Poker night checklist
Everything a host needs to sort, from the invite a week out to counting the chips back into the case. One page to print and tick off.
Poker night checklist
Date: ______________The week before
- Send the invite: date, start time, address, buy-in
- Ask for RSVPs by a set day
- Share the house rules with anyone new
- Check the chip count against the number coming
- Plan the blind structure for the length of the night
- Sort out food and drinks
The day before
- Send a reminder; confirm the final count
- Count out a starting stack per player, plus spares for rebuys
- Two decks in different colors, a dealer button
- Small bills for change; a box or envelope for the buy-ins
- Charge the device that runs the clock
Setting up
- Table, chairs, felt, good light
- Blind clock on a screen everyone can see
- More players than one table seats? Draw seats
- Hand-rankings card on the table for new players
- Drinks on a side table, not the felt
During the game
- Collect each buy-in and hand out a stack at check-in
- Write down every rebuy and add-on as it happens
- Note who busts, in order, and who knocked them out
- Color up the small chips at the break
- Balance the tables as players bust
After the last hand
- Count the prize pool against the cash; pay the places
- Pay out any bounties
- Record the finishing order and update the standings
- Send round the results
- Count the chips back into the case
- Set the next date
Free from playfinaltable.com
Make it a routine
The same steps in the same order every game is what gets a night started on time. The guide to starting a home poker league explains each step, and the free tools take care of the numbers: the chip calculator for stacks, the tournament timer for the clock, the seating generator for the draw and the payout calculator for the end of the night.
Keep reading
Questions, answered
A table that seats everyone, a chip set (300 chips covers 6 to 8 players), two decks of cards, a dealer button, a blind clock and somewhere to keep the cash. Snacks that don't leave grease on the cards help too.
Plan on 3 to 4 hours for 8 to 10 players with 20-minute levels. Shorter levels or a shallower starting stack make it faster; deep stacks and rebuys make it longer.
Ask everyone to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the first hand, so buy-ins, stacks and seats are sorted before the clock starts.
Half this list, done for you.
Final Table sends the invites and reminders, runs check-in and the clock, and updates the standings. Free for up to 18 players.