Folding Poker Tables May Be Just What Your Club Needs

While folding poker tables are all the rage for home gaming, non-profit organizations can use them too. A Texas Holdem tournament is a great idea for raising funds.

Popular celebrities are all over the televised poker tournaments these days. More and more interest in poker is being generated because of them. Because of these televised competitions, there is an increasing growth in the number of home poker players wanting to host a tournament of their own.

But using tournaments for fundraising has trended up by many non-profit organizations too. If you or your club are leaning this way too, what do you really need to pull it off successfully? How much is it going to cost and is it worth it?

Particularly for a charity event but even for a private tournament, you need to have a casino atmosphere. Department store plastic poker chips and a cheap poker layout or blanket on a table are really not going to cut it. You wouldn’t want to use it for a real event. A casino set of chips and a poker table are very expensive though.

Here’s how you can keep down the cost.

1. Folding Poker Tables: These are far less expensive than a permanent poker table. They still give you the casino look and feel you are looking for when playing, but you can fold them up when you are done with them and store them away for the next game or event. Just like actual casino tables, these also have some premium options such as padding under the felt and cushioned arm rests. This gives them a more authentic sound and feel when the chips hit the table or splash the pot. Plus the armrests are great for those long tournament games to help keep the players comfortable.

2. Composite Poker Chips: To avoid the cheap plastic poker chip feel and sound, these are a great alternative but still reasonably priced. A composite poker chip is created by blending clay with plastic. Clay is the the material used in actual casino poker chips to give them the texture and feel they have. By mixing the clay with plastic material, they are able to produce a somewhat similar feel. ABS poker chips are an even cheaper alternative. These are slicker so they don’t stick together as well when stacking, but they will take much more rough treatment and be less expensive than composite clay. They are the favorites for most charity tournaments because of the realistic size, weight, and colorful casino markings, and their low price. Additionally they are tougher than clay or composite poker chips.

3. Prizes: Not all the players need to win money. Prizes based on poker are a great idea for the winner and as consolation prizes for the others as well. Plastic poker playing cards such as the Copag line make a great prize as well as poker bracelets, poker hats, and tee shirts.

On the high end, you could even offer a folding poker table or one of the many poker table tops as a prize to the winner. The lower end tops can be purchased for under 60 dollars.

4. Poker Table Tops: If your club already has folding tables, a folding poker table top might be just what you need and be even cheaper than getting poker tables. Some of the premium tops even have padded felt and armrests just like the tables. Since it does not have legs, a poker top requires an existing table to put it on. Many poker clubs use these to keep their prices down. As an added plus, they have a smaller space requirement for storing.

At less expense than you might estimate, you might look at a poker tournament as a fund raiser or club activity.

Your gamers’ will be glad you did.