For most homes, a poker table top is the better buy: it turns a sturdy dining table into a card table for game night, then folds away. A full poker table makes sense if you have a dedicated game room, host often, and want a table that's always ready. The rest of this guide helps you decide which side of that line you're on.
Side-by-side comparison
| Poker table top | Full poker table | |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Uses a table you already have | Needs its own floor space |
| Storage | Folds and stores in a closet or under a bed | Folding models store flat; others stay out |
| Setup | Lay it on the table and open it | Unfold legs or leave it set up |
| Comfort | Depends on your dining chairs and table height | Built for playing, often with padded rails |
| Players | Set by the top size and your table | Set by the table, often 8 to 10 |
| Portability | Easy to take to a friend's house | Heavy and bulky |
| Price | Usually lower | Usually higher |
When a poker table top makes sense
A table top is the right choice if you play once or twice a month, don't have a spare room, or want to take the game to other people's houses. It also leaves your dining room looking like a dining room the rest of the week.
The one we sell is the Fat Cat Poker/Blackjack Table Top with a 500-chip set for $178.99. According to the maker, it's solid wood with a cloth playing surface, fits over most tables and seats up to 8 players. It has built-in chip and drink holders, folds in half and comes with a carrying case. The set includes a 500-count Texas Hold'em chip set in Claytec chips, two decks of standard playing cards and a full set of big blind, little blind and dealer buttons. It's sold as a poker and blackjack table top, so it works for both games.
Measure your dining table first
The Fat Cat top is 51 x 51 x 0.75 inches and weighs 16 lb. It's square, which is less common than oval tops, so measuring matters.
- Measure the table surface. A table close to 51 inches in both directions supports the whole top. A longer rectangular table works too, as long as it's wide enough that the edges don't hang far over.
- Check the overhang. A little overhang is fine. A lot of overhang on a narrow table makes the top less stable when people lean on the edges.
- Check it's sturdy. Sixteen pounds plus elbows and drinks is fine for a solid dining table, but avoid glass tops and wobbly folding tables.
- Count the chairs. Eight players need eight chairs around a roughly square shape. Make sure there's room to pull chairs out.
- Protect the table. A thin tablecloth or felt pads under the top help prevent scratches.
If you also want darts for game night, the Game Night Bundle ($329) pairs the same Fat Cat table top and chips with a Viper Metropolitan dartboard cabinet. The cabinet listing doesn't list a board or darts, so plan to add a board if you don't have one.
When a full folding poker table makes sense
A full poker table is the right choice if you have a basement, den or game room where it can live, you host every week, or your group is bigger than your dining table allows. Dedicated tables are built at playing height with a rail to rest your arms on, so long sessions are more comfortable.
Folding poker tables sit in between: they have their own legs, so they don't need a dining table, but the legs fold so the table can be stored against a wall. They're heavier and bulkier than a table top, and they take up more storage space.
Before buying any full table, check:
- The floor space with chairs pulled out, which is much more than the table itself.
- The seating the maker claims, and remember that "up to" numbers are the maximum, not the comfortable number for long games.
- The weight, if it has to go up and down stairs.
- What's included. Some tables come with chips and cards, others don't.
What else you need for a home game
Whichever you choose, a good home game needs a few more things.
- Chips. Both Fat Cat options we sell include a 500-chip set.
- Cards. Have at least two decks so one can be shuffled while the other is dealt. The Fat Cat set includes two.
- Dealer and blind buttons. These keep track of whose turn it is to deal and post blinds. They're included with the Fat Cat top.
- Light. A pendant or a lamp over the table, low enough to light the cards without shining in anyone's eyes.
- Somewhere for drinks. Cup holders keep drinks off the playing surface. The Fat Cat top has them built in.
How many chips do you need?
It depends on the number of players and how you split the chips by value. As simple arithmetic, a 500-chip set divided between 8 players is about 60 chips each, and between 6 players about 80 each. That's enough for a typical home game with a few denominations, with some left in the box for rebuys.
If your group is larger, or plays tournaments with several color values and many rebuys, you might want more chips later. For most home games of 4 to 8 people, 500 is a comfortable starting set.
Setting up for your first home game
Once you have a table, a little preparation makes the night run smoothly.
- Agree on the game before people arrive. Texas Hold'em is the default for most home games, but say so in the invite, along with the start time and any buy-in.
- Pre-sort the chips. Stack each player's starting chips before guests sit down, so the game starts on time.
- Seat the dealer button. Decide who deals first and move the button one seat to the left after every hand.
- Set a finish time. A clear end time keeps a weeknight game from running past midnight.
- Keep food off the felt. Put snacks on a side table and use the cup holders for drinks. A cloth playing surface is hard to clean once something greasy lands on it.
- Have spare cards. Decks get bent and sticky. With two decks you can swap one out mid-game.
None of this needs special equipment beyond what comes with a complete set, which is why we like starting with one that includes chips, cards and buttons.
Our take
- Small home, monthly game, or you travel to games: the Fat Cat table top and chips.
- Game nights that mix poker and darts: the Game Night Bundle.
- Dedicated game room and a weekly game: a full poker table is worth the space.
Some of the Fat Cat and Viper products carry a California Proposition 65 warning in their descriptions. It's shown on each product page. Shopping for a game-room gift? See our game room gift ideas.