Homegame: Step 1 - Getting a Table

[prairieboy]

Actually, this is step 2, getting wifely approval was step 1, but nevermind...

Wife has vetoed buying/building an oval hold-em table for the game room, but is ok with getting a round "2-in-1" poker/dining table as featured by ebay and other online retailers.

I'm not thrilled at the 8 player limit on a round table, but it beats no-poker.

My question: Should I invest in a "2-in-1" round poker table, or get a regular dining room table that can be expanded to fit 10 players? (i.e. get a smaller poker table or a big non-poker table)

And, how big of a round table should I get? Is 50" big enough for 8 players, or should I get the 54" table?

[georgejetson]

I'm building a table right now. A couple thoughts:

I'm not sure what to tell you regarding a 2-in-1 vs. a standard dining room table, except... one thing I considered doing was building a new top for my current table. You said your wife vetoed a whole new poker table, but would she let you fit a top to an existing dining room table, something you could stash in a closet or back room between games? It may not be practical for you, but I bring it up b/c it would have been very easy for me to do that w/my existing dining room table. I'm opting instead for a full-blown table with folding legs, which I'll keep out of sight between games.

Which brings me to the second decision I made: size. In my opinion, 50" is nowhere near big enough for 8 people to sit comfortably; 54" is okay, but 60" would be best. I've played a couple times on a 48" round table, and any more than six people and things are uncomfortable. At a home game I'm in now, the host has a 54" table, and it's pretty comfortable for eight, ten is downright cramped. But... I was at a Xmas party where all the banquet tables were 60" in diameter, and the caterers fit eight very comfortable armchairs around these tables and everyone had plenty of room. We pulled up a ninth chair at some point and it was still okay.

One other thing to consider, and I decided there was no perfect solution to this: how far are you willing to pitch cards? At our home games, the deal rotates, and after doing the math, it became obvious any table of any shape that would *comfortably* accomodate ten people was going to be hard to deal around w/out a designated dealer. Sixty-six or 72 inches across fits ten people, but after 60" it's just a long way to throw a card. Make an oval table for ten and it's easy for everyone in the middle to deal, but the people on the ends have got to take extra care not to send cards flying (that or stand up).

I want to be able to seat nine comfortably, with room for ten if need be. Here's my best compromise (that I could think of): I'm going with the traditional oval shape, 48" wide (standard sheet of plywood). Sixty-six inches long gives me the same circumference as a 60" round table. I'll either go with that or 72" long for more room (I'll cut it down to 72", pitch a few cards and then decide whether to whack off six more inches).

My ideas; hope something in here helps.

George