Poker Night Idea 03: Food When it comes to food, it’s pretty easy to carry the theme. Whether you opt for a fondant covered cake with cards and a lucky clover, or simply try focusing on colors, you can’t go wrong with some of these ideas! When I play a game, I play to win. We invited friends over for an old-Vegas-style poker party, and the competition was intense. It was like the World Series of Poker right in our den! I up some of my favorite poker-night snacks and old-fashioned cocktails. Dry Vodka Martini.

1. Poker Night Foods
2. Poker Night Food Ideas For Adults
3. Poker Night Food Menu
4. Poker Night Food

Mikey's Kitchen

This blog covers food recipes for guys, though it offers great food tips for everyone.

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Food & Drink Home Grub for Guys Beer Reviews Drink Recipes Essential Cocktails Fast Food Romantic Dinners Snacks Tailgating Wine Reviews

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One of the easiest ways to impress a date is to cook her a great meal. For those of you who cringe at the thought of cracking a recipe book and dicing vegetables all afternoon, Mike Farley has two words of advice: chill out. There are all sorts of easy meals and snacks that you can cook up for your girl or, yes, for poker night with the boys. That's right -- why not ditch the chips and pretzels and offer your buddies some loaded potato skins or grilled buffalo tenders? After all, while whipping something up in the kitchen takes more work than grabbing a couple bagged snacks off the grocery store shelf, your guests and your taste buds will all agree that it was worth it. Dig in!
You can also get more ideas on grub for guys by checking out Mike's food blog at Mikey's Kitchen and on Twitter @FoodForMen.

March Madness Spread
March 19, 2013

It's too late to change your bracket, but you can still mix things up in the kitchen with these quick and delicious snacks.

Holiday appetizers
Updated: December 19, 2012

If your idea of holiday party food is a bag of flavored potato chips and the good pork rinds, let Mike help you make some awesome holiday appetizers that will knock the socks off your guests.

Super Bowl Spread IV
February 2, 2012

Mike Farley spices up your party with our Super Bowl Spread IV, featuring queso meatballs, pizza potato skins and more.

Beef Tenderloin
December 19, 2011

Treat yourself this Christmas with a memorable meal like Mike's beef tenderloin with horseradish dipping sauce.

Green Chile Burger
June 24, 2011

Add some Southwestern flair to your next cookout with Mike's spicy Green Chile Burger.

Super Bowl Spread III
February 3, 2011

Chips? Pizza? Burgers? Your stomach and your guests will thank you for getting a little creative this year with some Buffalo Chicken Nachos or Brat and Wisconsin Cheddar Mini Pizzas.

Chili for Dudes 101
November 4, 2010

The calendar has turned to fall, a chill is in the air, football season is in full swing...must be chili time! Mike's traditional chili and white chicken chili both bring plenty of flavor and heat.

Quesadilla Fiesta!
September 28, 2010

Quesadillas for breakfast? Check out Mike's instructions for making a Breakfast Quesadilla as well as Spicy Chicken and Cheeseburger versions.

Cajun chicken fettuccine
August 26, 2010

It may be a clogged artery waiting to happen...but damn, is fettuccine alfredo good! If you like your meals with a little kick, try Mike's Cajun chicken fettuccine.

Peanut Butter and Banana Burger with beer greens
July 29, 2010

Burgers are the most basic of summer foods, but they can get a little stale if you're just dealing with meat on the grill. Mike adds peanut butter and bananas for an unusual but tasty burger.

Fourth of July Hot Dog Spread
July 1, 2010

Instead of serving the same ol' dogs at your Fourth of July party, try dressing them up a bit. Mike lays out his Chili, Chicago-style and Buffalo dogs.

Pasta salad trio
June 3, 2010

Think pasta salad is too girly? Dude-friendly dishes like buffalo chicken pasta and cold sesame noodles will put hair on your chest and pleasure in your belly.

Chicken-fried hamburger
April 27, 2010

They say it tastes like...well, try it and see! Mike channels his inner good ol' boy with this recipe.

St. Patty's Day reuben
March 16, 2010

Corned beef takes center stage this time of year, and Mike delivers a St. Patty's Reuben using coleslaw instead of the traditional sauerkraut. Eat, drink and be Irish!

Chicken, bean & spinach stew
February 24, 2010

With winter winding down, Mike offers up a stew that will warm up the remaining chilly days while helping you burn off the spare tire you've been working on all winter.

Super Bowl Spread II
February 4, 2010

The food is almost as important as the game on Super Bowl Sunday. Spice up your party with Mike's Buffalo Turkey Meatballs, Steak Bites, Olive Poppers, Smoky Chipotle Dip and Fiery Snack Mix!

Hot meals perfect for cold months
December 30, 2009

Poker Night Foods

Mike offers up a Dude Stew and Kickass Chicken & Rice knowing that you'll need something to keep you warm and nourished when you're watching all the bowl games and NFL Playoffs.

You've got all that leftover turkey. Now what?
November 25, 2009

Don't waste that bird when Turkey Day passes. Mike offers a five-pack of recipes for your leftover fixin's, including breakfast hash, a Big Easy-style sandwich and pizza topped with potatoes.

Halloween candy special(10/27/2009)
Candy is dandy, especially around Halloween. Mike names the best, worst and healthiest candy of the season, in case you want to cherry pick your kid’s treat haul.

Ham, olive and three-cheese grilled cheese sandwich(09/23/2009)
Add a cup of tomato soup to this variation on an old favorite, and you've got hearty comfort food in a flash. Mike's buddy Matty pounds them down three at a time, but your cardiologist says a little restraint never hurt.

Meat and Potatoes II(08/27/2009)
Ready for the next level? Mike started out slowly, teaching you the basics of meat-n-potatoes cooking. Now he brings recipes for Flank Steak with Grilled Tomato Salsa and Twice Baked Potatoes, tasty twists on the old standards. Fire up the grill, oven and food processor, as you add to your culinary repertoire.

Fresh Summer Grilling(07/30/2009)
Summertime cooking isn't just all dogs 'n' burgers, or some type of meat slathered in BBQ sauce. Mike presents recipes that add sweetness and spice, like chicken with pineapple and jalapeno salsa, and that other white meat (pork, of course) marinated in lime juice and served as a taco.

Guy guzpacho(06/29/2009)
Cold pizza? Sure. Cold meatloaf sandwich? A real treat. But what about cold soup? If you thought it was only for orphans and prisoners in a dungeon, think again. Mike's Guy Guzpacho recipe is an intentionally cold tomato-based soup that makes for a great summer meal.

Meatball stuffed eggplant(05/28/2009)
No, an eggplant doesn't come from a chicken, but you can use poultry in this recipe that brings together an unusual vegetable with turkey meatballs. Mike shows how a little time in the kitchen, along with a prepared food, equals homemade goodness.

One healthy turkey sandwich(04/17/2009)
Mike marries tasty turkey with good-fat avocado (via guacamole) in this sandwich on whole-grain bread. Add crispy bacon and lettuce and you've got a meal that's crunchy, smooth and not too bad on the arteries. Limit yourself one or two beers and you're happy while eating healthy.

Slow cooker beef stew with beer (Yum, beer!)(03/03/2009)
A slow cooker isn't the first appliance you think of when imagining a guy's kitchen gadgetry, but Mike says crock pots aren't only for girls. His beef stew with beer recipe fills the air with a hearty aroma and the stomach with a tasty meal, and best of all, it can cook while you watch the game!

Super Bowl Spread I: Slow Roasted BBQ Ribs, Spicy Salami Sliders, Killer Taco Dip, Veggie Panini and Savory Cilantro Chili Corn Muffins(01/28/2009)
Aren't you tired of serving the same old grub at your Super Bowl party? Chips, pretzels, pizza, wings...blah, blah, blah. Mike's Super Bowl Spread will help you get creative for this year's game with easy recipes for BBQ ribs, Spicy Salami Sliders, Killer Taco Dip and more. Eat up!

Looking To Lose That Holiday Weight? Mikey's Cobb Salad, Grilled Buffalo Tenders, Cheese/Peanut Butter Squares and more(01/16/2009)
Chances are you put on a few (or more) pounds over the holidays. For those looking to shed some of that extra weight in the New Year, Mike offers up a tasty selection of low-carb options that will make life a bit easier when you're trying to shrink that gut.

Thanksgiving dinner: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy for the common dude(11/20/2008)
Guys usually leave the cooking to someone else on Thanksgiving, but Mike presents recipes for the classic turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and ensures us that it's not too complicated, even for the novice cook. Just be sure to save room for pumpkin pie.

So you have a hangover? Hangover Soup and Bloody Mary(10/23/2008)
What helps when your head feels like it's packed in a vice with a bag of cotton balls in your mouth? Some protein, some fluid and a bit o' the hair of the dog. Mike Farley comes up with recipes for Hangover Soup and a Bloody Mary to turn down the volume on the boom-boom-boom of the morning after.

Chipotle Mac & Cheese and Tex-Mex Meatballs with Spicy Tomatillo Sauce(09/25/2008)
The term 'comfort food' conjures up images of mac and cheese, chicken soup or maybe meatloaf and mashed potatoes. But comfortable doesn't mean bland. Mike adds a spicy twist to a couple of old favorites in dishes that bring the heat while satisfying the soul: chipotle mac & cheese and Tex-Mex meatballs.

Cheeseburger Wellington(09/04/2008)
It sounds damn fancy, but hey, it's just a cheeseburger. Mike dreams up a taste treat and emerged from the test kitchen with his Cheeseburger Wellington, using puff pastry instead of a bun and ground beef in place of filet mignon. On the side, he adds home fries. Greasy, salty, but oh, so good.

Quick & easy grilling(08/12/2008)
Your backyard grill can become a source of interesting and easy foods, beyond the basics of burned beef. Mike Farley offers up recipes for chicken, pork and shrimp, and some marinades and spices to season them. And don't forget what Mom said: Eat your vegetables and fruit!

Poker Night Food Ideas For Adults

Real Man quiche and bistro pasta(07/07/2008)
A great date begins with you cooking her dinner and ends with you making breakfast the next morning. Mike suggests starting with Bistro Pasta with tomato and basil and then capping off your sleepover with Real Man Quiche. It may not sound very manly, but trust us -- she'll eat it up.

The Best Damn Chicken Wings, Period.(06/24/2008)
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em. Mike presents his recipe for chicken wings, a twist on the familiar fried or baked poultry pieces. Prepped in a range-top smoker, he then adds Cajun spices and grills the wings to crispy perfection. Added bonus: your house ends up smelling like bacon.

Mini pizzas: buffalo chicken and chili dog(06/10/2008)
Mini-anything doesn't sound like Grub for Guys, but duuuude, these mini pizzas hold two all-star male-oriented edibles: buffalo chicken and chili dogs. Mike advises that a knife and fork may be needed to chow down on these tasty tidbits, and, hey, no one said you can't have a half dozen of 'em.

He-Man fiery sausage and peppers(05/28/2008)
Are you the kind of guy who likes to singe his tastebuds with spicy food? Then Mike's latest Grub for Guys offering may be right up your alley. His He-Man Fiery Sausage recipe is the perfect dish for a get-together with the guys. Just make sure to have plenty of frosty beverages on hand!

The Morning After: Huevos Rancheros(05/13/2008)
After a night of imbibing, you may want a little bit of the hair of the dog, but try this dish instead: Mike’s quick and easy Huevos Rancheros. They are filling, high in protein and spicy enough to cut through the fur coat on your tongue. Maureen McGovern was right – there’s got to be a morning after.

Spaghetti Sauce 101(04/28/2008)
Put down the Prego, fellas. Mike offers up a killer spaghetti sauce recipe that you can whip up while watching the game or playing 'Guitar Hero.' Simple and, even better, inexpensive, Mike's Spaghetti Sauce 101 recipe is the perfect way to impress your lady.

Meat and Potatoes 101: Steak, baked potato and grilled vegetables(04/10/2008)
After waiting all winter, it's finally time to get back behind your grill. Mike Farley offers up a simple menu that will satiate any carnivore, whether you're grilling up something nice for your lady or just throwing together a filling meal for yourself.

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You can surely play poker without eating or drinking. I've done it many times in a casino, and even in home games. But given the choice, why would you want to?

There are many options for getting food for your poker game. Let's look at them, each in turn, so you can decide what's right when planning your awesome home game.

Ordering Out (Pizza, Pizza, Pizza)

The most obvious option for food is to call the local pizzeria and have them deliver. For a table of eight players, three large pizzas will generally do the trick. I find that one large pizza for every three people is about right. Erring on the side of too much is better than the reverse.

Ask what people want for toppings. Be willing to combine items and have half of one topping and another half of something else, and have one that's plain if it all gets too complicated. Sometimes a few guys will want subs or even salad. You'll need one fewer pizza for every three guys that have a sandwich or something else. All of that will be enough to satisfy everyone's immediate appetite, plus leave a few slices left over for later when at least a couple of guys will be hungry again.

You can take up a collection and divide the bill (don't forget tax and tip and delivery charge). Just make sure people know what you're doing in advance, so there's no arguing or confusion when the food comes.

Ordering out — whether it is pizza or other options — is surely the easiest approach. But there are several other options that may not be as simple, but that I prefer.

The Pregame Meal

I know of one regular game that has players meet ahead of time to have dinner. This is nice because it adds some level of socializing to what can occasionally be a fairly unsocial affair.

While players certainly talk during a poker game, it's tough to have any really engaging conversation while you're playing serious poker. If you get into a deep discussion, or go on while telling a story, it tends to slow the game. How much more relaxing to gather an hour or so before game time to catch up on how you're poker buddies are doing? (Of course, you might play with guys you really don't care to know that well — if that's the case, this is an awful option!)

Poker Night Food Menu

One aside about dining ahead of time that you should consider as you plan your game. Just because poker players start your game satisfied with a meal doesn't mean they won't get hungry later as the poker game progresses. I suggest that you have some 'backup food' ready to snack on during your game.

Snacking food should be stuff that is not too messy to handle while you're handling cards. Nuts, chips, chopped up vegetables like celery, carrots and peppers (for the health conscious), dried fruits, and fixings for sandwiches like deli meats and cheeses should do the trick.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Another option is to have one person, the 'big winner' of the game, be charged with the responsibility of bringing food in for the next game. This can accomplish a few things — all of which are good for the game.

First of all, it requires that the big winner return the following week, which gives the other players a shot at winning back what they lost. The big winner also generally doesn't mind buying the spread, as he is feeling on top of the world from winning. It's even a bit of a status symbol.

Plus, having the winner buy the food next time means the losers are very likely to return, as they won't want to miss out on the free spread that their losses helped fund (in addition to having that shot to win back the money they lost).

The buyer gets to buy the food that he likes most, but with an eye toward pleasing others, lest he develop a reputation as a selfish SOB. I've found that cold cuts, Chinese food, and pizza are the standard fare that people purchase. And it all works out well, as long as the buyer brings enough for everyone.

In the two regular games where we did this, I found that there was even a little bit of a contest to see who could outdo the other guys when it came to providing food for the game. No one wanted to be thought a cheapskate, so everyone sort of overdid it, thereby adding to the pleasure of the experience.

The Everyone-Pitches-In Option (Good in Theory, But...)

Poker Night Food

A possible option that I've steered away from in recent years is to have everyone bring food for the game. This might be okay, if you're lucky enough to have people who will bring different things and be generous about it. But I had a few folks who tried to get by cheaply, meaning a lot of pretzels and potato chips and painfully little that's decent to eat.

If you're group does elect to do this, make sure to have a sign-up list with all the items you all want, with each person charged with taking a different item on the list to bring to the game. You can rotate the items to make sure that each player is bringing his fair share of the more expensive items. In general, though, I have found this experience to either be disappointing, stressful, or just too much damn work to be worth the effort.

Home Game, Home Cooking

Finally, my favorite option is to do the cooking myself for my home game and to take up a collection for all the food and drink. I like this option because it gives me a chance to cook, which I enjoy, as well as to make healthy food from fresh ingredients that is good for me and everyone else. I can also make food less expensively than if I purchased it ready made from the store or a restaurant or had it delivered.

I focus on those foods that do well when they're sitting for a long time on a low burner. That means things like chili, beans and rice, chicken or turkey soup, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, meatballs, pasta with sauce, and lasagna. I've also found that if players want to come a little early and eat starting at roughly the same time — as opposed to eating throughout the night — that I can get a little fancy and serve roast chicken, hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, and sausages. Such items can survive a hot plate or warming draw, but they're best eaten hot off the grill.

If you are willing to be a bit devious, you can also think about those food items that will make your guests thirsty — and more likely to guzzle the alcoholic beverages you might provide. I let people know that I make a particularly spicy chili, for example. It's genuinely what I like to eat, but it has the other benefit of causing those who eat it to really want a beer... or two... or five — resulting in a looser and often more profitable game.

Washing It Down

Which brings us to the topic of what beverages to have available at our home game.

One option is to have players bring their own drinks. This alleviates the problem of not knowing exactly what types of beer, scotch, bourbon, soda, or other beverages you should provide. Tell people in advance that you supply the food, but that they're responsible for bringing something to drink. There may be a few who groan, but generally people are fine with this option.

Most poker players tend to be generous people — they like bringing something to a game to share. And they'll bring more than they will consume, allowing your other guests to try something different, or leaving you with a bunch of residual beverages during the week.

For my home game, I like to provide an ample amount of high end beer and liquor. The initial purchase may seem expensive at first, but over time I've found it to be a good investment. Players enjoy drinking it, and as noted above sometimes it'll loosen up the game and cause others to play worse, allowing me to win more money in the long run. Obviously, though, it's not all about the money, and in fact mostly about providing a good, enjoyable atmosphere for guests.

I also have a lot of bottled water, soda, seltzer, and juice for those who don't want to indulge. When taking that collection for food, I'll consider beverages as well — often $20 per person per game covers everything.

In general, I've found that it pays to make sure there's a good spread of food and beverages at my poker game. Having good quality food and drink attracts and keeps poker players coming back, including marginal players — something that's surely good for the game.

Also in this series...

Ashley Adams has been playing poker for 50 years and writing about it since 2000. He is the author of hundreds of articles and two books, Winning 7-Card Stud (Kensington 2003) and Winning No-Limit Hold'em (Lighthouse 2012). He is also the host of poker radio show House of Cards. See www.houseofcardsradio.com for broadcast times, stations, and podcasts.

^{Photo: Shad Bolling. CC BY 2.0.}

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