Parties and gatherings can be great ways to see your friends and meet new people, but they can also be uneventful and easily forgettable events. To throw a party that is truly unique and unforgettable, you can try hosting a themed party.
There are many themes that would make an original and outstanding party. This article will specifically focus on poker-themed party ideas.
Readers will find a guide on how to throw a poker-themed event and how to select the right elements that fit with the general theme. Some fun ideas and items will also be included to help individuals throw an original and fun party.
How to throw a poker-themed party
Here are some simple steps you can follow to organize a poker-themed event. A list of some fun items you can buy or make yourself for the night will be introduced at the end of this section.
- Pick a venue
It is important that you pick the venue in which you want to host the theme party. You may choose to host it at your home, at a friend’s home, in an outdoor space or at a third-party venue.
Potential third-party venues for these events can include bars, casinos, private clubs or restaurants. Some of these venues have rooms that can be rented out and privatized for events.
You can therefore privatize a bar or a casino room for your poker-themed party. The choice of venue will depend on the following elements:
- your budget
- the number of guests
- your own taste and preferences
- Pick the exact poker-theme variant you want
You might want to choose a more specific poker-theme variant before hosting your party. For example, are you going for a James Bond poker-themed evening or a roaring 20s, prohibition type of poker event.
Here are some ideas of specific poker themes you might be interested in:
- James Bond poker-themed evening
- Roaring ‘20s poker-themed evening
- Las Vegas poker-themed evening
- Wild West poker-themed evening
- Hollywood poker-themed evening
- 70s inspired poker-themed evening
- and much more
If you are planning on having a poker tournament or playing a poker game with your friends, pick a specific poker variant in advance. For example, you might want to play a traditional version of poker or experiment with a newer variant like Omaha poker.
You can learn the poker game rules online and teach your friends at the party.
- Prepare a music playlist based on the theme
Once you have selected the exact poker theme you want for your event, you can begin to put a music playlist together. If you opt for a James Bond poker-theme, then make sure to include the iconic 007 movie soundtrack.
If you want to include more modern pop songs, you can include on brand hits like the song ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga. Other famous casino gaming songs include “The Gambler” performed by Kenny Rogers, “Ace of Spades” by The Motorhead and “Luck Be a Lady” by Frank Sinatra.
- Buy or make poker-themed snacks, beverages and goodies
For your special night, you might want to buy snacks or beverages with poker-themed elements to them. If you have the time and the energy, you can also bake and prepare some goodies for your party.
For example, you can make a dice-like cake or buy sugar cube dice. You can also make granola bars or brownies with a poker-themed icing on top.
If you struggle to find or make anything that has a poker-themed resemblance, you can simply opt for black and red coloured beverages and snacks. These colours are commonly found in casinos and on roulettes and playing cards.
- Decorate with poker-themed items
Decorating should be quite easy with this party theme. If you have a couple of playing card decks, simply use these cards to decorate the space.
You can leave these cards on your guests’ seats, tables and over the surrounding furniture. You can even personalize these cards by writing down some heartfelt messages to your friends or simply their names for the seating arrangements.
As mentioned above, use the colours red and black to decorate the space as these are classic casino colours.
Depending on your theme, you will then add other items. For example, if you opted for a roaring ‘20s poker party, try to incorporate glittery and jazzy elements that will refer back to the 20s.
You can also dress up as a live casino dealer to welcome your guests and host the poker game in real casino fashion. You can also buy different lights to recreate a Las Vegas casino if that is what you opted for.
In other words, consider the following elements when preparing your party and try to make them fit within your general theme:
- lights
- furniture
- tableware and cutlery
- your own outfit and that of your guests
- front door
- walls
- rugs
Final thoughts
This article provided some tips and ideas on how to throw a successful and unforgettable poker-themed party.