If you’re looking to host a poker night for you and your buddies, you’ll want to do it right. In this article, we’ll be covering a few tips for making sure everybody has a good time. 

Invite The Right People

First, a poker night will only be as fun as the people there. Try to get a group together that will have a good time and won’t take things too seriously. While a bit of competitive energy is fun, you don’t want to host a poker night that ends up ruining friendships. 

It’s probably a good idea to invite people who are around the same skill level as you. If you’re advanced, this will save you time explaining the game to new players. If you’re new, this will help you stay on an even playing field when learning the game. 

Also, while this may go without saying, don’t invite someone who you know has a gambling problem. Even in a low-stakes game, inviting someone with an addiction could have consequences. The last thing you want is a friendly poker night leading to a friend relapsing into bad habits. 

Set a Limit

poker hand and chips

Going back to the earlier point about keeping things light, setting a limit is a good way to enforce this. 

For most friend groups, a limit of $10-100 will keep things relatively friendly and low-stakes. You may want to go lower or higher than this depending on your skill levels and financial situations. 

Regardless of what you decide on, make sure it’s a limit that everybody’s ok with. High-stakes games may be exciting but stressful. You’re most likely better off playing a low-stakes game where everyone has fun.

Make Sure You’re Well-Stocked

Finally, now that we’ve covered some ground rules for who to invite and how to play, it’s time to stock up. 

You’ll want to get plenty of snacks that everybody enjoys. You can always follow Joey’s rule from Friends on Poker Night food: “You can’t serve food with more than one syllable. It’s got to be like chips, or dip, or pretz…” Ok, maybe Joey’s rule isn’t the best. 

But, the point stands. Stock up on food that’s easy to eat, and that everyone will enjoy (nachos, pizza, wings, etc.). Nothing too formal, and remember, this is meant to be a good time, so indulge a little bit!

If you want to go all out, cook some things up yourself! Of course, there’s no shame in ordering in if you want to make things easy on yourself. 

Also, be sure to get plenty of drinks. Whether it’s beer, mixed drinks, or anything else your friends enjoy. Of course, if anyone doesn’t drink, be sure to accommodate them with soda, or any other drink of choice. 

Conclusion

Hosting a poker night can be a lot of fun if you do it right! By following the tips in this article, you can better ensure that you and your buddies will all have a good time. 

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