Poker is rich in aesthetics. The enormously popular game developed over the centuries into an exquisite form of intellectual art. It has accumulated not only distinctive rules, but long-standing traditions. A genuine poker player is there not merely to spend some time away from his work or family. A genuine poker player enters the establishment and sits down at the table with a keen sense of poker as profession and of the profession as a complex and noble tradition. The game is elevated from mere week-end pass time for the rich to an intense imaginative experience.

No Casino is without several standard variants of poker, but casinos, one should realize, are primarily businesses where poker is only one of a many popular attractions. It may sound as snobbish nonsense, but if you are an aesthete in any other field – and you probably are, however slightly, even if only, perhaps, in respect to Single Malt Scotch or Woody Allen Comedies – you should understand the devoted poker player’s preference for a specialized poker club.

The ambience of a well though out club is very involving – the dealers are friendly public relation experts who know when to get intimate with a client and when to back off, but always are personable. To raise the experience to even higher levels, envision rare Cuban cigar smoke twirling over velvet covered tables and hear the ice tinkling in the rare single malt scotch in its exquisite crystal glass.

Clubs are fairly easy to organize. You will need to decide whether you want it to be a private place for friends to hang out or an official establishment for local professionals to frequent. For the former, you needn’t have much more than a decent room, a poker table, poker chips, and a few packs of paper poker cards.

For the more serious, formal club, location is very important. A place near the city center can be a good choice because it will attract people to come in, but it must be in a quiet place to prevent distraction. Almost anyone can get downtown, but no poker player will tolerate a high level of noise.

For the new poker club owner, since the game has an illustrious history, this aspect of it should be enhanced in the design. Something akin to historical tradition but with some modern touches to keep it from getting stuffy. Avoid any notion of a “theme” club…way to Disneyesque. Pay attention to factors like noise, color, and light pollution – all are distracting for the player whether amateur or professional. Everything should be slightly muted, exuberance is not what you are after.

Whether you are the manager or whether you hire a professional, make sure that the place is run with reliability and responsibility at all times and that any dispute or uncertainty are immediately resolved to the frequenters’ satisfaction. The manager has to be an experienced poker connoisseur him/her self, not an ignorant business manager, while the dealers must be the best available, preferably pleasant-looking, snubbing no newcomer.

The furnishings should be purchased not only for style but for durability as well. Plan for a lounge area where players can take five and relax between rounds, converse with fellow players, enjoy a drink and a good cigar. Add comfortable air conditioning, a comfortable, well-stocked bar with a professional, hospitable bartender. No gentlemen or gentlewoman poker connoisseur will tolerate a long game without good liquor and good smokes.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Absolute Poker Rakeback as well as Rakeback at NoiQ Poker.

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