What to Serve at Your Poker Home Game

With the explosion of online play, ESPN coverage and cardplaying themed magazines, it surprises most people to hear that by far and away, the most poker in the world is played for nominal stakes in the security of a friend’s house on a regular day of the week.

Poker is still a home game played for fun for most people out there.

However, the people who tend to take it upon themselves to organize a home game can many times mess up while combining the creature comforts of a home-hosted game with the basic requirements of a functioning poker game.

Case in point – food. How many times have you played at your Uncle’s house with a miniature plate of heavily dressed salad pouring out onto the felt – or had oil dampen your cards after finishing a taquito at your old college roommates’?

Holdem Bonuses will provide some advise on what food to serve and not serve at your next home game:

Chips and Salsa

Do Not: Serve oily potato chips or kettle chips. These chips get gunk on your hands which then get onto the cards which then make everyone unhappy. Also, stay away from watery salsa like standard pico de gallo or other tomato salsas – these dips can be tough to manage without spilling all over the place.

Do: Serve non-oily tortilla chips and baked chips along with thick salsa (ie bean dip, thick spinach dip.)

Salads and Proper Dinner Food

Do Not: Serve a dinner to be eaten concurrently with the game. If you are going to take a dinner break, take an actual dinner break where you and your guests get up from the table and go to a different room to eat.

Do: Make sure to use functional silverware and plates; disposable stuffs are fine as long as you make sure that you aren’t sacrificing an easy eating experience for an easy cleaning experience.

Finger Foods and Other In-Game Snacks

Do Not: Serve anything steeped in oil like hard tacos, bagel bites, chimichangas, pizza and churros. These foods may fit the finger food bill which is necessary to fill for an in-game poker snack, but they will ultimately slow down your game.

Do: Serve dry finger foods like soft tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, corndogs and sub sandwiches. Just make sure that your guests have a suitable plate/paper towel to set their food down occasionally, and plenty of napkins to wipe their fingers.

Drinks

Do Not: Serve red wine or dark cola. Look, you guys are going to be playing poker – someone is going to spill something. Minimize the effect of that spill by avoiding major stainers like cabernets and merlots.

Do: Serve white wines, gin and vodka martinis. Delicious, alcoholic and above all else, easy to clean up.