What does every good poker room need? (2 Viewers)

[Slam21]

I'm lucky enough to have a room on the back of my garage that I'm not really using. I would absolutely LOVE to turn this into a poker room. I think I have the basics covered (table, chairs, cards, and chips) but I'd love to hear what PCF thinks it takes to put a poker room over the top. I want to be THAT house where people want to play poker.

 

[BamaT8ter]

Whales.

 

[doublebooyah85]

Auto shuffler, designated dealer and comfortable seats

 

[bluegill]

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/hot-dog-roller-pron.26761/

 

[RocAFella1]

Strippers and blow.

 

[Slam21]

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/hot-dog-roller-pron.26761/

This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for lol. This is cool.

Auto shuffler, designated dealer and comfortable seats

Are there any that you would recommend?

 

[dpeks13]

Hmm… Nice TV, fridge for drinks. I’m sure there’s plenty more

 

[doublebooyah85]

Tons of reviews on here for seats and shuffler is shuffle tech.

This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for lol. This is cool.


Are there any that you would recommend?

 

[4SUMERZ]

Small mini fridge is a must,( built in the wall is even better to save space in the poker room) TV, comfy chairs, good lighting, Peanut machine, variety of drinks available, water, soft drinks, beer, spirits.
An ice machine is also nice to have. As the ice melts in the machine, it makes more.

 

[Coyote]

A. Even a chinese-made cheap shuffler machine is a very good improvement to the game.
If it breaks down, buy a new one; it's cheap.

B. A dedicated, non-playing dealer (paid by the hour and NOT through rake) would be ideal.
In the absence of such a dealer, IMHO, the host should be dealing all night, (with the help of a shuffling machine) even while playing.

C. Lighting from above (strong enough, but NOT getting into people's eyes, by virtue of diffusers).

D. Reasonably comfortable chairs

E. A table with a rail on its perimeter, preventing cards and maybe chips from falling on the floor

Quality of poker chips is honestly irrelevant, if you 've fullfilled the above requirements.

Fridge, hotdogroller etc are helpful, but still irrelevant for people who only really care about poker.

 

[Rhodeman77]

1. Players.

2. See 1.

 

[Coyote]

1. Players.

2. See 1.

Tell me how to keep consistently loosing players who refuse to study 'cause they 're busy with business and family.

"Always recruit" could be the answer, but the results are finite, especially in societies where poker enjoys one tenth of the popularity of backgammon (which by the way only requires two players for a game, and possibly less time)

 

[surfik]

Coffee maker

 

[Silver_Fiend]

 

[Hot Nuts]

This is a hit in my poker garage.

 

[HaRDHouSeiNC]

Here come the hotdog sandwich roller posts

 

[Coyote]

Interestingly, when I had a table seating max 6, I had a hard time filling it.
As soon as I acquired a table seating 8 "imperially" or 10 cramped, I have always had 10 cramped players

 

[MrBoosh]

I think there are a ton of great upgrades you can do to your poker room to take your space to the next level! Lots of great ideas have already been listed. I am big on cool lighting. Color changing smart bulbs make it easy to add cool lighting at not a huge cost. I have some spare stage lighting I also use around the walls to add splashes of extra color.

The pellet ice machine that I have is a big hit with our players. It is an opal ice machine that is currently made by GE. It makes mixed drinks so much better!!!

I always supply plenty of booze and snacks for people to munch on as well. Maybe a hot dog roller will find its way into our game in the future.

It is nice to have a table with rails on it. Just a Barrington or something similar is all you need. And pick yourself up a table topper from @rjdev7 if you want to take it to the next level!

 

[Rhodeman77]

Tell me how to keep consistently loosing players who refuse to study 'cause they 're busy with business and family.

"Always recruit" could be the answer, but the results are finite, especially in societies where poker enjoys one tenth of the popularity of backgammon (which by the way only requires two players for a game, and possibly less time)

It is why players is the most important factor.

Playing at stakes the players are comfortable losing regularly is also key. Don’t have games all the time. Often enough that they are an event they don’t want to miss because the next could be several more weeks alway.

Tournaments are much easier to fill and keep players coming back for because of the exact known cost for the game. Cash games have that X factor of an unknown cost for the night that can definitely scare some players away.

Having the best run game in town helps keep the losing players coming longer, but if they get burned out from always losing they will burn out eventually no matter what.

 

[mintberrycruch]

Small mini fridge is a must,( built in the wall is even better to save space in the poker room) TV, comfy chairs, good lighting, Peanut machine, variety of drinks available, water, soft drinks, beer, spirits.
An ice machine is also nice to have. As the ice melts in the machine, it makes more.

That habs poker table is awesome

 

[Moxie Mike]

I'd love to hear what PCF thinks it takes to put a poker room over the top. I want to be THAT house where people want to play poker.

Bar/place to make drinks
Fridge of some type (full size, mini fridge, kegerator)
Easy access to a bathroom
Space to get away from the table if needed
TV or monitor for blind timer that all can easily see
Good equipment
Comfortable chairs

 

[4SUMERZ]

That habs poker table is awesome

Thanks. This guy with the blue Leaf hat on would disagree...lol He does have the majority of the chips however...We all take pity on those losers lol

 

[SendThatStack]

Bar/place to make drinks
Fridge of some type (full size, mini fridge, kegerator)
Easy access to a bathroom
Space to get away from the table if needed
TV or monitor for blind timer that all can easily see
Good equipment
Comfortable chairs

A good atmosphere is very important. A good culture/vibe etc. for the space and the game. Most important is a core group of regulars who are also trying to bring in more players.

 

[upNdown]

Good table and GOOD chairs are the most important in my opinion. Your average $30 folding chair isn’t comfortable for an hour, let alone a 7 hour session. Find some used gassers or spring for decent desk chairs.
Otherwise, you don’t need too much.

Decent lighting, a TV or two, good music and a fridge or cooler. And a hot dog roller of course. Love the kegerator idea but that gets expensive. Personally I think it’s important to not be raking or taking a cover charge for food or drink, but you’ll figure out what works for you and your crowd.
Shuffler? I think if you have a dedicated dealer, yes. If it’s a pass the deal situation, no. And fwiw, I feel like the pass the deal situation with two decks works great and serves to keep people engaged a bit more. Doesn’t take long for people to get used to it.

 

[MeridianFC]

Table, chips, cards.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Whales.

Was going to ctrl-F this but didn't need to.

/thread

 

[Schmendr1ck]

I think there are a ton of great upgrades you can do to your poker room to take your space to the next level! Lots of great ideas have already been listed. I am big on cool lighting. Color changing smart bulbs make it easy to add cool lighting at not a huge cost. I have some spare stage lighting I also use around the walls to add splashes of extra color.

I love your lighting for ambiance, and while nothing like your setup, I also have some RGB LED bulbs around the house.

But when the cards fly, I want bright and white.

Players with vision issues, or who are simply getting old, need all the help they can get to read the board correctly.

 

[mike32]

I like
Good table
Good chairs
Bathroom close by
Refrigerator
Nice tv
Good sound system
Good plastic cards with large index
Decent chips that are easily identifiable
Water and coffee
Variety of snacks
Good lighting
Comfortable room temperature

 

[MrBoosh]

I love your lighting for ambiance, and while nothing like your setup, I also have some RGB LED bulbs around the house.

But when the cards fly, I want bright and white.

Players with vision issues, or who are simply getting old, need all the help they can get to read the board correctly.

Thank you very much! I do try to keep the ceiling lights above the tables on white to keep the tables decently lit. I use Kasa smart lights in the ceiling and led stage lighting around the room for ambiance. I also have some Nanoleaf lights on the front of the bar which are pretty cool.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

I use Kasa smart lights in the ceiling.

Same here: smart bulbs, switches, and plugs all over the house.

I think I may have forgotten how to operate a light switch by hand.