Hi Everyone,

Finally have a den I can put a decent poker table and I think I've narrowed it down to this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Rockwell-Elega...485176&sr=1-47

Mainly because it's in my price range and the table top will go over well the rest of the family for when they want to do their own thing. Chairs are a hell of a lot more expensive than I'd expect, though!

Anyone who has or has used this table have any comments on it?

Thanks!
Chris

No specific advice on that table, but have you checked out what a custom table builder in your area can do for you - you might find it works out cheaper, or you maybe get a nicer table for the same amount of money.

edit: have you checked out the original site?? http://www.bbopokertables.com/Rockwell.html you might have more custom options, thought the price appears different.

It looks like a nice dining table but maybe not a good poker table for a rotating deal game. These long oval tables are designed to have a dealer in the middle. A 96" table is too long to deal from the end positions.

A round table is ideal for a rotating deal game but they are more expensive and can be hard to find. This is because materials come 48" wide and to make a table wider than that requires more time and skill. Long narrow "casino style" tables have no place in a home game. Even if you use a dedicated for your regular game surely there will be times when an inpromtu game breaks out and you will need to rotate the deal.

If a round table is out then you might want to limit the lenght to 84".


I've writen an article on table design considerations.
http://www.bluegaragepoker.com/poker-loft.html

You mention a 48 X 78 table. Do you have plans you could post?

No I don’t have plans. The last table I built was that size. I designed it, made a drawing, then built it. I would think that just about any plans could be modified to that size though.

It befuddles my why so many table manufacturers and builders make there tables only 42’ wide.

The photo is not very good. Just wanted to give a overview so the proportions can be somewhat gauged. I stood on a chair and held the camera close to the ceiling so I could take in most of the table. Because I was not directly overhead the(lamp in the way) table appears wider than it is.

Very interesting table size imo. Thanks for sharing the pic. How many players comfortably fit on this size table? Also what was the total cost when all was said and done?

You make a good case for this table size. It would also fit in my room better than a 60" round table, I think.

I agree. Nice blend of the advantages of the oval and round.

Hi bluegarage.

Thought I'd reply just because it's good to see someone else who has the same views on table shapes.

You are right that as soon as you move away from a fixed dealer, you want a short fat table rather than 'casino style'.

Ideally we would all play 8 max and then we could use a 56" round tables and there would be no need to compromise.

Unfortunately the ability to seat more than 8 is often desirable for a small home game that is borderline 1 or 2 tables.

So then you get into the compromise region.

60" round is the next step which is good for 8 or 9 players, but you are starting to get a dead zone in the middle that no-one can reach.

So at 9 or 10 players you can switch to an oval. Economically it makes sense to go to 48" wide by as short as possible, the length depending on how much room you think you need.

I think the ultimate solution is a table that expands from something like 48"x58" to 48"x80". Which means you can seat up to 8 with virtually no compromise, and then expand it to take 10 players when needed.

The 48" X 78" table pictured seats 10. I'm guessing I spent about $130 on materials.

That's a great point I hadn't considered. Thank you very much - I'm going to start investigating round poker tables.