Ready for a Texas Hold’em homegame? You have your chips, your cards, snacks and drinks and a list of folks who are ready to play - you have your blind structure all figured out and even your music lined up… but what about a decent Texas hold em poker table? Texas hold em poker tables come in all shapes and sizes, from the heavy, hand carved, fully felted kind of Texas hold em tables to the Texas holdem poker table that is, in reality, just your kitchen table. It could be said that as long as the game is being played that all tables are Texas holdem poker tables, which makes a kind of zen-like sense, but it pays to have an idea of what you might need so that you can make the best choice for your home game.
The Felt
A Texas hold em poker table should covered in felt, if at all possible. The material not only adds an air of authenticity, but it makes for gliding cards across the table during a deal and smooth peeking at hole-cards. Texas hold em poker tables don’t have to have felt, but if you have a choice, say yes to felt.
The Size
Texas hold em tables, when you buy them in a store, differ from other kind of poker talbes. They are long and oblong rather than hexagonal, which is because a Texas holdem poker table with a full contingent of players will have nine to ten people. Texas holdem poker tables should have enough room for not only the player but some elbow room and a place to put their chips, as well as plenty of room in the middle for the board cards and pot.
The Height
Many a Texas hold em poker table is at bar height, as opposed to the height of, say, a dinning room table. The problem with bar height Texas hold em poker tables is that you need bar stools to sit at, and they may not be the most comfortable for long games. Plus you have to consider that most folks who need Texas hold em tables for home games are not going to have a dozen bar stools laying around, so their Texas holdem poker table should match the height of the available seating.
Snack Room
Texas holdem poker tables often come with slots for chips and a drink. This is likely a hold over from the days when playing poker with a cocktail or highball was the norm. The challenge with a drink holder on a Texas hold em poker table is that the drink gets in the way of play. Don’t even consider putting snacks on Texas hold em poker tables as you will just invite all manner of crumbs and other mess to the game. Texas hold em tables should be about the game, not noshing, so make sure that next to your Texas holdem poker table you have side-tables for snacks and drinks.
Texas holdem poker tables truly can be any playing surface, but if you keep the above in mind you will have a better over-all experience at your home game.
