I'm building a poker table
I'm building a poker table. About a month ago I came across a couple how-to sites.

This one is pretty detailed, and shows you how to make a very inexpensive table. However, I don't like the table felt he used. Also, I don't see the point in making a long, rectangular, casino-style table unless you're going to have a dedicated dealer--it's too hard to deal from the ends of a long table, so only the one or two guys in the center of the table are in a good position to deal.

The table at this site is more what I'm going for. It's round, has standard casino felt, and bumpers. I couldn't find a cheap 5' round table (checked eBay, various online office furniture sites, and my local Salvation Army), however, so I'm going to follow the tips from the first site and make a table out of plywood and folding legs.

The first thing I bought was the plywood. B and I had rented a cargo van to transport some furniture, so I figured I might as well pick up the wood while I had the means to transport it. Unfortunately, Home Depot only sells plywood in 4' X 8' sheets. I had hoped to build a 5' diameter round table, but instead I'm going to settle for a 4' x 6' oval. Standard casino tables are about 3' x 8', so mine will be in between ther two extremes of round and lengthy. The helpful Home Depot guys thought it was cool I was building a poker table :) They recommended spruce and that's what I went with.

Then I ordered all the other material from casinosupply.com. Here's what I bought:

Table Foam Padding (72 x 42 x 3/8). 2 sheets at $8.35 each = $16.70
Green Casino Cloth (60 inches wide) 6 feet at $8.50 = $51.00
Black Folding Table Legs (29 inch Tall x 24 inch Wide) 1 pair at $16.95 = $16.95
Perfect Padded Rail 17 feet at $3.35 = $56.95
Stainles Steel Drink Holders (they slide under the padded railing) 6 at $7.45 = $44.70

Total plus shipping = $229.24. The plywood cost about $40, so I'm looking at a $270 table. I could have made it for less but I'm only going to do this once and I didn't want to skimp. Plus the stainless steel drink holders were the real splurge item -- if you don't count them then the table's only about $235, shipping included. The cheapest ones I've seen online are around $400.

I placed my order in the first week of March. The padded rail was on backorder, but I just got an e-mail today saying that my order shipped today. Woo-hoo! B and I are going on a little vacation next week, but I hope to have the table built by the end of the month. My birthday is May 2, a Sunday, so I'm hoping to have the table make its debut the night before. I'll keep you posted.
posted by James at 1:14 PM