When I first started building, I spent a bunch of time on different forums, looking at different builds, and trying to put together something that would work. Now, I'm almost certain you could find a YT video that would show you EXACTLY how to do what you want.
For an 8-seater, a round table would be GREAT, but it doesn't allow you much room for expansion, so to speak. I've wanted to build one for YEARS, just because I love the way they look, but never did, because my game had outgrown 8 players by far.
I used
this to build a 8-seat ellipse years ago, though I went full felt with no cupholders.
I used a bunch of info from
here and these pages to develop a plan. Although a lot of the links are dead, the foundation can be found there.
There have been some recent builds by forum members here that are VERY well done, with plenty of pictures to allow you follow along with the process.
I suppose the starting point is, committing to a style, knowing what materials you'll need, and understanding that you will almost surely make mistakes, but you'll be the only player who notices.
Are you any good with cutting plywood? Do you have tools to do that? You can
probably get away with using a jigsaw and manual staple gun only for a simple full-felt table, but I wouldn't recommend it. A router, pneumatic stapler, electric carving knife, couple of circle jigs make the job easier AND allow for better a better finished project.
I'm TERRIBLE at cutting wood, and I'm not at all ashamed to say that I've outsourced it multiple times. Draw a diagram and have someone with the requisite skill set make these cuts. I buy the wood, take it to them, pick it up when they tell me its ready, and then I can do the stuff I'm capable of. If that's an option for you, I'd use it without hesitation.
Lastly, there are a lot of cool folks around here who would be happy to help get your idea out of your head, and into your poker room. Don't be shy about reaching out.
