HomePurchaseOnline TourPoker Tourney How To GuideFeedbackAbout

1. Basics
2. Buyin/Rebuys
3. Chips
4. Blinds Structure
5. Payouts
6. Rules/Messages
7. Get Supplies
8. Setup Tables
9. Run the Tourney!
10. Share Results

Chips
Tables
Cards
Dealer Buttons

How to Play
How to Deal
Hand Rankings

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Step 7 of 10:  Get Your Tournament Supplies

Tables

I recommend keeping it to about 8 people per table and use poker tables tops if possible. They really add to the atmosphere. They usually run about 50 bucks or so so they are not too expensive, and you can even make your own. Visit out Tables section under Poker Vendors for more info.

Chairs

Since putting 8 people around a poker table can be tight, try to use folding chairs or some other type of chair that isn't too big. Have a few extra too because it is very likely that some "extra" friends of friends may show up.

Table/Chair Labels

To faciliate seating, I always print out large letters to label each table which I hang above the table from the ceiling. Then I print out numbers for each seat from 1 to 8 and tape them to the back of the chairs. That way when you initially assign seats or balance tables in Poker Tournament Manager everyone knows exactly where to go.

Cards/Dealer Buttons

Bring one deck of cards and one dealer button for each table, and usually one extra just in case. I always use new decks of cards for each tournament. Cards aren't very expensive, it makes the tournament feel more professional, and makes players feel less like the cards could be marked.

Chips

Make sure you have enough chips to cover the buyin and expected rebuys/addons for your tournament. Poker Tournament Manager has a tool to help you calculate the number of chips of each color need. Visit our Chips section for more detail on where you can buy chips.

Software

Of course we recommend using Poker Tournament Manage to run your tournament. You will find that it is a very good way to keep everything organized and on schedule, and your guests will love the casino like atmosphere. It will also make it easy for you the host to play and concentrate since the program will handle all the details for you during your tournament. For best results, I highly recommend displaying the program on a TV or projector that everyone can see.

Food/Drink

We typically keep 100 bucks from the pot to order pizza and pay for soft drinks. This is a fairly common practice in most home/club poker tournaments.

Note:  If you have Poker Tournament Manager Deluxe, it will produce a checklist of suppliers for you tailored to your tournament.

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