Poker and blackjack are some of the most popular card games in the world. Almost everyone knows how to play each of them. Yet, when you try and organize a poker or blackjack night, issues start to pop out. First of all, you need a plan. A guide. Guess that’s where we’re going to step up. In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you should know about how to set up your perfect blackjack and poker night.
Start by Planning Everything Out
Before you start organizing a poker and blackjack night it might appear to be an easy task. You’re wrong! First of all, there’s a lot of planning to do beforehand. Start by securing cards, chips, tables, and space where you’ll play. Furthermore, you will need food and drinks. Let’s not forget about the atmosphere – think of music. If you want to go a bit overboard you can buy cigarettes to share with participants when the night ends to have a smoke on your poker patio (if you have one) or anywhere on your premises if you don’t allow smoking inside. Last but not least you need your crew present. To have an interesting blackjack/poker night you need to have more than a few people. Filling all spots at the table should be the norm.
Beyond what we already said, you must plan every step of the evening. Arrange the exact hour when the people will gather. Think about the setting. Decide the moment when you’ll offer people drinks, when with food, and when everyone will be at the table with cards in their hands. Also, plan for people missing the appointment, or if everyone is there you’ll run into a possibility that all drinks are gone. If you’re hosting a blackjack and poker night you ought to think about every scenario. The good ones and the bad ones.
Ensure that all players are notified in advance before the event approaches. Do not hesitate to remind everyone about the date as it approaches. When you organize an evening for more than a few people and it includes gambling all night long it is vital that you, as a host, act professionally. To ensure that all participants exit your home satisfied you need to take a look at how big players such as Stake.com take care of it.
You Need to be an Expert in Both Blackjack & Poker to Host a Card Night
We can’t stress how important this is. These days everyone is an expert. But, people usually play poker online or blackjack at online casinos, and they play it on a whim. Not too many people go into all the intricacies of these sophisticated games. So, you, or someone who will 100% attend your blackjack and poker night must know all the rules and how the games are played. For players who are not initiated, you can consider sharing guides on games or even a blackjack cheat sheet per player. Depending on the games you’ll play you need both a blackjack table and a poker table. Blackjack and poker table positions differ quite a bit. Because of all of this at least one person from your crew must know their games. Doing your homework before organizing a card night should be a priority. Also, it is important to have at least one person who knows how to serve as a poker dealer or a blackjack dealer. While these roles appear easy to handle when you’re looking for professionals doing it at live dealer games at online casinos or land-based casinos it is not as easy as it seems. Knowing the rules, keeping the cards flowing, and getting on with rounds are paramount for the success of blackjack/poker night.
Intensity Matters
When you have a large group of gamblers the chances are they do not approach the game the same way. Some people take it more seriously while others are more relaxed. You need to know whether you have one group or another, or in the worst case scenario you have a mixed group. Depending on the group you have to ensure that you take good care about the strictness of the rules, how loud the music is, when the drinks are served, or whether there is food at the table. You don’t want to get on anyone’s nerves, nor do you want players to squabble among them. If you have a bunch of rookies at your table make sure that everyone’s feeling good, and relaxed, and that they’re enjoying the game while they’re learning. In case you have hardcore poker and blackjack players be sure to have the rules put in place in terms of how often can one raise, is there all ins, can raise the blinds, how many side bets are allowed, etc.
Tables, Cards & Chips
Let’s make one thing clear – you don’t have to go all out when planning a poker/blackjack night. A professional poker table is not a requirement. You don’t have to have a separate blackjack table and a separate poker table. You can even use your kitchen table and secure covers for both games that can be interchanged during the evening. Table toppers are an excellent solution for this issue as real gambling tables can be really expensive.
Furthermore, in addition to tables you need chips. Poker and blackjack chips are easy to get, and if you’re having between 6 and 10 people over, a set of 500 chips should do the trick. You can have another 500 in reserve just in case. The majority of chip sets come in four colors, so you must decide which color belongs to which value.
Last but not least is to secure the decks. When we think about it, this might be the most important part. For both of these games, two decks should suffice, but you’d be wise to have plenty more decks at your house. Players tend to get nervous the more they play and the more they lose. So to keep the poker/blackjack night provably fair you might consider changing to a new deck of cards now and then throughout the evening.
Put House Rules in Place
Poker and blackjack among friends are nice and quite fun, but without a set of house rules things can quickly get out of control. This is why it is important to have house rules set before the people gather, and to introduce folks to the rules as soon as possible. House rules can refer to anything related to the games itself to how you want people to behave on your premises. Gameplay, etiquette of players, environment, and everything in between can be included in the rules. For example, you can set limits on when to raise the blinds, penalties for betting out of turn, how many chips every player receives at the start of the evening, buyout and buy-in clauses, or how many drinks one can have. Today, most people tend to set the rules about the use of smartphones at the table, bathroom breaks, wearing sunglasses, exiting a game, etc. Considering you’ll be organizing the evening you can choose to set the rules in any way you like.
Do it Regularly & Consistently
If you want to enjoy your poker and blackjack nights you need to have them regularly. Consistency will make everything better when it comes to these types of events. If you’re not too tight about your event, having it once a month is the real deal. But, if you have a group of people who love these card games you need to up that frequency. Twice a month should be a minimum, but having a poker/blackjack night every week is also an option.
The path to consistency starts with a set date. Once you set the date, do not cancel it. The chances are not all of your friends will be able to attend every event. Play with those who make it. Also, ensure that you have a few irregular backup options. This is not a one-man party. So, not everything about the organization should fall on your back. You can freely allow your close buddies to call someone from their circle if you feel that the party will be lacking bodies. This way, you will have a wider circle of people aiming to be a part of your poker/blackjack night frequently and you will never have to cancel due to low interest from people.
To ensure that the amount of late cancellations is low, you should schedule these events on the weekends. Also, if you want to get better at organizing poker/blackjack nights, you need to visit other people’s events. Change the location with your friends, or go attend one with a different circle of friends. See what you’re doing good, what you’re bad at, and where improvements could be made.
Snacks and Beverages
Poker and blackjack nights are not about playing cards. They’re about people, hanging out, spending time with your friends, drinking and eating while playing cards. So, before you get things into motion think about snacks and beverages. This is not the hard part. It is easy. Just ask your people what they love to drink and eat. Even if you’re not sure what to buy you can’t go wrong with wings, chips, dips, and nuts. Simple is the best.
To make your venue a bit more professional it is best that you keep food away from the playing tables. Trust us, spills of food are not easy to clean and they can make the player uncomfortable, the cards greasy, and the whole experience messy. As far as drinks go, keep the flow streamlined. Everyone can bring the beer they like to drink. If you want a cocktail night, choose which one people want, make a list of ingredients, and have everyone bring a little bit of what’s needed. Everything can be wrapped up with a bottle of tequila or whiskey if there are people who love to keep it short. Also, do not forget to have a few non-alcoholic drinks nearby, as many players love to have their minds clear when gambling even if it’s recreationally.
Music
While most people will be talking with each other and socializing as it’s usually the case when it comes to playing cards, you shouldn’t leave the room without some background noise. You can make any playlist you like, but most of us will agree that when playing cards and shuffling decks Jazz might be the most appropriate choice. With Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and other music streaming services it is easier than ever to compile a playlist that blends perfectly with a poker/blackjack night.
Know When to Wrap it Up
Trust us, when we say it, poker and blackjack nights can get out of control. It is important to set a timeline for when the night will start and when it will end. Some people could play three days in a row if allowed. Knowing when the night ends should be information that all players know. That’s how you will collectively start wrapping the night up. When the game starts flowing, most players will lose sight of time, but you don’t want this evening to last too long for anyone, especially not for you as the host.
Summary
A well-organized poker and blackjack evening should leave all guests satisfied when leaving. To make sure you’re the host of such evenings follow a few steps from this guide and you’ll be on the same page as all of the other successful hosts. As you can see, just devise a plan, think of everything that makes these games fun, and push forward with it. While at the beginning you’ll feel like you’re doing something wrong, it’s not like that. It just takes time for everything to settle. Soon enough you’ll be having your friends feeling like they’re staying at a high-end Las Vegas resort.
