A Folding Poker Table Top - 3 Factors Before You Purchase

If you and your poker friends and family are currently playing on your dining room table and are looking to add some casino style fun to the game, then a folding poker table top is a great idea. I doubt you would play chess on a chessboard drawn on a piece of cardboard with bottle caps for pawns. It's just missing something.

Poker felts are available you can get but they need to be stapled on a piece of plywood or taped to your table. Again they are lacking something.

Poker table tops bring a Vegas quality to your games. You need to select a size and shape that fits your needs since there are many options. Before you shell out your hard earned money, I will discuss the main points you should consider.

1. Sizes and form: If you currently are playing on a kitchen or dining table that is either round or square, and around 48 inches plus/minus 8 inches, you would want to look at the octagon poker table tops. A rectangular or oval table top is used on non-circular or non-square tables. What manufacturing substance was used for the base and the size of the table top does count toward your decision. Foam tops should not extend over the sides of your table more than a couple of inches. For a wood based top it can extend over the edge four to six inches without issue. You do care because if a person rested their heavy arms on the edge of the top, all the poker chips would be knocked over. This gets old fast.

You shouldn't use a normal card table to put these on. The legs on a game table are really not robust enough for the heavy weight of the wooden tops.

Some people find they just don't have a table that will work so you might want to check out a table that comes with legs like an octagon poker table. Where you have the space you can even use a full size folding poker table.

2. Material Make up: There are 2 basic materials used to make poker table tops. The less costly, lower weight foam tops. If your game moves to other houses often, the storage case and the fact that they weigh much less make is a great benefit. These have easy portability due to their low weight and smaller folding size. Since the foam is not as durable as wood, you will need to replace these more often with wear and tear. They also make a great inexpensive gift for your significant other.

The wood tables will last longer than the foam base and generally are one half inch plywood. Padded felt and arm rests are also available on some of these just like on actual poker tables. Their heavier weight makes them much less vulnerable to being knocked over when you lean on it or leave the table.

I personally have one of each of these types of table tops, the foam for my traveling games, and a wooden top for my home games. I also have a folding poker table but that is another topic.

3. Designs: Once you have determined what size, shape, and material your table top should be, the most fun part is to select the colors and designs. Some tops are designed to be used for more than poker, like roulette and craps layouts included with them. The lower cost foam tops are much less to ship so will save you money, they also tend to be the most colorful when it comes to designs. The high end tops have poker table style features like wooden underbase, padding under the felt, and padded armrests. The felt is better so it is closer to the look of a casino table.

The padded felt on the premium wood tops tends to make them feel more authentic to the touch, but the best part is the sound. There is a soft "plink" sound when the chips hit each other and the table, and the chips don't bounce around as much. The cards slide better on the higher quality felt when you deal too. When your game seems to go on forever, the armrest becomes an important feature. If you can swing it you should look at the premium tops, even though they are not as portable as foam since they are much heavier.

Whether you are seeking a folding poker table top for a buddy, spouse, or yourself, you should now be able to choose one appropriately. After you have your first game on one, you will not be willing to ever play on the dining room table with a cloth thrown over it again. Now That's Poker!