How to Host a Texas Hold 'Em Home Game

For those of you that have been reading my beginner hubs on how to play Texas Hold 'Em, I thought that maybe you would be excited on how to host your own game. For those who haven't read my hubs, you can find them here http://hubpages.com/hub/No-Limit-Texas-Hold-Em-For-Beginners Now don't worry, hosting your own game isn't difficult. Here is a short list of things that you will need to host your first game:

• Playing Cards- a minimum of 2 decks per table so that while one deck is in use, the other is being shuffled. Makes the game go alot smoother. Plastic cards are the best because they don't bend very well ( corners, marking cards ) and you can wipe them with a damp rag.
• Chips- You should plan on having at least 3 different color chips, but 4-5 would be ideal so that you can "color up" or exchange them for higher denominations as your blinds rise. If you're having a cash game, then you will only need maybe 3 colors...2 for the blinds and one higher denomination. For example ( .25/.50 blinds then $1 chip ) The amount of chips needed will vary on your blind structure and starting chip count. The suited playing chips are the most common and are a good value for the money. Something else to keep in mind is what kind of chip you want. You will need denominated chips ( .25, .50, 1.00 ) for cash games and colored chips work for tournaments. There is so many chips to choose from such as ceramic, plastic, and clay.

• You will also need a table. As displayed to the right, you have many options. You can build a table or buy one. Building a table will cost you in the ballpark of $200-$400 to build assuming you have most of the tools needed. ( Jigsaw, circ saw, stapler ) If you don't plan on playing that much or don't have room for a permanent table then you can get just a folding table topper or you can get a custom built table that will have a permanent spot in your living room. Expect to spend $25-$600 for your table and even more for super custom made tables. Keep in mind, you will get what you pay for. So, if you have a game just once every couple months don't go out and buy the most expensive table. I have one like the Trademark Poker Folding Table and it works great for my needs.
• Blinds- Check out this website http://www.homepokertourney.com/ This will lead you to blind structures, amount of chips needed, how to build your table, etc. Everything you need to run a game will be here. Be sure to check out the blind section as I believe that is the hardest part of setting up a game.

And last, you will need a timer of some kind to time your blinds. I've even gone as far as using my cell phone. Anything will work. But if you desire a professional look there is tools out there to achieve your needs. There is computer programs that will run your game for you, you just need to input information such as blinds, round length, players names, etc...

You will want to make sure that you give yourself a couple hours to get everything ready! Sometimes you need to run to the store for snacks or you need to bring chairs from the garage inside. Or is your house dirty??? Nobody likes to wait for a game to start, especially from the host!

Well, that's about it. As you can see there really isn't much to it. It will depend on how fancy you want to be. Do you just want a quick game or do you want to simulate an experience that would resemble the Rio??? Oh and the last thing, do not forget the snacks!!!