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Poker is a great game for a lot of reasons. There's the money to be won, which
is an obvious draw for a lot of people. Then there's the opportunity for
competition. Two of my personal favorite reasons are that you can spend time
with good people, and that you play the game literally anywhere. When you
put those last two reasons together, you're talking about the beginning of a
home game. Having a home game doesn't necessarily mean settling for a lesser
experience than playing at a card room. It's neither difficult not extremely
expensive to equip your game so it feels more like you're playing a real
game of poker. The internet is the best thing someone planning a regular
home game could ask for - all the poker products in the world are right at
your fingertips, and you can shop around and compare prices without leaving
the house. A few basic ingredients are the quickest way to make your game
better: a set of chips, a deck of plastic cards, and a poker table.
Poker Chips
Most anyone who's played in home games for any amount of time is probably
familiar with those wafer-thin tricolor plastic chips that get sold at
Wal-Marts the world over as "poker chips." There's no way to make your own
game feel less like the big leagues than to fool around with these things. A
set of clay poker chips goes a long way toward making your game feel more
like the same game you'd be playing in a casino. These chips are actually
made of heavier and more durable materials than clay these days, and under
normal game circumstances a set will last you a lifetime.
Most of the chips you'll find for sale today are 11.5g chips made of composite
materials, though occasionally you'll see sets of 13.5g chips available as
well. The 11.5g chips feel closer to those you'd use in a casino, but
outside of that there's very little real difference so far as how they
affect game play - anything that's not plastic does the job! You can buy
generic chips or custom-printed chips, in aluminum cases or wood cases, in
sets of 300, 500, or 1,000. The best news of all is that prices on these
sets have never been lower than they are today - you could literally pay as
little as $40 for what cost $100 two or three years ago. Type "poker chips"
into Google to see everything that's available.
Plastic Cards
The one other simple thing that can make your home game feel like a big game
in no time is to use a deck of plastic playing cards. These cards are nearly
impossible to mark, never lose their shape, and best of all are washable.
Don't confuse plastic cards with plastic coated cards, which are made of
paper and have a coating applied to them. The cards you want to use in your
home game are those made of 100% PVC plastic. For the longest time the only
ones widely available were KEM plastic cards, and those tended to run in the
range of $25-35. Now, though, a quick glance at any online poker supply
retailer will show some decks as low as $3-4 from other manufacturers like
Royal and COPAG. Type "plastic playing cards" into Google and you'll have
all the choice in the world right in front of you.
Poker Tables
Chips and cards can go a long way toward a nicer home game, but the kitchen
table will do only for so long. There are several options, the first of
which is to get a table-topper. These felt-covered surfaces sit on top of an
existing table and fold up when not in use. They're easy to store, and
easily the cheapest alternative to the kitchen table. Another choice is a
folding poker table. These are more expensive than the table toppers, and
you'll probably have to clear out a space to use it if you have room to
leave it set up.
If you do have the room for leaving a table set up at all times, you might
consider building your own table as a nicer alternative to a folding table.
Buying the materials to build a simple table can be as inexpensive as $100,
only twice as much as some of the cheapest folding table. If price isn't an
object you can completely customize your table with racetrack-style rails
and drink holders, not to mention custom artwork. The only real limits on
your poker table are your imagination and your price range. A great place to
start is the PC Potato Poker Section, which features plans for a
basic table and links to more detailed plans created by others.
Conclusion
There's no reason not to have a nice atmosphere just because you're playing
poker at home. For about the cost of a buy-in to a 1-2 no-limit hold'em
game, you can set yourself up with everything you need for a more enjoyable
game. Just make sure you invite the right mix of friends (and friendly fish)
and you'll have a fun and profitable time without ever leaving home.
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