Key Takeaways:
- Plan with a purpose. Company poker parties are great for team building and so much more.
- Whether you are playing online or in person there are a few simple steps to planning a great company event.
- Poker is the people’s game. Make your company party accessible to rookies and experts alike.
- Office party poker events can be daunting to plan on your own. Take advantage of the expertise a professional organizer brings to the table.
A Company Poker Party Can be a Game Changer
Organizing one is not as difficult as you think
So, you’re thinking about planning a company poker party. Awesome. Now let’s stack the deck in your favor. (Brace yourself, there are several poker puns in this article). Even if you already know how to play there can be a big leap from idea to execution. Don’t worry dear reader, I’ve been planning poker games for 19 years and I’m about to make your life a lot easier.
Read on to discover tips for hosting a fun and engaging office poker event, including affordable prizes and team-building ideas. Poker parties are a unique way to boost team spirit, reward employees, or host a memorable corporate event. Whether you’re planning an in-person poker night or a virtual game, these five steps will ensure you are crowned the poker (planning) champion.
Step One – Find Your “Why”
Defining the Purpose of Your Company Poker Party
If you’re a gambler like me you don’t need much of a reason to go play poker but when it comes to convincing everyone else that a poker game is the best use of company time, well, you’d better not be bluffing. These are the main reasons people choose poker for their office activity:
- As a team building event – Poker skills are business skills. Poker is a great team building activity because you can leverage the power of play to reinforce risk tolerance, resource management, and emotional control.
- To provide a reward for meeting sales goals – No one is more competitive than the sales team. Have your top performers ante up and let them battle it out for prizes and bragging rights.
- As a fundraiser – Adding poker to the annual holiday drive or to feature a local nonprofit is a fun way to formalize giving through a company sponsored event.
- Just because it’s a lot of fun – Honestly, you don’t need a formal reason to go “All In” on a good time. Office poker is a great way to get to know your coworkers and see each other as more than just an email address.
Your “why” can change too. Maybe you start small with a fun game in the breakroom and then expand that idea into something online that brings in other offices, or a charity fundraiser at the annual convention. Poker is very social and engaging no matter the reason. Don’t be afraid to think big.
For your next Poker Team Building Event
Step Two – Gear Up!
Essential Supplies for a Company Poker Night
Now that you have your why, let’s talk about how. If you have a large office space where you can set up tables, that’s fantastic but if you’re remote or hybrid and want to include everyone, you’ll need to play online. Both options are pretty easy to do with a little planning. If you’re playing in person, I will assume you have the space to hold your company poker party right within the office. If you don’t have the space, then going to a restaurant, hotel, or banquet facility is fine too.
Once you have your poker setup you will want to plan the timeline for the night. If you’re already in the office, starting near the end of the workday is a good idea. Folks can wrap up work and join the game without a commute. Provide pizza or dinner of some sort to give everyone a window of time to arrive. In a poker tournament everyone is playing at the same time so schedule your game in a way that everyone can start together.
Shopping List for Hosting Your In Person Poker Company Poker Night
- Poker tables – or some type of table with a soft cover. Shuffling cards on a hard surface is a struggle I wouldn’t wish on my enemies.
- Poker chips. There are a million types of chips online. You can invest in a good set or grab some cheapies. You will need 4-5 different colors.
- Playing cards. We use high quality cards from Copag for our tournaments. https://www.copagusa.com/ But a few decks of Bicycle Playing Cards will do. I would avoid some of those thick paper give away type cards. They bend easily and can be hard to shuffle after a few hands. Make sure each table has two decks in case of a spill or a bent card.
- A dealer button. This is a round plastic disc that moves around the table to determine who gets the first card. Use it if one person is going to remain the designated dealer.
- Hand Rankings. Print out some cheat sheets with “what-beats-what” to have available for rookies.
For your next Poker Team Building Event
Pro Tip – figuring out how many chips to use can be tough. An online calculator like https://homepokertourney.org/ can help.
Go Big – Stay Home
Taking your office party online
With remote work part of our daily lives now there is not reason to keep your office party strictly in the office. Expand your poker game to other offices in other states and even other countries. It might be poker night for you and poker morning for someone else but taking time from the workday to engage with coworkers and build camaraderie is never a bad idea.
Shopping List for Hosting Your Online Poker Company Poker Party
- A video conferencing platform like Zoom. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you’re already familiar with Zoom, Meet, or Teams. Ensure everyone can get online so you can see their poker face. Use a different breakout room for each table to avoid crosstalk.
- A poker platform. This is where things can become a little tricky. Spend some time sorting this one out before game day. There are real money websites in some states but for a company, poker party playing for real money is not normally an option. Most sites have a play-money version where you can schedule a game for just your group. Everyone needs to create an account and make sure they have enough “play” chips in their bank to enter your game. Look at the options available to make sure you don’t start a game that will end in 5 minutes or drag on for 5 hours.
- Get I.T. on board. The majority of those real-money poker sites require a download of some kind.
For your next Poker Team Building Event
Pro Tip – Hire a Pro. Consider this a shameless plug – here at The Poker People we have our own play-money site. We built it during COVID just for company poker parties. It is browser-based, and we can host players from anywhere in the world. We have live dealers on every table, and we’ll even put your company logo on the virtual felt. Okay, shameless plug complete, back to your regularly scheduled article.
Step Three – Guests Who Actually Want to Play
Make Your Poker Event Inclusive and Fun
It can seem obvious if you are a poker player that everyone should want to join the game. It might not be that way for your coworkers if they think it is real gambling, are afraid to make mistakes in front of their peers, or think poker is too hard to learn. Be sure that you set your game up in a way that is inclusive. To help people feel welcome and comfortable signing up, include these tips in your invitation:
- It is not gambling. No money, no problem. In person or online, the game should be fun and easy to access for everyone.
- Anyone can play. Make sure you have those cheat sheets or better yet, do what we do and schedule a “lessons” period before your tournament to help new players learn the basics. We’ve got a series of One-Minute Poker Lessons on our YouTube Channel.
- Select a designated dealer. Have one person who is very comfortable with the game act as the dealer on each table. That way a rookie is not given too much responsibility. The dealer can also play so they don’t miss out on the fun.
Pro Tip – Have one person shuffle a second deck of cards during the hand. This will make life easier for your volunteer dealer and keep the game moving.
Number Four – Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
Poker Party Definite Don’ts
You wouldn’t be here if you were not serious about planning your company poker event. My job is to make sure you’re not in over your head. I’ve helped you define your reason to play, given you a shopping list, and helped you get some suckers, er, players to join the game. The next question is do you really have time to put this together? The answer is going to depend on your job responsibilities. Some companies have in-house planners who do this kind of thing all the time. Sweet. We’ve experienced a lot of our clients being those who are planning their poker event along with all their other daily obligations. Here are a few things to consider before you commit to planning a company poker adventure:
- How much lead time do I need? If you’re thinking a quarter ahead, awesome. Get that save the date ready and start working on your shopping list. If this is a “what can we do to celebrate the end of the sprint next week” maybe come back to this idea another time.
- Will I have any help? It takes a village to organize a game and having some extra hands to source poker chips, pick up cards, or find an online site can help out. Don’t underestimate the value of a few cheerleaders too; excitement is contagious and can help sway the undecided into signing up.
- Can this be part of something larger? I’ve posted many articles about the long-term benefits of having a regular engagement schedule to maintain camaraderie at work. Doing any group activity, poker or otherwise, can be fun for that one time but a regular schedule of activities is proof that the company is committed to positive work culture.
If you can say yes to the dress, sorry, wrong show. Say yes to poker, then you’ll be ready to start planning for long term success. You will see that some of your rookie players will improve and might even take down the championship.
Number Five – Show Me the Money
Selecting the right prizes
I know that you can’t play for real money in a company setting but Show Me the Prizes didn’t have the same ring to it. Plus, I liked this picture. Either way, there should certainly be something to play for. Companies can be creative about what prizes they want to include in the poker game. As I mentioned before, I’ve been organizing company poker parties for 19 years. These are some of the winnings I’ve seen given out:
These FAQs underscore the value of poker as a virtual team building activity, offering insights into its benefits and practical tips for successful implementation. Poker not only serves as an enjoyable pastime but also as a tool for enhancing team dynamics and interpersonal skills in a remote work environment.
- Gift Cards. Who doesn’t love a good shopping spree on the company dime? Gift cards are always a popular and easy favorite. Especially for virtual poker events.
- Company swag. I’m not talking about last year’s leftover T-shirts from the hall closet. I’m saying make it count. Does your company have an annual convention somewhere cool? How about virtual games for each office and the winners meet to crown the champion at the conference? Get creative. An Executive get away weekend in Aspen. (Can I join you; I’ll deal).
- Experiences. Many organizations incentivize their sales teams with trips, experiences, and electronics. What about putting all the top performers in a poker tournament and letting them have a battle royale for the best goodies?
- Stuff. Yep, just cool stuff. Spa days, meal delivery, headphones, speakers, scooters, or e-bikes. Last year we ran an online tournament that gave away treadmills. People were cutthroat trying to win them, it was a blast.
You are also totally fine to play for bragging rights. Poker is its own reward. At least that is what I tell myself when I lose at the casino.
Pro Tip – Have one person shuffle a second deck of cards during the hand. This will make life easier for your volunteer dealer and keep the game moving.
Ready to take your next step?
Talk to a pro for more insights and planning help
So, there you have it. My top five things you should think about when planning a company poker event. I hope you’re ready to shuffle up and deal. By the way, if planning your own poker party still feels overwhelming, give us a call. The Poker People can run your online or in person game. Think of the available hours added back to your schedule. Plus, you can play now and maybe win a treadmill.
Frequently Asked Questions About planning a company poker event:
Start with simple, accessible resources like cheat sheets that explain poker hand rankings. Consider scheduling a short tutorial session or offering poker lessons before the game begins.
Use a reliable video conferencing platform like Zoom and a user-friendly poker platform tailored for virtual games like the one hosted by The Poker People. They offer lessons before every game and have real dealers to make the entire event a polished and professional experience.
For larger events, start planning at least 2-3 months in advance to secure the necessary equipment, venues, or online platforms. Smaller, informal poker games can often be organized within a couple of weeks, provided you have access to the required resources.
This depends on if you are organizing the game yourself or working with a professional like The Poker People. A game with 20-30 players is manageable in an office or online setting. Once you are over 30 players you may run out of equipment like chips and tables, players may need more support than one person can handle, and it can be difficult to structure the event to end at a reasonable time. Leaning on a professional company can free you up to work on other logistics like getting players and prizes.
