How to host a poker night with friends

A good poker night mostly comes down to a few decisions you make before anyone sits down. This guide covers what to sort out, whether you play with a deck on the kitchen table or put the game on the TV.

Who to invite

Six is a comfortable number for one table. You can play with three, and a casino table seats nine or ten, but at home a big table means long waits between hands. If more people want in, split into two tables. It also helps to have at least one other person there who knows the rules well, so you are not the only one answering questions all night.

Pick the game and the blinds

Stick to No-Limit Texas Hold'em unless your group already plays something else. It's the version most people have seen, and the easiest to explain in a couple of minutes. Here is the short version of the rules.

Give everyone the same starting stack and set the big blind at about a hundredth of it. With a stack of 10,000, that means blinds of 50 and 100. It gives people room to play a lot of hands before anyone is in trouble.

Then decide whether the blinds go up. Fixed blinds feel relaxed and suit a night where people come and go. Raising them every 20 to 30 minutes gives the night a natural finish, because stacks get shorter and eventually someone has all the chips. More on how blinds work.

Sort out the chips

A 300 or 500 piece chip set covers most home games. Use four colours at most and write down what each one is worth somewhere everyone can see it. No chip set? Coins, sweets or matchsticks work fine, as long as everyone agrees on the values first. You can also skip chips altogether and run the game on a screen, which counts every stack and pot for you.

Agree on house rules before the first hand

Most arguments at a home game are about rules nobody mentioned at the start. Settle these while everyone is still getting drinks:

• Rebuys. Can someone who runs out of chips buy back in, and until what time?
• Showdown. Who shows first when the betting is over? The usual answer is the last person who bet or raised.
• Finish time. Pick when the last hand gets dealt. It saves an awkward goodbye at 2am.
• How strict to be. Beginners will bet out of turn or say "call" and then put in a raise. Decide together how much you let slide.
• What's riding on it. Keep it for fun. If your group wants something at stake, make it something silly, like the biggest loser picks the snacks next time.

Set up the room

Two decks with different backs let you swap between hands so the dealer can shuffle while the next hand is played. Everyone should be able to reach the middle of the table without standing up. Go for snacks that don't leave greasy fingers on the cards. And print or pull up a hand rankings chart where new players can see it.

Keep beginners in the game

Deal a couple of practice hands face up and talk through what each person might do. Tell new players it's fine to ask what beats what at any point. If your blinds go up, start them slowly, because nobody learns much by being knocked out in the first ten minutes.

Or let the TV run the table

If you would rather not deal, count chips or keep track of whose blind it is, Cardamoo's Poker Night puts the table on your TV and each player's cards on their own phone. It shuffles and deals, moves the button, posts the blinds and splits the pots. When you're done it shows a recap of the night, and if the group wants to go again you can make it a regular table with a weekly night and standings. It's free, and the chips are virtual, so nothing real is ever at stake.

Some of your friends can't make it in person? Play with friends online instead.