Editorial
Poker Party
Texas Hold'em party is ideal when you want to arrange party for friends and get refreshed without really doing outdoor activity or meticulous planning for days.
To have real fun of Texas Holdem, it is ideal to have 5-7 people on each table and have at least two tables around so that you can accommodate different styles of players. Considering this, we suggest you send out invitations to around twenty or so friends and make sure to ask them RSVP. While sending invitations, do include poker theme in your invitations. Today, there are many websites promoting poker online so you can grab ideas from their pages or create your own highlighting the western macho style and animated faces from cards.
Poker party would not require you to go out and do extensive decorations of the room because once the game starts, everyone is going to be absorbed in it. But if possible try to create a mini casino with a small bar, decorate tables with covers that have dollar signs or settings of western village. After the card game, the most important thing is something to munch and nice collection of drinks. You should have a lot of chips/other snacks and make sure they can be shared by everybody without leaving their seats. Of course, not to mention have plenty of plastic tokens with dollar signs marked on them to just get the real game feeling. Although everybody of us is well familiar with the game, it is always better to have a couple of sheets with well documented rules on the table for everybody's reference.
We suggest set up a western style barbeque in your patio or backyard so that as people start to drop in, they can right away get something to eat and a good setting to chat. If folks are good friends, then start out with little fun betting games by challenging each other on trivial things. This will get every one into winning mood. After this start up fun, you can directly get to the business of cards. Before starting the game decide on the incentives for winning - a Cowboy hat, a big moustache, a cigar box, framed card queens, or such other souvenirs for winners and a small plastic pony, little bunny cap etc for losers can do the trick and get the juices flowing. We suggest you have two tables because not everyone likes to bet with same fervor so different tables can match people's mood well. Also try to have dealer's role rotating so that everybody gets to play the role and have fun. As a host you pass along drinks tray once after a few rounds and accompany them with a few jokes and puns.
Don't drag games for too long and do take food break in between. With background music and sports event on TV, you will make this a perfect day for everyone. Finish it by counting the chips and giving the prices you got for both winners and losers. We are sure however your cards look like that day by hosting Texas Holdem party and seeing smiles on the face of your friends, you will feel like you got a "Full House"!
