Every poker player owns a deck of cards. Very few own the things that make a home game feel like a proper game: chips with some weight to them, cards that survive a spilt pint, a surface the cards slide across. This guide lists 10 poker gifts for men who play, from stocking fillers to one or two bigger presents.
This guide was put together by Bellore. Of the 10 ideas, 2 are our own products and are clearly marked. For everything else we name no brands and tell you what to look for instead.
The best poker gifts for men are the ones that improve the home game he already plays, or a well-made object that carries the game into the rest of his week. Plastic playing cards and a card guard are small gifts that get used at every game. A cased chip set and a roll-out table topper are the mid-range presents that change the evening most. For the player who already has the kit, a whisky tumbler with a poker chip set into the glass is one of the few poker gifts he will not own yet.
Three questions before you buy a poker gift
Does he host, or does he travel to play? A host needs chips, a table surface and spare decks. Someone who plays at a friend's house, in a pub league or online has no use for a table topper. A book, a card guard or a poker themed gift suits him better.
What does he already own? Most players have a chip set, and most of those sets are light and cheap. An upgrade on what he has is a safe choice. So is anything that sits beside the kit instead of duplicating it.
How seriously does he take it? A man who studies hand ranges will read a strategy book cover to cover. A man for whom poker is the excuse to see his friends once a month will get more from something that makes the evening itself better.
Poker gifts by budget
| Budget | Gift ideas | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Plastic playing cards, card guard and dealer button, strategy book, casino dice and cup, poker chip whisky tumbler | A friend, a colleague, Secret Santa, a new player |
| Mid-range | Cased chip set, roll-out table topper, automatic card shuffler, poker chip crystal glass set of 2 | Partner, dad, brother, the man who hosts |
| Bigger occasion | A full home tournament kit put together by you | A milestone birthday, a new house, a stag do send-off |
10 best gifts for poker players
1.A cased poker chip set
A good home game starts with the chips. Chips that have some weight in the hand and stack cleanly make the game feel serious, even when the stakes are a round of drinks. A cased set keeps the chips, two decks and the dealer button together between games.
A set of 500 covers a table of six to eight players comfortably. For three or four players, 300 is enough. If he already owns a light plastic set, clay composite chips are the upgrade most players put off buying for themselves.
What to look for: Check the weight per chip: heavier chips feel better and stack better. Chips with no printed value can be used for any stake structure or for points.
2.Poker chip whisky tumbler
This is the one chip that never goes into the pot. Every other chip on the table is a decision: call, raise or fold. They pass from stack to stack all night. The chip set into this glass cannot be won and cannot be lost. It stays exactly where it is, whatever the river brings.
Given to a poker player, it says you rate his nerve. The best player at the table is rarely the one holding the best cards. He is the one who plays an ordinary hand well and knows when to let it go. This is a glass for that player, and it works as a thank-you for the friend who hosts every month too.
It is a 300 ml glass whisky tumbler with a decorative poker chip set by hand into the glass body. It comes in its own gift box and is dishwasher safe. People looking for poker gifts for him, poker gifts for dad or a unique gift for poker players tend to choose it because it needs no knowledge of his kit.
3.Plastic playing cards
Paper cards last a few game nights. The corners bend, the faces mark and by the third month everyone knows which card is the ace of spades. Cards made entirely of plastic last for years, do not crease and wipe clean after a spill.
Card rooms use plastic cards for a reason. A two-deck set is the most useful format: one deck is in play while the other is being shuffled for the next hand.
What to look for: Look for 100% plastic, not plastic-coated paper. Large corner indexes can be read from the far end of the table.
4.A roll-out poker table topper
On a bare dining table the cards skid, the chips clatter and nobody can pick a card up cleanly. A rubber-backed poker mat turns any table into a card table in a few seconds and rolls away into a tube afterwards.
It takes far less room than a folding poker table, which matters in most British homes. For a man who hosts a regular game, this is the gift that changes the evening most.
What to look for: Guess the size of his table and go one size up. A water-resistant surface is worth having once drinks are involved.
5.A card guard and dealer button
A card guard is the small weight a player rests on his hole cards. It stops them being swept into the muck by mistake, and over time it becomes his signature at the table. It can be a heavy coin, a medallion or a small metal figure.
The dealer button shows whose turn it is to deal, and every table needs one. Both are small, inexpensive and thought through. They make good fun gifts for poker players at Christmas, when the bigger kit is already under the tree.
What to look for: Heavy and flat-bottomed is what matters. A light guard slides off the cards.
6.A poker strategy book
Poker is a game of maths and people as much as luck. A good book on pot odds, position and reading opponents is the most useful gift for a player who wants to get better and has started saying so out loud.
For a newer player, choose a book on the fundamentals of Texas hold'em. For an experienced one, tournament strategy or the mental side of the game will be more welcome.
What to look for: Match the book to his level. An advanced theory book will sit unread on a beginner's shelf.
7.Poker chip crystal glass set of 2
Every tournament ends heads-up, and this is the set for the last two players left. Your toughest opponent is usually your oldest friend. He has seen every bluff you own and you have seen his. Two glasses stand for two people who have sat opposite each other for years and still want one more hand.
Given to a poker friend it is a challenge: same again next month. Given by a partner it says something about the game away from the table, where the two of you play the biggest hands together. It is a strong choice for a milestone birthday or as a best man's present.
The set holds two 355 ml crystal whisky glasses, each with a decorative poker chip set by hand into the glass, in a padded black gift box. Both glasses are dishwasher safe. If you are searching for luxury gifts for poker players, casino themed gifts or birthday gifts for poker players, this is the boxed option.
8.An automatic card shuffler
Not everyone at the table can shuffle properly, and a badly shuffled deck spoils a fair game. An automatic shuffler mixes the deck in a few seconds and keeps the evening moving.
It earns its place at bigger tables and on long nights, when the deal comes round to the one friend who drops half the cards. It also reduces wear on the deck.
What to look for: Choose one that takes two decks and works with plastic cards. Battery models keep cables off the table.
9.Casino dice and a leather cup
Five red dice and a cup are all you need for liar's dice, a game built on the same skill as poker: bluffing with a straight face and working out who else is doing it. It is quick to learn and the whole set fits in a jacket pocket.
It suits the player who wants a game on holiday, in the pub or while waiting for the last guest to turn up. A leather cup makes the set feel like a proper present. Among small casino gifts for him it is one of the few that is an actual game.
What to look for: Look for dice with sharp edges and clear pips, and a cup lined with felt, which keeps the noise down.
10.A home tournament kit
For most men poker is the reason to get everyone round a table. A kit built for the host makes his job easier: a blinds timer, spare decks, coasters, a notepad for the league table and bowls for the crisps.
You will rarely find this ready-made, so put it together yourself and present it in one box. A kit that has been thought about is appreciated more than one expensive item.
What to look for: Find out how many usually play and choose the pieces to match.
Who are you buying for?
- Poker gifts for him, as a partner: the poker chip crystal glass set of 2, or a heavy card guard he will carry to every game.
- Poker gifts for dad: the poker chip whisky tumbler and a two-deck set of plastic cards.
- For the man who hosts: a roll-out table topper, a cased chip set or the home tournament kit.
- For a poker friend: plastic cards or the poker chip tumbler. Either will be on the table at the next game.
- For a new player: a fundamentals book and a set of casino dice.
- Unique gifts for poker players who have everything: clay composite chips to replace his plastic set, or the boxed crystal set.
A short note: these are gifts for friendly home games
Everything in this guide is aimed at poker played among friends for the fun of it. The appeal of the game is strategy, conversation and rivalry. Chips with no printed value make it easy to play for points, a league table or a small trophy that changes hands each month.
In Great Britain the rules for private games at home differ from the rules for poker in pubs and clubs. The Gambling Commission publishes guidance on both, so that is the place to check if the host is unsure.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best poker gifts for men?
The best poker gifts for men are kit for the home game or a lasting poker themed object. The most popular choices are a cased chip set, plastic playing cards, a roll-out table topper, a strategy book and a whisky tumbler with a poker chip set into the glass. Buy kit for hosts and themed gifts for players who own the kit already.
What do you buy for poker players who have everything?
Buy something that sits beside the kit instead of duplicating it. A poker chip whisky tumbler, a heavy card guard or a set of casino dice all work. For a larger present, the 355 ml poker chip crystal whisky glass is the single-glass version of the boxed set.
What does the poker chip in the glass stand for?
A poker chip stands for a decision and the nerve to make it. The decorative chip set into the glass is the one chip that never goes into the pot: it cannot be won or lost. Given to a player it says you rate his composure. The set of two stands for two players who have faced each other for years.
Is there a poker chip glass for someone who does not drink spirits?
Yes. The same design comes as a 340 ml poker chip glass mug for tea and coffee, which suits long tournament nights. For a beer drinker there is the 465 ml poker chip beer glass. Both carry the chip set into the glass.
What are good casino themed gifts beyond poker?
For someone who prefers dice games or backgammon, the same range includes a 300 ml dice old fashioned glass and a dice crystal tumbler set of 2. Playing cards, a dice cup and a good card shuffler are the other casino themed gifts that get regular use.
What do you need to host a poker night at home?
A chip set, two decks of plastic cards, a dealer button and a surface the cards slide on are enough. With more than six players, a card shuffler and a blinds timer keep the game moving. Everything else is food, drink and somewhere for coats.
What are good Christmas gifts for poker players?
Small items work best at Christmas: plastic cards, a card guard, casino dice or a strategy book. For the main present, a cased chip set or a boxed poker chip crystal glass set of 2 is easy to wrap and needs no knowledge of what he already owns.
Are the poker chip glasses dishwasher safe, and do they come boxed?
Yes. The glasses are dishwasher safe, and every Bellore product comes in its own gift box, so it is ready to hand over as it arrives.
For more poker, dice and card table glasses, see the Casino Edition collection.