Getting together with your friends periodically or on a regular basis for a night of Texas Holdem poker can be an enjoyable experience. This experience can be even more enjoyable if you have a home poker room where you and your friends can easily get together to play. In fact, maybe you are the one who should take the initiative and build your own home poker room. Think of the advantages if you are the one who has the poker room in your man cave. Being at home you don't have far to travel. You and your friends would be assured of having a well-equipped, comfortable and well-stocked regular place to play. Having all the amenities; an actual poker table with, poker chips, good lighting, comfortable chairs, an effective timing system and an appropriate decor would make your poker nights or home poker tournament a fun and exciting experience. You can be the one to choose the players to make sure that they are compatible socially and with comparable poker skills. Being the host you can set the stakes. If you and your friends are beginning poker players you can develop your skills together. If you have higher poker aspirations then your home poker room would be the ideal place to develop and hone your poker skills and strategy in a risk free environment.
In order to set up a home poker room you would be required to accumulate a number of items to run your home poker games. The center piece could be the poker table. Poker tables are available in a range of styles and prices. They may have fixed legs if they are to be a permanent fixture or have folding legs if they need to be stored when not in use or need to be transportable. Poker tables are available in different sizes and shapes depending on the number of players that you plan to entertain on a regular basis. And of course price is a consideration when making a poker table purchase. The least expensive option is a portable poker table top that can be placed on a household table, card or a plastic table with folding legs. Like poker tables, table tops or also available in different shapes and colors and seating capacities. Or, if you are handy you can build your own poker table. Plans are readily available on the internet.
Poker chips are also a major consideration. Poker chips may be made of clay, a composite polymer or composite ceramic. Your poker chip selection is completely subjective based upon what you might want and can afford. Cheap plastic composite chips in a case can be picked up for $30.00 or less at a big box store, large chain department store or discount store. Higher quality clay, composite and ceramic chips can be found at many online poker supply stores or at poker supply specialty shops at higher prices. These higher quality poker chips have many advantages over the big box chips or large chain poker chips but you will need to decide what works best for you.
Playing cards are available at just about every store you visit from the corner convenience store to large chain department stores. Again you get what you pay for. Playing cards that you get for 2 for a dollar might not last very long before they show major wear and tear. All-plastic playing cards with specialty features like Jumbo or Peek indexes (print) are more expensive but they are more durable, moisture resistant and can be washed if they become soiled giving you much longer service. Selecting playing cards is not a critical decision but by purchasing better quality playing cards you can avoid constantly changing card decks that in a short time become difficult to shuffle and deal because they have lost their firmness, are sticky or have bent or missing corners.
There are a number of poker accessories that play an important role in Texas Holdem poker games that you should also consider. Dealer and blind buttons play a significant role in keeping your poker games organized and running smoothly. The dealer button indicates which person is in the dealer position. Since betting and order of play is determined by player positions in relation to the dealer it is important that players are at all times aware of who is in that position. The Small and Big Blinds are also determined relative to the dealer position. By having these buttons and moving them around the table allows your game to proceed in an orderly and organized fashion.
It is also a good idea to have a timer available. A simple egg timer can serve that function but there are many relatively inexpensive timers on the market that will time the blinds, indicate the size of the blinds and even provide a timing function to keep play moving. At the extreme end of this spectrum are timers that will do virtually everything previously mentioned plus help you plan and organize your tournament including the number and color of chips each player should start with.
When it comes to furnishing your home poker room, while not essential, you might want to have a theme for your home poker room. The theme could reflect your favorite pro or college team. Maybe you would prefer to spotlight your favorite beverage or would like a Las Vegas or poker theme. Lamps, mirrors, signs, pub tables, bar stools and other accessories are available to present these themes. Or maybe a simple room with the bare necessities proper lighting, comfortable chairs, surrounded by your own collectibles is enough for you. That sounds and feels great also. Again its your choice.
How much it costs to build your home poker room depends upon your tastes, your needs and your finances. The table and/or poker chips could be your biggest expenses. The best thing to do would be to go online and do some window shopping. Find the items that you want and compare that to what you can afford. Make sure you check the shipping cost because some sites include shipping in the cost of the product while others add a shipping cost to the advertised price. Do your due diligence.
You can finance your poker room by thinking outside the box. There are a number of ways you might recover some or all of your costs. Check if some of your long-term poker buddies want to contribute to your purchases. You could charge a nominal fee each time you hold a poker night or could take a small rake off each pot. Set up a chart like they do for the United Way indicating your progress toward paying for the poker room. If or when you reach your goal, drop the fees and celebrate your accomplishment.
Building you own home poker room can have many benefits for you, your family and your friends. It provides a set location for your poker games with your friends. It can provide the opportunity for you to teach your children how to play poker in an environment that is risk free and in a manner that reflects your family values. If you have higher poker aspirations it can be a risk free classroom where you develop and sharpen your poker skills and strategies with individuals and stakes that you can control.
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Chris Massini
