If you want to play poker at home, all you need is a deck of cards and something you can use for currency, like pennies or even peanuts! But how boring is that? A poker table and some poker chips go a long way in enhancing the poker experience at home. Poker isn’t just about dealing cards and bluffing your opponents. It’s also a social game, and the right poker gear helps create a fun and memorable poker night!

So what should you buy? Well that depends on a lot of things, including your budget, but also other factors like how many people would play or how much room you have in your house. I’m going to list the basic items you may be interested in buying and I’ll explain a few options and points you should consider. Ultimately, you’ll make the decision that’s right for you.

Poker Tables

Is a poker table necessary? No. You can play on the floor if you want. Will a poker table enhance your poker experience? The answer is “yes, absolutely”. In fact, I think the poker table is going to be the most important investment to consider because it will have the greatest impact on your poker setting. There are different kinds of tables out there, and even table tops which can be placed on an existing kitchen table. There’s also different sizes and shapes available. If you are on a tight budget, or have limited space, then perhaps getting a full fledge poker table isn’t the best option and you may be interested in simple a table top instead. The advantage of a table top is that they normally fold so it’s easy to store them when you’re not using them. They are also portable which means you can bring your table top to a friend’s house if your poker buddies would like a change of scenery once in a while. Poker table tops are not as durable however and they normally have low quality felts on them so they won’t feel like a true poker table like the ones you see in casinos. Also, the felt on them isn’t replaceable so if you spill a drink on it, it’s going to stay there permanently.

Poker tables don’t have to be expensive, but they can be. Again, you have different material qualities. You can pay $200 for a poker table, and you can pay $5000 for one. If it’s hand crafted, made of expensive woods and featuring intricate hand carvings, you’re obviously going to pay more than a simple table set on metal legs. Cloth materials make a big difference so be prepared to pay more for high quality felt. Poker tables can also have built in chip trays and cup holders which can be very convenient, especially to minimize spills, but also add to the cost. If you’re getting a table with cup holders, make sure the cup holder is large enough, and deep enough. A simple plastic plate with a half inch deep “holder” doesn’t hold a drink that well. You’re just asking for a spill if you get those. Some poker tables have folding legs so they can be stored away when not in use. Others are massive, non foldable, and heavy. They require a dedicate spot so if you have limited space, make sure to buy something that can be stored. Tables also come in different sizes and shapes and again this choice has to be based on the number of players you’ll have, the amount of space you’ll have, and personal preference.

Poker Chips

I said you could use pennies or even peanuts to act as currency but really, there is no replacement for a nice set of quality poker chips. Poker chips can be very expensive but they don’t have to be. What influences the price of a poker chip set is quantity, material, weight and design. Chip designs can be very basic or very intricate. In fact, you can even get your own personally designed chips manufactured, which is normally an impression of an image you’ll supply. Chips are either made of cheap plastic, clay or composite. What is commonly referred to as a clay chip is a composite with some clay (some descriptions list kaolin instead of clay, same thing) filler mixed into a durable high impact polymer matrix. Composite chips are injection molded from a particulate filled thermoset (does not soften when heated) plastic around an internal metal slug for that exact “Casino” look and feel. You can get 400 clay chips of descent quality for less than $50 and they will be suitable for home games. You can get ultra cheap plastic chips for a few dollars, but don’t throw away your money! Those are no fun and do not provide a casino feel! To a minimum, I recommend buying “clay” chips they weight at least 11.5 grams. If you want the absolute best, then consider heavier composite chips. 13.5 gram chips are very nice.

How many chips should you buy? Well, that depends on how many people you’ll be playing with and how many chips you’ll want to start them off with. In general, I like to allocate 50-100 chips per player. You’ll want at least chips that come in four different colors, but you can get more variation than that if you wish. You should own at least 500 chips (4 different colors) to play with up to 6 people, but more chips means more fun! There’s nothing like winning at poker and hiding your face behind a castle of chips!

Playing Cards and Dealer Buttons

Generally, poker sets come with a playing cards and a dealer button. Some sets will also include additional markers for the blinds. You can always use coins if you don’t have blind markers. You can also buy some dealer buttons with built-in timers and blind indicators. These are really convenient and can be programmed with the blind levels you’ll want to use, and the time between blind increments. Some of these buttons will also allow you to program antes should you use them in your game, but many people don’t bother with antes in home games.

Playing cards can be made with paper or plastics. To make a card, layered paper is often used. Layered paper is produced by putting a number of sheets of paper in a stack and gluing them together. This type of paper is stronger and more durable than standard paper. Higher quality cards may be made from polymeric plastic films and sheets. One material that is often used is a cellulose acetate polymer. This is a semi synthetic polymer that is made into a paper-like sheet by being cast from a solution. This produces a film, which can be stacked and laminated to produce an appropriately thick sheet. This material is much more durable than paper and cards that are made with it last considerably longer. Vinyl plastics are also used in the production of cards. Paper cards are typically of lower quality and wear out more quickly than plastic cards. The material and process used will affect the durability as well as the feel of the card. You can try out different types. Generally, people prefer plastic cards and they’re not really expensive.

These are the main items people will need to buy to make their home games "special" and give them a casino feel. The amount of money you can spend can be very little or significant, and that depends on your budget, your space, and your passion for poker. Consider reading our poker articles, they may just make you a winner which means that your poker gear will pay for itself in the long run!

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Purchasing Poker Supplies