1. Choose the format
| Cash game | Tournament | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Casual nights, people arriving and leaving | A fixed start time and a clear winner |
| Blinds | Fixed all night | Rise every 15 to 20 minutes |
| Running out of chips | Buy in again | You are out, unless re-buys are allowed |
| Length | As long as you like | About 2.5 to 3.5 hours for 8 players |
For a first poker night, a tournament is easier to explain and has a natural end.
2. Invite the right number of people
Six to nine players is the sweet spot for one table of Texas Hold'em. Fewer than five gets repetitive; more than ten means long waits between hands, so split into two tables. Invite one or two more than you need, because someone always cancels.
3. Shopping list
- Two decks of cards with different backs, so one can be shuffled while the other is dealt.
- Chips: about 50 per player for a set, or none at all if everyone uses a phone with EasyPoker.
- A dealer button: a coin or bottle cap works.
- A table big enough to reach the middle, ideally with a cloth so cards slide.
- A timer for tournament blind levels (any phone clock).
- Food that is not greasy: finger food leaves marks on the cards. Bowls and napkins away from the felt.
4. Set the stacks and blinds
Start everyone with 50 to 100 big blinds. A common home setup is 1,000 chips with 5/10 blinds, raising to 10/20, 20/40, 50/100 and so on. The blind structure guide has a full schedule, and the chip calculator works out how many chips of each colour to hand out if you use a physical set.
5. Agree the house rules before the first hand
Five minutes of rules saves an hour of arguments. Decide on re-buys, the minimum raise, whether you can show one card, and what happens on a misdeal. Our home poker house rules page is a list you can read out or send to the group chat.
6. Run the night
- Start on time; latecomers can join a cash game or buy in during the first level of a tournament.
- Rotate the deal every hand, with the button moving left.
- Take a short break every hour or two.
- Keep phones for chips only if you are using them as chips; otherwise keep them off the table.
7. Settle up
At the end, write down each player's final stack before anyone leaves. If you play for stakes, convert chips back at the same rate as the buy-in and settle between yourselves. For tournaments, see how to split a tournament prize pool. EasyPoker never handles money, but every stack and every action of the night stays on record for the host.