Poker night? We’re all in. Check out our pointers for planning one.

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Invitations

Get started by sending an Evite invitation, like the free “Who’s In?” cards-themed invitation below or a premium “Ante Up” poker night invitation. Check out our game night invitation gallery for more designs.

Decorations

It’s easy to find a home poker kit that includes cards, nice chips and a good playing surface. But if you don’t have one of these fancy kits, take a trip to a fabric store and get a big swatch of green felt to put over your tabletop.

Some of the popular foods served for poker nights are chips, peanuts, pretzels, and pizzas. Other hosts serve heavy snacks such as sandwiches and tacos. It is very important to plan your food accordingly because most poker night gatherings are attended by men. Party Tips & Tricks Game night could roll any number of ways depending on how many folks come to play. A small group needs one or two games, while a large group can split up for several different activities. You'll want to invite friends who love to laugh and mingle: gracious winners and good losers are a must!

It’s important to make sure you have enough poker chips for all of your guests. You probably can’t get by with less than 35 chips per person — most experts suggest more like 50 to 100 per head. If you don’t mind a mish-mash, ask your guests to bring some extra chips of their own. If you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em, make sure you have a special chip set aside for the button.

To round out the theme, pick up some casino-themed napkins and plates decorated with images of dice, cards or dollar signs from a party store.

Attire

Even if you’re not playing for high stakes, you can still dress the part. Asking guests to come in suits and ties or cocktail dresses makes a simple get-together seem like an event.

You can also go casual and ironic by getting cheap costume armbands and green plastic dealer visors — poker doesn’t have to be super serious.

Playing with some card sharks? If they arrive wearing shirts with billowy sleeves, make sure they roll them up when you play so they can’t hide cards in them.

Best Poker Party Foods List

Variants

Texas Hold ‘Em is all the rage, but you can have a great card party with other poker variations: five-card draw, seven-card stud, hi/lo, baseball poker and other make-up-your-own-rules games.

The most important thing when playing poker is to be familiar with the winning hands. Here they are from high to low:

• Royal flush
• Straight flush
• Four of a kind
• Full house
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a kind
• Two pair
• One pair

Too confusing? Just remember that a full house flushes a straight.

Food

Get a pizza delivered for quick sustenance that minimizes card-playing down time. Or put together a simple spread of appetizers. Make your own or get a big box of warm-in-the-oven hors d’oeurves at a warehouse club store. Just keep the food away from the playing table.

Drinks

If you’re playing poker, you might be thinking martinis are in order. Martinis will make your party upscale for sure (but they do call to mind James Bond, and his game was baccarat). If you’re going to go for some straight liquor, grab a bottle of single-malt scotch. Or, to mix cards and cocktails, consider the classy, old-fashioned cocktail called the Sidecar.

Sidecar

• 2 parts Cognac
• 1 part triple sec
• 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice

Best Poker Party Foods Ideas

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake, then strain into a chilled highball glass.

There are many who say that serious cards need to be played without the hazy influence of booze. So for a non-alcoholic alternative, grab some carbonated soda water and mix it up with some Italian syrup.

Best Poker Party Foods Finger Foods

Other Items You Might be Interested In

Throwing a poker party with friends needs a lot of planning. You have to think of some good dishes to serve to your guests. Some of the popular foods served for poker nights are chips, peanuts, pretzels, and pizzas. Other hosts serve heavy snacks such as sandwiches and tacos. It is very important to plan your food accordingly because most poker night gatherings are attended by men. It is important to pick out a few recipes and food ideas when it comes to these kinds of events making them feel relaxed and full all throughout the night.

Roasted pork is another good food choice that you can serve for a poker night. When cooking this, use a crock pot so you can incorporate any of your favorite barbecue sauces and add Worcestershire sauce. For an added flavor, put in some salt and pepper. Cooking time is about 4-8 hours, depending on the amount of heat you use and the amount of servings. Other things can be done in this long amount of down time. While waiting for your roasted pork to cook, you can prepare your poker table. Some people practice playing poker through poker gaming websites like party poker. They can hone their skills in playing poker, while novices can familiarize themselves with the basic rules and hands that are used in the game. After playing a couple of rounds, you will have an idea on how to play every kind of hand that you’re dealt with. The pork will be ready by the time your poker buddies arrive for the much-awaited poker night.

The kind of food that you are going to serve during a poker night should be simple to prepare, easy-to-eat, and most importantly, sufficient enough to allow at least 2 servings per visitor. It is recommended to prepare different kinds of appetizers for your poker party. You can serve a tray full of meat, cheese, and vegetables that guests can pass around easily. They can help themselves to tidbits of these foods in between poker games. You can also choose to add some spicy appetizers into the mix or go for some easy to prepare appetizers like coleslaw, potato salads, and pasta salads. Bear in mind that food that can get messy like Buffalo wings might stain your poker table. So if you are preparing this kind of dish during your poker night, take extra care in serving it to your guests.

Best Poker Party Foods Recipes

If you are into home-made pizza, you can prepare your own using fresh ingredients found at your local supermarket. If you feel that you’re too tired to cook it, you can always choose to order at pizza places like Papa John’s.