Poker parties are the growing thing these days, in the 20 to 30 age bracket. Where their fathers had weekend games, with the guys gathered round in t-shirts, in a room full of cigar smoke, the younger set likes to set up a more organized affair.

So imagine it: a folding poker table in the living room, martinis in the kitchen, and custom printed card in the automatic shuffler. The host, as banker, passes out poker chips from a set of casino-style, regulation clay chips, the guy to his right gets the dealer puck, and the game begins.

Theres an ambience to all of that which is hard to ignore and harder to forget. A well done poker party reschedules itself.

Why is Poker so Much Fun?

Its no surprise, really, that the rising popularity of poker parties has gone hand in hand with the rising popularity of online gaming generally, and online poker rooms particularly. The Internet is an incredible advance in communications, connecting people with each other, as well as with products. Poker, in many ways, falls into both categories.

Its a social game. Thats really at the heart of its popularity, both in real life and on the Web. When you play poker, especially with a group of friends, youre sitting around a table with your cards and your chips and maybe a drink, and theres camaraderie there; talking is natural. In the online poker rooms, the gamers and the administrators both have created a system that allows as much as possible of that naturalness to come through.

Poker Etiquette

There are rules to playing poker online, and Im not talking about the rules of the game. Those are the same online or offline. Im talking about the rules for talking to each other, using the chat system in the room, and generally being social.

In all online poker rooms, table talk is forbidden. Bridge players will know what I mean; using a series of codes to let other players know what your holding. This will get your IP address banned from an online poker room. Also, in many poker rooms, if you stop answering the chat, or skip your turn in the hand, youre done for the game; theyll assume youve left the table. Now theres a rule to like.

The Excitement of the Game

But theres something that all poker games, whether online, or at a casino or martini bar, or in a living room, have in common, and thats the thrill. Lets face it, poker is popular because its an exciting game. Is it gambling? Yes, it is, and if you lose a big stakes game, you can really lose big. But its not just gambling. Poker combines elements of casino chance with elements of player skill. Yes, you can get a bad hand, or a lousy hole card, but in the long run, if you know the game, you do well anyway. Thats what really brings people back.

Getting Started

So now, youre decided. Youre gonna start a game. But what do you need? Youve got a deck of cards, and a few boxes of matches, but is that enough?

Of course, its not enough. There are some essential supplies to give any game the right ambience. Youll want a table, to start with. You dont have to buy a free standing poker table; you can find smaller folding tables, Check over here or even folding tops to place on your existing table. Poker tables are more than just a conceit; they have markings on them showing where to hold your cards and chips, who is the dealer, and were to put the pot. You can get by without a poker table, but if youre new to the game, itll sure make things easier on you.

Youll also want a good set of poker chips. Poker chips come in a lot of varieties, colors, weights, styles what to get is up to you. Casino regulations stipulate painted clay chips, at least 11.5 grams each, with the denomination printed on them. Casino poker chips like this arent hard to find, and are usually reasonably priced. Your best bet is to buy a set of at least 250. Most poker games have 5 players, and youll want enough chips to go around. Poker chips are also sold in batches of 500, 650, or even 1000. Again, how many you need is up to you.

If youre like me, shuffling cards is a challenge. There are automatic card shufflers available to do this for you, and theyre fun to watch, too. Many casinos permit electronic shuffling at the table, so dont think that youll be losing that Vegas spirit if you use one.

This should get you started. Once youre on the poker party bandwagon, youll figure out what else you need!