For anyone who likes to be sociable, chances are that they’re always looking for new and different ways to entertain their friends. Inviting them over for dinner or a barbecue is fine, but after a few of these sorts of occasions it can all start to get a little predictable and samey.

But there is a solution and that could be by livening up the proceedings by starting to put on a regular poker evening. It might sound a little daunting at first. But if you get all these nine elements right, it’s sure to go with a swing.

1. The Guests

It’s all going to start with exactly who you’re going to invite. You want it to be a fun and sociable evening so those hyper-competitive friends of yours who just can’t stand being beaten are probably left for another occasion.

But you don’t want any wilting wallflowers either. They may be little too slow to get into the spirit of the game and might not even enjoy it very much. As to the number to invite, between six and eight is ideal and you should always anticipate one or two giving a rain-check on the night.

2. The Food

While you’re fundamentally getting together to play poker, you’re going to have to lay on some food too. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you’re all going to have to sit down to a formal meal. In fact, the food you serve should be designed to eat quickly and easily – think finger-foods rather than dishes that need a knife and fork.

You should also have the food laid out buffet-style on a table well away from where you’re playing. That way, it will avoid distractions – as well as reducing the chance of getting greasy finger marks on the cards!

3. The Drink

Anyone who’s ever hosted a poker night will tell you that even the most relaxed events can become tense in some situations. To avoid fuelling this high level of emotion, it might be best to steer away from spirits and stick to beer, wine, and soft drinks. To make it more of an occasion, you could put together some non-alcoholic cocktails – sure to be popular with players who have driven over for the night.

4. The Music

You’ll also want to set the right ambience for the occasions so picking the perfect playlist is going to be key. Thrash metal is probably not exactly what you want, however big a fan you are so something a little jazzy or easy-listening is ideal to have playing in the background. Maybe you want to bring back the spirit of the Rat Pack days of Las Vegas? In which case the crooning of Sinatra and the show tunes of Sammy Davis Jr. would be the perfect soundtrack.

5. The Equipment

To make it more than just a game of cards on the dining table you’re going to have to invest in some equipment. Maybe also get the other players to chip in as they’ll be benefitting from it too.

Not essential, but good-to-have is a proper felt-covered poker table. There are online guides to choosing the right one for your needs and prices are as low as $30 for a basic style table.

You’ll also need a set of chips that players can use instead of coins or matchsticks and at least a couple of decks of good quality playing cards.

6. The Location

Next to consider is whereabouts in your home to set up the game. The living room is probably the best place. But in the summer time, and if you have a pleasant outdoor space in your back yard, this could be good too. But do be aware that rowdy games that go on late into the night are unlikely to make you very popular with your neighbours.

Wherever you choose to play, make sure that the lighting is right – not so bright it’s dazzling but with enough illumination for everyone to see their cards.

7. The Game 

Before you start, it’s vital that everyone who plays agrees on which particular poker variation it’s going to be. Chances are that the game most people know best is Texas Hold’em. You can even try out online casino games that allow you to create new accounts with cash prizes when you participate. But perhaps this is an opportunity to try out others like 7-Card Stud or Omaha Hi-Lo – but make sure you wise up on the strategy first. It’s best to just pick one kind of poker and stick with it for the whole night. Changing mid-way through is going to be confusing, and it might even cause some unwanted friction.

8. The House Rules

Talking about friction, the danger of this can be avoided if everyone is sure about the house rules well before the game starts. Considerations like the amount of buy-in, and whether players can buy back in all have to be worked out in advance. 

Then there’s the question of timings. It’s a good idea to set agreed times for breaks as well as a fixed end-time for the game. Otherwise, you could find people leaving for comfort breaks throughout the evening as well as the game going on well into the small hours – fine at weekends but not so good for midweek games when people have to work in the morning.

9. The Frequency

Finally, it’s worth agreeing how often you’re going to hold these evenings and whether the hosting of them will rotate. Weekly is probably too often so monthly is probably the best option, for example on the first Wednesday of each month, so everyone can block out that day in their respective diaries.

Another tip to help keep everyone together and well-informed about what’s going on would be to set up a WhatsApp group, or equivalent. This will also help to bond the group together, as well as having the flexibility to add new players as they join.

Put all these elements in place and a great poker night is assured. And who knows? It might even win you some cash!