Uk Internet Poker

Your Poker Table - What's the Deal?

You can spend anywhere from $20 to $5,000 and beyond on a playing surface for your game. A high-end poker table is obviously desirable, not only because you can use it for poker, but also because it can be a nice piece of furniture that goes well in a game room. But in contrast to chips, for some reason I can't quite explain, you don't have to sink a lot of money into the playing surface to have a game with a good "feel"

When appropriating a table from the house to use for poker night, look for a round shape and a slightly lower height than a typical dining room table.

The most important characteristic of the table isn't its external dimensions, however; it's the playing surface. A soft surface, like felt, makes a big difference because it allows cards to be easily picked up by players. Anyone who has played cards on a hard surface knows that shuffling can be difficult (especially with a new deck), and the only way to pick up cards are to squeeze them between your fingernails or slide them to the edge of the table, both of which will mark up and wear out a deck in no time. This is not a minor issue over a six+ hour session; playing poker on a hard surface is fatiguing to players, even though most won't perceive it, and will lead to shorter and less relaxing games. A hard surface is also harder on your chips.

In an emergency, a thick, heavy, wrinkle-free tablecloth is usually better than a naked hard surface. The cloth will provide just enough to allow players to get their fingertips under the cards on the table, vastly easing the workload of handling card and speeding up the entire game. Thin or flimsy tablecloths aren't worth the effort. Use a solid dark color. Avoid patterns, because they make chips and cards difficult to see; after a few hands, your guests will complain about eye fatigue as they begin to see 3-D images of sharks beneath the surface of the table.

If you have time to prepare for the game, a cheap and fast option is to go to a fabric store and buy a length of fine felt, preferably pool table felt. Many gambling supply stores also sell table felt by the yard. Cut the felt to a size that allows a good overhang, iron the folds out, drape it over an existing table, and try to anchor it underneath with some thumbtacks or elastic fasteners. It's a little sloppy, but it works like a charm.

The next step up involves a run to Home Depot. Buy a 4'x 4' x ½" piece of hardboard and cut it into the shape of a tabletop, making sure it's big enough to overhang your base table. Stretch some pool table felt tightly over the top and sides, and fasten it underneath with staples. Then put some small, thin rubber feet on the bottom, trying not to raise the table height any more than you have to. Spray it down with Scotch Guard, and presto! You've just made a portable playing surface that you can quickly throw on top of an existing table for poker night. It should last for years. If you want the surface to have a little more give, use two layers of felt: cheap low-grade felt underneath and high-grade pool table felt on top. I actually prefer this feel to the excessively spongy surfaces of most purpose-built poker tables.

Finally, don't kill yourself trying to buy or build the kind of poker tables that you see in most casinos and card rooms. They are oblong, with the house dealer stationed at the middle of a long side. Since the deal rotates at a home game, your table should be more Arthurian in nature.