How To Host A Casino Night

You can learn how to host the perfect casino night at your very own home. It is super easy and makes for a great evening with family and friends.  Most games are difficult to play without proper equipment, so we will stick to poker.  Everyone knows how to play Texas holdem and it’s great to play with a large group of people.  The key to hosting the perfect casino night is organization.  Make sure you have all of the supplies and are willing to act as the director.  Realize that hosting a casino party might inhibit your playing time. However, if you stay on top of your game and direct players, the party will be a great success.  If you want to get fancy, hire a company complete with dealers, tables, roulette wheels, and wait staff.  If not, then use this simple guide to setting up a great casino party. 

Supplies Necessary:

• A good deck of cards
• A poker table or table large enough to seat your guests
• A poker rule book. Issues will come up! Gambling gets extremely competitive.
• Dealer Button
• Cut Card (You may use a card from a different colored deck)
• Poker Chips
• Drinks-no girly ones either. Serve a nice Whiskey.
• Appetizers or simple chips and dip

Instructions:

1. Start off a casino party with an easy poker tournament. 
2. Decide on the buy-in and create chip denominations.
3. Have everyone take their seats and determine who the dealer will be.  To do this you start at the left of the table dealing cards face up.  The highest card wins.  If an ace is dealt, that person will be the dealer.
4. If you don't have a designated dealer, have everyone take turns.  Remember to burn a card before the flop, turn, and river.  Always make sure the dealer is using the cut card to avoid showing players the bottom card. 
5. Increase the blinds by double every ten minutes until only the winner remains. Pay out the players and remember poker is only illegal if the house keeps some of the money.
6. Afterwards, set up a cash game.  Decide what the blinds will be and have players buy in to the game.  1/2 is a great game and pretty harmless fun, but feel free to play 2/5 or even 5/10.  If you are playing 1/2, then make each player buy in for at least $50 with a $200 maximum. 
7. Determine who the dealer will be the same way as you did for the tournament. 
8. Deal out cards the same as you did for the tournament and have a great time playing!

Tips:

• Create a prize for the highest hand of the evening or the worst bad beats.  This could be something like a bottle of liquor or by removing one dollar from every hand played. 
• Giving out prizes keeps the game interesting and makes for a great casino party. 
• Keep the money in a safe place and don't loan anyone money for chips if you can't afford to. 
• At the end of the night you will need to pay out the other players and it wouldn't be fair to ask them to be paid later.

Enjoy playing and make sure people follow basic poker etiquette. Remember, no crying when you lose and no giving advice to players who are actively in hands.