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Every group has one guy who hosts the game. He has the table, the chips that are almost a full set, and the deck that has seen a few too many spilled drinks. This list is for him: gifts that make poker night look and feel like an event, from the cards up.
Start with the cards
Gents of Fortune Playing Cards – Black Flag Edition
A full deck of history’s most notorious pirates, hand-drawn by illustrator Gustavo “Guzo” Borboa, with custom face cards and pips. It turns an ordinary game into a conversation piece the moment it hits the table.
See the deck
Mythical Creatures Playing Cards – Black, Silver & Gold
Black PVC plastic cards that are waterproof, so a knocked-over beer is a wipe, not a new deck. The art covers creatures from Greek, Norse, Egyptian and East Asian myth, with metallic silver and gold on black.
Check price on Amazon
Wizards, Witches & Warlocks Bicycle Playing Cards
Printed by the United States Playing Card Company on classic Bicycle stock, with folklore’s great magic users across the court cards. A good second deck for the rotation (see the tip below).
Check price on AmazonUpgrade the table
A proper clay or clay-composite chip set
Light plastic chips are the first thing that makes a home game feel cheap. A 500-chip set with real weight, a few clear denominations, and an aluminum or wood case is the single biggest upgrade most hosts can make.
Browse chip sets on AmazonFolding poker table top
A felt-covered folding top turns the dining table into a real poker table with cup holders and a rail, then folds away against a wall. Look for one sized to the number of players he usually hosts.
Browse table tops on AmazonDealer button and card guards
A heavy dealer button settles the “whose deal is it?” argument for good, and a pair of card guards is a small, personal gift that gets used every single hand.
Browse dealer buttons on AmazonAutomatic card shuffler
Not every host wants one, but the ones who do love it, especially for long tournaments or players whose shuffling is, let’s say, creative.
Browse shufflers on AmazonFor the bar
Heavy rocks glasses
A set of thick-bottomed rocks glasses that don’t tip when someone slams a winning hand on the table. Classic, useful, and they outlast every novelty glass.
Browse rocks glasses on AmazonLarge ice sphere or cube molds
Big ice melts slowly, so the bourbon he poured at the first hand is still a drink by the river card. Cheap, practical, and always appreciated.
Browse ice molds on AmazonFor the student of the game
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
A long-standing classic on why winning players make the decisions they do. It is a good fit for the friend who has started talking about “ranges” at the table.
See it on AmazonMore decks worth gifting
Creatures of the Fae – Bicycle
The Seelie and Unseelie courts of faerie, from Queen Titania to Puck.
Amazon
Mythical Creatures II – Bicycle
Japanese, Celtic, Greek and Near Eastern legends, including the Kitsune and Hippogriff.
Amazon
Day of the Dead – Gold, Silver & Black
Waterproof PVC deck inspired by Día de los Muertos.
See the deckSee the whole collection on our Gent Supply Co. playing cards page.