Running the Perfect Home Game – Part 3 – Poker Tables

Hi and welcome to part 3 of our guide to the perfect home game, in part one 2 we looked at the different poker chipsets available and which is right for your home game. If you missed it or just want a recap you can read it here (shark-stats.co.uk/articles)

In this part of the 4 part series we are going to look at the different types of poker tables available for you to buy for your home game. Getting a table or cloth is vital to get the game running at a good speed, playing off the kitchen table with cards sliding all over the place just isn’t the impression you want to give. especially after you have spent time getting the perfect chipset and playing cards to use.

At the budget end of the scale you can buy a felt that sits directly on the table, normally they are green with a fold line around the inside. You can get red, blue and black ones if you look around enough. However playing on these can be a nightmare as there are no weights on the corners to hold it in place. You could add these but again its an extra expense. One upside to this is folding the table cloth away and storing it doesn’t take up that much space. Cleaning it however, I would only dry clean it and it would cost more that the cloth is worth!

So moving up the scale to around the £20-£40 you can pick up a either a octangle two-fold 8 seater tabletop or a 8 seater tri-fold rectangle tabletop. Starting with the octangle tabletop first these come in either a vinyl backed version or a reversible tabletop. The tabletop does what is says and will sit on your dining room / bar table and with 8 drinks / chip trays these work as weights to stop the tabletop from moving around. It does seat 8 players conformable but anymore and it would become quite a squeeze.

Keeping it clean is not a huge problem for the vinyl backed version as it seems to be scotch guarded well against beer and wine etc. so a quick wipe down if the worst does happen keeps the game flowing. The reversible one however doesn’t seem to have this protection so any spills need to be mopped up quickly and then left to dry. Flipping it over and changing the chip trays over is the only hassle really for this particular tabletop.

Moving onto the rectangle version this also comes as reversible with pop out chip trays, again if there is a spillage it would need the same care as above. As with both tables there are markings on them for blackjack and a fold line respectively. These raised markings can catch the cards as they are dealt. Again not a huge problem as you will get used to dealing on these tabletops in no time.

Around the £80-£150 mark you will start to come across free standing tables with fold out legs both in the round and rectangle varieties. These are great if you have the budget and the standing room in your home. With vinyl cushioned runners and deep set drinks holders, these tables are well worth the money. Seating 8 people and a dealer at the table is not a problem with plenty of elbow room for both players and dealer alike.

Of course if you have the room for a permanent poker table in a dedicated room in the house you would want to really splash out and get a table, that no only is comfortable to play on but also has a little character to it as well. With this in mind you could start out with a table that wouldn’t be out of place in a card room like the Vic in London or the Dusk Till Dawn poker room in Nottingham. These professional tables boast speed cloth, metallic racetracks, chiptrays and drop boxes for buyins, rebuys and addons etc. Looking at these tables you would think these would sell for the 5k mark but these can be picked up direct from the manufacture for around £500-£1000. this would include all of the options above and a custom printed motif on the felt.

So there you have it a break down of the types of poker tables available on the market that will fit your budget and your home game. Whatever you choose in the long run with the right cards, chipsets, table and players your home game will only go from strength to strength.

We hope you have enjoyed this section of “Running The Perfect Home Games” , look out for more articles coming soon.

Comments

  • Avatar of junk@funwebpage.com
    [email protected]
    October 25, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Of course 2 other options are:

    1); Build your own. Nicer than a fold-up, cheaper than a professional table. Plans are available online.

    2); Lack the carpentry skills? Buy some thin foam, and some cloth (or a tablecloth) at a craft store. lay the foam on your dining table, cover the foam with the cloth, trim both so the overhang does not interfere with the players sitting at the table. You can even duct tape the overhang to the underside of the table. Cards and chips may fall off the table, but it is super cheap, easy to clean, and is better than playing on a hard table.

  • Avatar of support@pokerdiy.com
    [email protected]
    December 10, 2010 at 4:35 pm

    Without a nice table, a home game is pointless. Nothing worse than not being able to pick cards up from the cardboard table :/

Add a comment