poker reviews

If you want to add a Vegas atmosphere to your game, then a folding poker table top is just what you need. I would liken playing poker on your kitchen table with a blanket or towel thrown over it, to playing monopoly with the board drawn on a sheet and the money clipped out of notebook paper. It’s just missing something.

Sure you could buy a felt poker layout and spread it out over the table making it a little better, but the creases where it folds drive me nuts and catch the cards when you try to deal, and forget about sliding chips across the table even if you have the corners taped down.

A poker table top brings a more realistic feeling to the game, more like playing at a casino. There are several sizes and styles of tops you can choose from, so you need to find the one that’s right for you and your situation. So you can make an informed decision, we will look at the most important considerations before you buy.

1. Size and shape: If you currently are playing on a kitchen or dining table that is either round or square, and around 48 inches plus/minus 8 inches, you would want to look at the octagon poker table tops. If you are playing on a rectangular or oval table, then you should look at the rectangular or oval shaped table tops. Size selection and what the table top is made of does matter. 2 – 3 inches is the most a foam based top should hang over the edge of the table they are sitting on. The wooden tops can be as much as 4 – 6 inches over the edges without too much problem. You do care because if a person rested their heavy arms on the edge of the top, all the poker chips would be knocked over. This can really get to be a pain.

I would recommend against using a typical card table as a stand for these. For one thing your game will be disturbed often as stated previously, plus the cheap flimsy legs on most of these card tables are not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the wood table tops.

Some people find they just don’t have a table that will work so you might want to check out a table that comes with legs like an octagon poker table. If you have a large enough area to put one, you could go with a stationary poker table.

2. Materials: There are 2 basic materials used to make poker table tops. One is a foam type substance that is light and fairly durable and do tend to be the lowest cost tops. The upside is they are great for traveling games where you play at a different persons’ house every game because of their light weight and carrying case or bag with handles. They are the most portable since they foldup smaller and weigh under 18-20 lbs. The downside is they are not nearly as durable as the wood table tops and will need to be replaced with wear. Because of their low price they tend to be great as gifts too.

Since they usually consist of about 1/2 inch plywood, the wood tables will last longer than foam. They also are able to have some high end features that you normally only see on real poker tables like padded felt and armrests giving a much more casino sound and feel to them. Their heavier weight makes them much less vulnerable to being knocked over when you lean on it or leave the table.

Since it’s much easier to transport the foam tops I use them for games I host, and wood for ones hosted by buddies. I also have a folding poker table but that is another topic.

3. Features: Once you have determined what size, shape, and material your table top should be, the most fun part is to select the colors and designs. A few tops even have formats for other casino games in addition to Texas Holdem. Since the delivery is less expensive the foam tops cost less, but the color and pattern choices are actually interesting. With felt padding, padded arm rests, and a wood substrate, the premium tops are like the poker tables. The quality of the felt is also better and more consistent with real casino tables.

The best wooden tops’ felt padding gives them a more realistic sound and feel. The chips don’t bounce as much and have a more muted casino like sound when they strike each other. Since good felt materials are used the dealing is smoother also. When your game seems to go on forever, the armrest becomes an important feature. If you are willing to pay the extra for a premium top it is worth it, even though they lack the portability of the foam tops since they are so much heavier.

Whether you are seeking a folding poker table top for a buddy, spouse, or yourself, you should now be able to choose one appropriately. I can assure you that you will never want to go back to playing on a blanket on the kitchen table once you play on one of these. Now That’s Poker!

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 am and is filed under Casino Gambling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.