the ready:
Drinkhacker’s Big Blind Cocktail
1 oz vodka
1 oz gin
¼ oz dry vermouth
¼ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
More articles on How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game:
Hosting A Good Poker Nights
- Part 5: What to Drink
Additional Home Game Tools:
Family poker night is a great way to break up night after night of sitting in front of the TV. Teaching your kids (or your partner) how to play poker is a great way to introduce some screen-free family friendly fun. In addition to teaching counting, it’s a great way to show your children basic negotiation and sportsmanship skills. It’s an activity that everyone can enjoy!
Looking for help hosting your next poker night? We’ve got you covered. Take a look at our best tips below.
Catering
First things first, we always recommend starting with the food. You can really turn poker night into an event with the right menu. Heavy hors devours are excellent for this kind of event, so think hot dips or guacamole and chips. Wings are a fun way to make everyone feel like it’s a party, as are make-your-own pizzas. Bon Appetit has a list of the best recipes for poker nights, so take a look for some culinary inspiration.
Players
For small families, one table of poker players is plenty. However, if you have more than nine potential players, Global Poker recommends starting a second table. Children and poker novices should be paired with a more experienced ‘buddy’, at least for the first few hands. More experienced players, this is the time for patience – you weren’t always a card shark, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a little while to get things moving!
The Rules
Rules are very important for poker. Each game has betting rules, an ‘ante’ and the winner of the game gets the pot.
Hosting A Good Poker Nightclubs
Poker wouldn’t be the same without betting something. However, as you’re playing family poker, you’re unlikely to have chips (and good luck trying to get those $50 off your eight year old). You can choose to play for fun (always a great choice) or give your children chocolate chips or cereal to bet with. For older kids, you could try wagering other things, such as chores. If the money is really important, try playing with pennies. It’s almost impossible to get in trouble with a penny buy-in!
The Game
If you’re hosting a poker night with your family, odds are that at least one person won’t know the rules. However, not all poker games are difficult. Start off with one of these classics, and then work your way up until things get more complicated.
- 5 Card Stud: In this simple game, the dealer shuffles and deals each player five cards. The player with the best hand wins.
- 5 Card Draw: In this game, the dealer shuffles and deals each player five cards. Each player has the option to exchange up to three of their cards for three new cards, drawn randomly from the deck by the dealer. The person with the best hand wins.
- Texas Hold’Em: Once you’re comfortable with five card stud and five card draw, it’s time to make things a bit more complicated. Texas Hold’Em begins with the dealer giving each player two cards, and deals five cards, face down, in the middle of the playing table. Three of the cards are turned over (called a flop), and the betting begins. A fourth card is turned over, more bets, and then the fifth. A final round of betting sees the players turn their cards over. The player who can make the best hand with the cards available wins.
Mastered these? Beginner’s Poker Guide has more games that are perfect for the novice poker player. After your family masters a few simple rules, you’re ready to get started. Family Poker Night could become the highlight of your quarantine routine! Happy playing.