Poker Night Snacks

Whether you do a poker night every weekend with friends, or ever month - odds are, it will be your turn to host sooner or later. We've got a good selection of snacks listed below - some are easy (store bought), and some involve a bit of work by you!

Let's start with a few quick and easy snack ideas:
- fruit or veggie trays from the grocery store
- chips, pretzels, popcorn, peanuts
- nacho chips and salsa


Going for a bit more of a meal? Why not grab a pizza, or wings from your favorite local restaurant!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

 Some snack ideas that require a bit of work, but are worth it:
- nachos - click here for a delicious recipe
- wings, meatballs, mozzarella sticks, or other frozen finger foods
- store made or homemade garlic bread
- chip dips - click here for a great Jalapeno Popper Dip (super easy!)
- maple glazed almonds - click here to see how to make them

If you are serving or allowing guests to bring alcohol, always make sure that there is food, water and other non-alcoholic beverages available at all times.

Make sure you have plenty of napkins to go around too, you don't want the cards to get marked or dirty!



Here's an awesome cupcake display if you're feeling adventurous too!

How often do you host poker nights? Do you provide snacks, or does everyone bring something?

World Poker Tour

Ever dreamed of playing in the World Poker Tour (WPT)? As a poker player of any skill level, who hasn't?

The World Poker Tour was started in 2002, with the total prize pool at $1,416,200.00. The 2013 WPT has a prize pool of $3,660,500.00

Each season, a Player of The Year (POY) is established, awarding the WPT Player of The Year, based on a points system. WPT Player of the Year points are awarded based on the total prizepool of the tournament. In the event of a tie in a given Season, the player who earns the most money in such Season will win WPT Player of the Year for such Season.

In many ways, the World Poker Tour is the Superbowl of the poker community.

So - what if you did want to enter the WPT? Here's what you need to know:

It is not necessary to be a poker professional, but candidates do need to be at least 21 years of ages in some of the locales. Players must also pay an entrance fee, which may vary by location. Because some of these fees coupled with the buy-in can be substantial, only serious players typically play at these events. Finally, players must first win a series of satellite tournaments in order to qualify for the main events. The entrance fee and buy-in for the satellite events are much less than the official tour games. Once at the table, the standard poker rules apply and players may be disqualified for infractions such as profanity, cheating and other inappropriate behaviors.

Let's talk winnings...

First, the winner will have their tournament entrance fee refunded. These fees are often in the hundreds of dollars, which does not include the buy-in for the tournament. They also typically have their hotel stay and related charges such as dining and airfare reimbursed as well. This applies to the main events and not the satellite tournaments. The prizes for the tournaments range from $100,000 to well over $4 million. Many of the individuals that play at this level are pros at the game and this is their singular source of income. Some of the higher level players also become sought after guest speakers and commentators at poker events around the world.



2013 World Poker Tour at the Bellagio in Las Vegas

Dates	May 19 - 26, 2012
Final Table Date	May 26, 2012
Buy-In	$25,000 + $500
Number of Entrants	152
Prize Pool	$3,660,500

 

Do you follow the World Poker Tour? If so, how long have you been following it for?

How Do You Play Poker, Anyways?

Do you feel like this when you get invited to play poker? Let us help you.

Here are a couple handy things to keep in mind when learning how to play:

- There's a big difference between playing poker in a casino and playing at a friend's home: There is virtually no joking around and the atmosphere can be intense while at a casino. When playing in a more casual setting, you can feel free to jest, tease and really let loose during the game.

-  Even if you have a good hand, you will need to weigh that against the chances that your opponent has a better hand.

- The more you are into the game, the easier it will be to learn the language of your opponents.

- Below, an example of poker hands and what they include:

- The best time to fold is when you see that your hand is a losing one and that those around you are exhibiting a confidence that you do not share.

- Not only is it possible to read the body language of others as you sit at the poker table, it is a key component of the game. For instance, if someone sits up very straight as they place their bets they likely have great confidence in their hand. The same is true if the player is chatting a lot during the game or smiling at the other players. On the other hand, players that roll their eyes or take deeps breaths are more likely to have fairly weak hands.

- The most common hand is a no-pair which is also referred to high-card. This means that there are no pairs, no flush and no other ‘playable’ sequence in the hand. Thus, all you are really left with is a hand with a high-card. This hand is dealt about 50% of the time.


These are some great tips to get you started in learning how to master the game of poker. For more tips, and greater detail, check out our website articles here.