Poker Night Theme Party Ideas
With Halloween on the table this month Poker Night plays out to be a great theme for a gangster style, casino or Monte Carlo Halloween party. Party planning could range from simple to extravagant depending upon the number of guests invited. With the purchase of poker chips and cards all you need is a good game to get the party started. Go Monte Carlo style with glitz, glamour and luxury making the night a black tie affair. Take the casino route with multiple table games available to guests. A gangster theme gives guests the opportunity to dress in the fashion of Al Capone, the characters of The Godfather or more modern versions such as The Sopranos. Once the style has been chosen a few drinks are in order. Serve up rounds of these great cocktails and you’re sure to have a ‘full house’.
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- Mar 10, 2020 - Explore Angel Kelly-Rizzo's board 'Poker Night', followed by 125 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about Poker party, Casino theme parties, Casino party.
Ante – Robert Hess
1-3/4 ounce Calvados or Apple Brandy
Casino Night/Poker Night Party. Holding a swanky poker party for your closest friends? Set the theme of any poker night with a Steve Silver Tournament Game Table. Then add excitement and glamour with candle holders and martini glasses filled with poker chips and dice, like the ones below as seen on Every Little Detail Event Blog – a must. Try your 'hand' and a casino theme! Easy Money Casino Party - Easy casino party ideas will make your party a 'winner'! Texas Hold 'Em - Have a unique poker night with this Texas Hold'em theme party. Casino Birthday Party - Casino party ideas to help you celebrate the guest of honor in style!
3/4 ounce Dubonnet Rouge
1/2 ounce Premium Orange Liqueur
1 dash Classic Bitters
Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Robert Hess created a lovely cocktail that touches upon classic style. Ante retains lush color and rich character. Dubonnet reaches out first in flavor, but then the brandy character caresses the palate with substantial strokes of layered personality. Ante is quite the cocktail. Though the cocktail didn’t last long enough in the glass to test my theory, I’m certain this one would be just as delicious if it sat warming to room temperature when the games begin. After all poker is all about bluffing and one can’t do that with a glass in one hand all the time!
Casino – Robert Hess
2 ounces Gin
1/8 ounce Lemon Juice
Poker Night Theme Party Ideas Food
1/8 ounce Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Cherry Garnish
Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.
Gin lovers will love this one, because Casino primarily tastes of gin with a little bitter zing and Maraschino liqueur flair just barely wafting off the back end. The great thing about that is Casino definitely won’t distract from the primary focus; poker. This drink recipe gives a minor variation to remotely flavored martini without all the sugary fuss. The cherry garnish possibly adds too much girlish charm for such a ‘manly’ game, so do away with it if it’s too much to deal with, but the small amount of flavor does add to the flavor layering. Besides, if you lose the round you can always make a side bet on how fast you can tie that cherry stem.
Another great cocktail to keep in mind while betting the house; Lady Luck found in the recent Twilight Zone recipe pairing post. Lady Luck combines Armagnac, pear liqueur and champagne. The Twilight Zone theme would also be a fantastic Halloween theme party this holiday season.
Monte Carlo – Robert Hess
2-1/4 ounces Rye Whiskey
3/4 ounce Benedictine
Poker Night Themed Party Ideas
1 dash Classic Bitters
Place liquids in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass.
The Robert Hess Monte Carlo taste will vary in degrees depending on which Rye Whiskey you choose. I happened to try Sazerac Rye. The flavor of the cocktail turned out deep in spice and leaned heavily toward the sweet side, sticking in the back of the throat a little. However the color is terrific. It’s difficult to go wrong with spirits such as Rye Whiskey or Benedictine. The ratios of this mix just need a little fine tuning for my particular palate, but that is the sporting nature of cocktail creation. There is nothing sacred about a recipe where your particular taste is concerned. Tweak it to your own liking.
What’s poker, anteing up and betting the house without quoting from the Godfather: ‘In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns.’ – Calo
Corleone – Ryan Magarian
5 White Grapes
1-1/2 ounce Gin
1/2 ounce Grappa
1/2 ounce Lemon Juice
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
1 dash Orange Bitters
White Grape Garnish
Muddle grapes in bottom of mixing glass. Add in remaining liquid ingredients. Add ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sliced grape resting on rim of glass.
The Capone
3 ounces Templeton Rye Whiskey
1 ounces Grand Marnier
Splash of Champagne
Dash of Bitters
Combine Templeton Rye, bitters & Grand Marnier in shaker. Shake well, strain in martini glass. Float champagne & garnish with lemon twist.
Templeton Rye is fabulous served neat, but I made my getaway with The Capone. Who could resist Templeton Rye Whiskey, Grand Marnier and champagne? A combination such as this is downright dastardly and yet splendid! Templeton Rye is definitely “The Good Stuff.” Templeton Rye has succeeded in blending the history of this original American spirit into the whiskey itself. There is warmth, sentiment and flavor of the past within this particular spirit.
Nightwatch – Robert Hess, 2006
1 ounce Gin
1 ounce Coffee Liqueur
Poker Theme Party Ideas
1/4 ounce Absinthe
Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Monte Carlo
1/2 measure Gin
1/4 measure Lemon Juice
Champagne
1/4 measure Crème de Menthe
Mint Leaf Garnish
Stir gin and lemon juice in mixing glass with ice. Strain into champagne flute. Top with champagne, leaving room for crème de menthe. Carefully drizzle crème de menthe over the top. Garnish with mint leaf.
The winner takes all in Monte Carlo. This green hued cocktail could double for holiday themed parties or St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but the name lends itself well to poker night and betting the house. Crème de Menthe is subtle with a wee bit of tartness of the citrus settling the sweetness score. Gin does not carry through in the least as it is outshined by the other multi-layered flavors. Savor winning in style with a celebratory toast of champagne with this bubbly version Monte Carlo.
All content ©2014 Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist. All Rights Reserved. Chat with Cheri @Intoxicologist on Twitter and facebook.com/Intoxicologist or str8upcocktails@gmail.com
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Poker Party Ideas
All bets are in, the action’s high, and you’re hosting a poker night. Need some party ideas? I’ve got you covered. Below is a round-up of ideas, decorations, food, invitations, and more! So don’t fold just yet, throw those chips all in, and let’s go!
Throw The Best Poker Night Party!
Poker Night Idea 01: Decorations
If you haven’t ever checked out Big Dot of Happiness, you’re missing out! They have everything you need to throw a party, all in one spot. If you’re not up to creating your own decorations, then you really should check out what they have to offer your Poker Party here.
If you’re up to making your own decorations, try taking the suit symbols and stringing them up on clear fishing line or string. You can cut them out yourself or grab a set of glittery ones here. You can hang the bunting from your mantle, over doorways, or even from the ceiling!
When it comes to colors, the answer is easy! Play up the red, white, and black for a formal affair and a sure-fire tie-in with playing cards.
While you’re at it, why not create a cute table setting using a pack of playing cards? Adding them as place cards, or even tying them onto a clear glass vase is an effective way to tie in your theme.
Poker Night Idea 02: Invitations
When it comes to inviting your guests, it’s best to make sure they know what they’re in for. You can purchase some beautiful ones from Big Dot of Happiness here. If you’ve got some skills with Photoshop, then make your own! You can create something uniquely your own and have it printed through Minted. By adding in elements like poker chips or card suits, you’re sure to create something on theme with minimal creative effort.
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!
Who wouldn’t gamble on a fruit kebab, especially when aces are wild? Try alternating black grapes with strawberries cut in half and placing a hole-punched card at the bottom.
You can also buy or make a cheese ball, re-form it into a square and place halved olives in each side for the pips. Then ta-da! You’re done. You can also serve tiny sliders and keep them together using these card suit toothpicks. Grab them here in black as well.
For serving the drinks thathave that little something extra, try freezing dice and placing them in cups in place of ice cubes. I know, dice aren’t part of poker but they make for a fun addition! If you’re not up for frozen dice, then you can give that pack of cards you’ve already taken apart for the kebabs and use them on the stems of your glasses! They can act as name tags as well as adding to your theme.
Poker Idea 04: Keeping it Classy
Okay, so you want to throw a poker party, but you don’t want the night to crumble into madness. This is where keeping it classy comes into play. If you want to throw a legit Poker Party, here are some suggestions for keeping things classy:
- Prep the Peeps: This is where the invites come into play. If you want people to actually play poker, they might need time to learn or get up to speed. Don’t be afraid to communicate with your guests what the expectations are for playing. I’d also suggest being intentional in your invitations. If you have a friend with a gambling issue or one who can’t hold their liquor, skip the invite this time and do something different with them on an alternative evening.
- Real Deal: If you really want to keep your evening above board, then you need to find a professional dealer or at least someone who’s skilled at the art of dealing cards. This will make the evening run much smoother because you’ll have someone dedicated to keeping the games going.
- Table Top Matters: Having an actual felt table makes a difference! It’s easier to pick up cards and keeps things rolling. If you don’t have a place you can put a permanent card table, try this folding one!
- Cards and Chips: There are plenty of places to cut corners for this party, but this isn’t one. If you’re serious about throwing a classy poker night, then don’t skimp on the cards and chips. This set has chips and cards of good quality.
Poker Idea 05: Outfits
Another way to make your evening a night to remember is to dress up! Whether you opt for a full 20s party (because it is the Roaring ’20s, take two!) or just a formal event, you can’t go wrong with dressing up. You can get a gorgeous beaded dress here complete with gloves, feathers, and more! You can also hit up your local thrift store and go hunting through old formal dresses. One thing’s for sure, dressing up is definitely an ace in the hole.
What would your Poker Party staples be? Let me know in the comments below, and happy party planning! Now go get your poker faces on and have some fun!
For a fun summer party try this post.