Everyone loves a game night! Not only is it an excuse to have friends over to your home, but it’s also a fantastic tradition for strengthening relationships, expanding your social circle, and blowing off a little steam with some friendly competition. If you plan to start hosting games at your house, there are a few things you’ll need to know to ensure your new tradition is a success.

Here is more on the art of hosting and must-haves for the perfect evening.

Hosting a Party: The Essentials

Whether your party is for five of your closest friends or 20 acquaintances and colleagues, you need to get the basics down. These include:

Snacks

Try to plan your poker night after the dinner hour so you won’t be expected to serve a full meal and so that your guests show up with something in their stomachs (especially if you plan to serve alcohol). However, you should have snacks out even though your guests have already eaten. Chips and dip, snack mixes, and cheese and crackers are perfect munchies for a casual get-together.

Drinks

Always have some bottled water on hand for thirsty guests. Other than that, you can encourage everyone to BYOB or provide a few different selections of wine, beer, and/or soft drinks. Want to provide drinks but would rather not do it out of your own pocket? Ask guests to chip in five or ten dollars so you can stock your bar.

Seating

In the perfect scenario, you will have a table created specifically for playing poker as the centerpiece of your game. If you don’t have one, you may want a tabletop poker mat to prevent chips or cards from slipping off the table. Ensure there are enough seats (and room) for all players.

Elevate Your Game with a Professional Poker Set

Even if you ticked off all the must-have boxes, your game night might still hit a sour note if the poker set you are using is missing pieces or is worn out. Show your guests you mean business by investing in a quality, stylish poker set complete with a carrying case, ceramic or clay chips, and durable cards that will stand up to the wear and tear that comes with regular use.

Want to make your game even more impressive? Consider getting customized cards or poker chip sets. You can customize them with business logos, personal photos, artwork, or nearly anything else that will elevate your poker set and ensure everyone remembers your parties.

Poker Chip and Card Set: The Right Fit for Your Party

Creating the tradition of a regular game night with your friends and family is the ideal way to add more fun and connection to your life. Make sure you create the right atmosphere with salty snacks, plenty of drinks, a professional poker set, and seating for everyone, and consider add-ons like customized poker chip sets or cards to truly take your gathering to the next level.