Picking a Good Poker Table
No matter how much time or effort you put into planning your poker home games, the experience of the event will typically only be as good as the table you’re playing on. Brand name cards and expensive chips don’t really count for much if you’re playing on a kitchen table, and many of the classic oval-style card tables are started to fade away in popularity in favor of the types of professional poker tables you find in casinos. There really is a table to fit any kind of budget, so first you need to ask yourself what your needs are in a poker table.
If you are going for as authentic an experience as possible, then you will definitely want to look into the tables that closely resemble the kind that are used in real card rooms. These can range from a few hundred dollars to well over $2,000 depending on what features you want with the table. If you want, you can have a wood inlay put in around the felt to act as a place for players to put their chips. You can even go the extra mile and have built-in cup holders installed into the inlay. You can choose to have a dealer chip rack installed as well if you’re going to have the need to color-up chips as the night progresses, such as if you are running a tournament.
As for the legs that hold up these top-tier tables, I highly recommend getting the thick, half-oval wood legs that most table makers offer, as that really completes the overall look. Some players opt to get a table with folding legs, but in my opinion that really damages the visual appeal of the table itself.
Of course if you’re on a tight budget, the old-school circle-shaped tables are still be found at any hobby store or major retail outlet like Sears in the game room section. These tables are perfect for college dorm rooms or in areas where large poker tables won’t normally fit. These tables are built to last but also don’t often offer the same luxuries that the more expensive versions do. Shop around online and see what’s out there and I’m confident that you will find a table that fits both your budgetary and visual needs.
By: chris Iaquinta
