How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game: Who to Invite

How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game is a 13-part series on how to run the superlative poker night for all your friends and coworkers.
We’ll cover everything from what game of poker is easiest to play, what hand beats what and even what drinks and food to serve. Follow this guide and people will be reserving their seat at your table weeks in advance.
For our seventh article we’re going to take a look marked cards lenses who you actually want to invite to your game and what you can expect from each demographic.
These are a few of the basic groups that you can choose, or choose not, to invite to your home game.

Best Buds

This is your bread and butter. You want to invite your closest friends because you know they are trustworthy and good people to be around.
You can call them up on short notice and fill out your game if you need.
Pros

• It’s way better bluffing someone you’ve known for years
• Even if they dominate you at the table you may get a free drink out of it later
• Ability to taunt your friends for years to come

Cons

• They’re probably going to borrow money
• They may not leave
• They’re pretty damn offensive

Never trust co-workers who wear sunglasses.

Co-Workers

Co-workers are a great source for fodder at the poker table because you know they make money!
Putting the word out in an office is a good way to build your game quickly.
Pros

• You know where your opponents work so collecting is easy
• Poker can be a bonding experience
• You’ll all be equally tired at work the next day

Cons

• Bluffing your superior out of a $100 pot could make things interesting the next day
• Things get awkward when crazy Phil from accounting suggests everyone put their next paycheck on the line
• Bill Lumbergh keeps reminding you about your TPS reports

Members of the Opposite Sex

This is a tricky one. If it’s an all-guys game it sounds great to get a couple good looking women in on the game. The thing is it can change the dynamic considerably.

Sara Underwood is always invited to our home games.

Remember you’re not going to look very attractive to a member of the opposite sex if you bluff them out of a $100 pot marked poker and dive onto the table to perform a chip backstroke.
Conversely ladies’ poker nights work very well and sometimes women feel more comfortable just playing with other females. Proceed with caution.
Pros

• Game tends to be more civil
• Your home game could conceivably double in size
• The game is usually more relaxed and fun

Cons

• Game tends to be more civil
• Sleeping on the couch for check-raising your wife/significant other sucks
• If you’re a guy, losing a massive pot to a girl who had “double kings” might hurt your ego
• In the poker game of life, women are the rake

Brings his own Dom Perignon.

Professional Poker Players

Poker pros are a long shot, of course, and will arguably destroy the game for everyone else.
On the plus side you have a shot at getting your game televised!
Pros

• Good story to tell all your friends

Cons

• You will lose all your money
• Several pros keep nagging you for a buffet comp
• Phil Hellmuth keeps referring to you as an “idiot from Northern Europe”
• They’ll convince you to “play with the pros” then simply take all the money on the table and wait for the DOJ to come for it