The Best Poker Site

The worst thing someone can do is to buy a poker table only to find out about another type that would have been much better for you. So, I am going to try to describe the basic choices available so you can make an informed and hopefully the best decision for you.

The most basic playing surface is to use a poker felt on your own table.  These are very inexpensive but can slide around and are often smaller than the table.  Some of the graphics can be fairly poor as well.  If you can only afford $15 - $20.

this is the place to start.  A new "felt" has come out that is a rubber material so it won't slide around.  It costs $  and is worth considering.

The next step up for playing poker is a "table top".  These are also used on your existing table but generally have arm rests / bumpers and can be fairly nice to play on.  Table tops are generally in the $  price range.  Some reversible from poker to blackjack for instance which adds some versatility.  The newer designs can be folded 2, 3 or 4 times.  This is convenient for storage if you have an apartment or other place where space is limited.  Also, being able to have the table top folded can dramatically reduce the shipping cost.

The next type for consideration is a poker table with folding legs.  The folding leg feature is nice to be able to put the table aside when not in use (this can be the deciding factor as to wether it is "allowed" or not).  There are a wide variety of tables in this category but most have built-in cupholders and come in a variety of felt colors (green, blue, red or black).  There are round or octagon shaped tables that are 48" to 52" in diameter.  They can seat 8 adults.  The oval tables range from 73" long to 96" long - most tend to be 84" long.  73" is 6 feet long (plus an inch).  You can sit about 6 adults around this table comfortably.   The 84" table will seat 8 adults and the 96" table will seat 10 or even 11 players.  Shipping cost is an issue with these tables since they generally have to ship motor freight because of their overall size.  Prices range from $100 to $250 for the table and about $150 extra for shipping.  The cheaper tables have a wood frame underneath the table top (a metal frame is generally sturdier).  In general, the more expensive tables have sturdier folding legs as well.  The padding under the felt and arm rests varies as does the quality of the felt and vinyl for the arm rests.  These differences are why it is important to buy from a reputable source.

The mid range tables generally have the higher quality components and have a wooden "raceway" around the inside of the arm rests.  These are nice to stack the chips on, it helps the felt to last longer and really just looks better.  These tables have some nice features built-in but are generally "as-is" (no customization).  Some of these tables have a dealer spot available with a chip tray.  These are nice for blackjack or poker games with a rake. These tbales can come with heavy duty folding legs or fixed mounted bases.  The bases can be 2 half moon pedestals, metal pedestals, fixed mounted feet (some even have claw feet). One new design has a removeable center felt which can even have a custom printed surface (use your imagination here - your name, company name, poker room name, favorite team, college, group, animal, etc.). If you can find a mid-range table with the features you are looking for they can be excellent values.  These type of tables range from $250. to $1000. plus about $150 for shipping.

Now we have arrived at the custom poker table.  These can start around $600. for an 84" long table plus $150 S/H.  It is a few hundred dollars more for a 96" long table.  You have a choice of felt type (wool or speed cloth), felt color, arm rest color and raceway stain color.  Cupholders are usually black plastic as standard and cost a bit more for oversized cup holders, for brass or stainless steel.  For additional customization you are in the $1,000 to $2,500 range where you can get custom printed felt, lighted raceway, drop boxes, legs with claw feet, custom sizes, etc.

I hope this helps.  I am mainly interested in helping you to determine what table can meet your needs and stay within your price guidelines.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have.  All the best,  Jim