• Poker Face Table Sizes
• Poker Face Table Size Table
• Poker Face Table Size Calculator
• Poker Face Table Size Chart

The set includes the 2-in-1, 48 in. Dia game table with 4 matching chairs. The reversible dining table surface quickly turns into a felt-lined game table surface with an easy flip of the table top. The poker surface has space for 8 players and includes built-in drink holders and chip slots.

1. Heritage-Rosa-Poker-Card-Table-Counter-Height-Dining-Table-Game-Table If you find yourself a poker fan, this bar height poker table shall appeal to you. Being a soli, wooden construction, it mimicks the traditional way of design.
2. This poker table measures about 7 feet in length, 2.5 feet in height and 3.5 feet in width. So clearly it can be seen that you will get plenty of elbow room to move flexibly. Brybelly offers thick and robust 2 cm of board, amalgamated to legs and frame with the help of long screws.

As I write this, WSOP 2018 is in full swing, so I thought this would be a good time to update my recommendations on folding poker table tops for home games.

These new recommendations aren't based simply on my personal opinion, instead they're based on analysis of more than 1,300 opinions from people who have bought or used them - you can read more about that in the Methodology section at the end of this guide.

As an experienced casino and live tournament player myself, I've also provided some advice for those of you who don't have much experience with poker tables.

Contents

• The Best Folding Poker Table Tops

Poker Table Top Buying Advice

Having a proper felt table is much better than playing your home games on a regular kitchen table top. Not only do they add a touch of class to the game but cards also slide more predictably across the surface resulting in fewer misdeals.

• Size: For octagonal tops the main consideration is how much space it takes up when bagged and stored. Many people use their poker tops on tables which are larger with many people using 48' tops on 60' (5 feet) round tables. They can also be used on square tables. I personally prefer a top that's slightly larger than the table it's sitting on, however you have to be careful not to knock the top and topple everyone's chips when sitting down. Octagonal tops are usually measured from point to point, not side to side. For oval tables the main consideration, other than folded size, is that length is similar to the table it's going on so people at the ends don't have to reach too far, but it doesn't have to be an exact fit.

• Playing Surface: All the tops recommended below have a felt playing surface, however some of them are decorated and some aren't. One issue that often arises with cheaper tops that are decorated is that the markings are printed on with inks or dyes that are sometimes sticky. This isn't always an issue for home players, but anyone experienced at dealing on a professional table will get frustrated with the way cards can stick to the paint when sliding across the surface.

• Portability: Although most folding tops come with carry bags, the quality of the bags tends to vary a lot. If you're planning on carrying the top around with you, pay special attention to the review analyses below.

• Folds: The more folds a top has, the smaller it generally is when stowed away, however the folds can crease over time leading to cards getting caught sometimes leading to misdeals. To minimize the risk of this happening, get one with the least number of folds for its type if folded size isn't a concern for you.

• Extras: Some tops come with extras such as cards and chips. Generally these tend to be lower quality cards than I prefer - see my card recommendation below for a better option. Also bundled chips tend to be lower quality plastic ones that are okay for some, but not for players used to the weight and feel of standard clay based chips, after all a good set of chips can cost more than many table tops.

Octagon Poker Table Top Meta Reviews

MD Sports ARC046_027M

PolyRated / Sources: 832 / 15+
Median Price / Sources: $51 / 3
Brand: MD Sports

Folded Size: 23.325' W x 23.325' L x 2.5' H
Included Extras: Cards & Chips
Total Weight: 23.1 lb

At only 46' across, this is one of the smallest options currently available. It folds 2 ways making it much smaller than most other options when folded.

It comes with a carry bag and a basic deck of cards. It only includes a 100 piece chip set which is not really enough for 8 players, so if you don't have chips already you'll need to buy some more.

It's made from particle board (MDF) with plastic cup and chip holders.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

HomCom B8-0001

PolyRated / Sources: 880 / 125+
Median Price / Sources: $55 / 4
Brand: HomCom

Folded Size: 23.75' W x 47.25' L x 1.25' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 22 lb

The HomCom B8-0001 has the highest ratings out of all the octagonal table tops on the market which seems to be due to its value for money in the 48' segment.

It has the most common size for an octagonal poker table top at 48' across. As you can see from the picture on the right, it uses a single fold - this does make it larger when folded than some options, but it also means there is one less join leading to fewer issues over time as it's packed away and taken out time and again for use.

The manufacturer says it's made from solid wood, however 1 reviewer said it's more likely plywood. In addition to the green felt on top, the back is covered with black felt so there's no risk of it scratching your table. The removable chip/cup holders are molded plastic. The carry bag is made from nylon.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

Trademark Poker 10-11652

PolyRated / Sources: 842 / 150+
Median Price / Sources: $95 / 7
Brand: Trademark Poker

Folded Size: 52' W x 26' L x 3.5' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 30 lb

I mainly play on oval tables, however if I needed to get an octagonal table then after examining so many reviews, this is the one I would get.

The raised padding around the edge means you don't have to worry about cards or chips falling off the edge when sliding across the table, and from personal experience they're much more comfortable when resting your arms on them.

At the time of publication, I'm still waiting on Trademark Poker to confirm what type of wood it's made from, but I can tell you that the padded sides and the bottom surface are made from vinyl. The carry bag is made from nylon.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

Oval Poker Table Top Meta Reviews

IDS Home 4-Fold 63'

PolyRated / Sources: 920 / 10+
Median Price / Sources: $53 / 3
Brand: IDS Home

Open Size: 63' L x 35' W
Folded Size: 32.3' L x 16.5' W x 3.2' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 21 lb

This top has good ratings but it's usually only bought by people with a small table to put it on - most people opt for one of the larger sizes below.

The manufacture hasn't yet provided me with detailed specifications, but based on user reports it's made with solid feeling wood.

It also comes with a carry bag as you see in the picture.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

Giantex TY557993

PolyRated / Sources: 900 / 30+
Median Price / Sources: $48 / 3
Brand: Giantex

Open Size: 71' L x 35' W
Folded Size: 18' L x 36' W x 1' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 29 lb although some owners report that it's actually a few pounds heavier than that.

This top is made from MDF wood with a felt top and PVC carry bag using its 4 segmented folding design.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

JP Commerce TX3

PolyRated / Sources: 826 / 15+
Median Price / Sources: $120 / 5
Brand: JP Commerce

Open Size: 82' L x 40' W
Folded Size: 40' L x 37' W
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 51 lb

NB: This top does not come with a carry bag.

Despite this top having lower ratings than the 2 smaller options above (possibly due to its higher price tag), this is the option I would choose for myself after having personally read all the reviews for all the options recommended in this guide.

It's built from solid wood and is nice and heavy (51 lb) to ensure it sits firmly on your table. I personally prefer a more weighty table for this reason, after all you spend more time playing on it than you do carrying it around. It also has padded sides which is a big plus for me.

Due to its 3-fold design, it takes up more space when folded than other options, however this also leads to a smoother playing surface with fewer creases.

Review Analysis

Positive

Negative

Card Recommendation

If you're still using basic playing cards then you should get a set of Copag cards. These are the only ones I ever recommend - in my opinion they are superior to all other sets of cards because they don't easily mark or get creased. Not only do they last for years, it's very difficult for a cheat to bend or crease the corners to mark them during play. The first set I bought lasted for over 10 years!

Folding Poker Table Top Selection Methodology

*All of the products recommended above were selected based on their PolyRated scores out of 1000.

These scores were calculated by analyzing reports and reviews by owners and users, assigning a score to each source and then processing those scores algorithmically to produce an overall score that reflects market sentiment about the product.

The analysis included over 1,300 review sources of 18 models from 9 brands: Brybelly, Da Vinci, Giantex, GLD Products, HomCom, IDS Home, JP Commerce, MD Sports and Trademark Poker.

The models with the highest rating in each category for each of the 3 sizes were then selected to be recommended above.

Poker Face Table Sizes

Planning poker, also called Scrum poker, is a consensus-based, gamified technique for estimating, mostly used to estimate effort or relative size of development goals in software development. In planning poker, members of the group make estimates by playing numbered cards face-down to the table, instead of speaking them aloud. The cards are revealed, and the estimates are then discussed. By hiding the figures in this way, the group can avoid the cognitive bias of anchoring, where the first number spoken aloud sets a precedent for subsequent estimates.

Planning poker is a variation of the Wideband delphi method. It is most commonly used in agile software development, in particular in Scrum and Extreme Programming.

The method was first defined and named by James Grenning in 2002^[1] and later popularized by Mike Cohn in the book Agile Estimating and Planning,^[2] whose company trade marked the term ^[3] and a digital online tool.^[4]

Process[edit]

Rationale[edit]

The reason to use planning poker is to avoid the influence of the other participants. If a number is spoken, it can sound like a suggestion and influence the other participants' sizing. Planning poker should force people to think independently and propose their numbers simultaneously. This is accomplished by requiring that all participants show their card at the same time.

Equipment[edit]

Planning poker is based on a list of features to be delivered, several copies of a deck of cards and optionally, an egg timer that can be used to limit time spent in discussion of each item.

The feature list, often a list of user stories, describes some software that needs to be developed.

The cards in the deck have numbers on them. A typical deck has cards showing the Fibonacci sequence including a zero: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89; other decks use similar progressions with a fixed ratio between each value such as 1, 2, 4, 8, etc.

The reason for using the Fibonacci sequence instead of simply doubling each subsequent value is because estimating a task as exactly double the effort as another task is misleadingly precise. A task which is about twice as much effort as a 5, has to be evaluated as either a bit less than double (8) or a bit more than double (13).

Several commercially available decks use the sequence: 0, ½, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100, and optionally a ? (unsure), an infinity symbol (this task cannot be completed) and a coffee cup (I need a break, and I will make the rest of the team coffee). The reason for not exactly following the Fibonacci sequence after 13 is because someone once said to Mike Cohn 'You must be very certain to have estimated that task as 21 instead of 20.' Using numbers with only a single digit of precision (except for 13) indicates the uncertainty in the estimation. Some organizations^[which?] use standard playing cards of Ace, 2, 3, 5, 8 and king. Where king means: 'this item is too big or too complicated to estimate'. 'Throwing a king' ends discussion of the item for the current sprint.

Smartphones allow developers to use mobile apps instead of physical card decks. When teams are not in the same geographical locations, collaborative software can be used as replacement for physical cards.

Procedure[edit]

At the estimation meeting, each estimator is given one deck of the cards. All decks have identical sets of cards in them.

The meeting proceeds as follows:

• A Moderator, who will not play, chairs the meeting.
• The Product Owner provides a short overview of one user story to be estimated. The team is given an opportunity to ask questions and discuss to clarify assumptions and risks. A summary of the discussion is recorded, e.g. by the Moderator.
• Each individual lays a card face down representing their estimate for the story. Units used vary - they can be days duration, ideal days or story points. During discussion, numbers must not be mentioned at all in relation to feature size to avoid anchoring.
• Everyone calls their cards simultaneously by turning them over.
• People with high estimates and low estimates are given a soap box to offer their justification for their estimate and then discussion continues.
• Repeat the estimation process until a consensus is reached. The developer who was likely to own the deliverable has a large portion of the 'consensus vote', although the Moderator can negotiate the consensus.
• To ensure that discussion is structured; the Moderator or the Product Owner may at any point turn over the egg timer and when it runs out all discussion must cease and another round of poker is played. The structure in the conversation is re-introduced by the soap boxes.

The cards are numbered as they are to account for the fact that the longer an estimate is, the more uncertainty it contains. Thus, if a developer wants to play a 6 he is forced to reconsider and either work through that some of the perceived uncertainty does not exist and play a 5, or accept a conservative estimate accounting for the uncertainty and play an 8.

Benefits[edit]

A study by Moløkken-Østvold and Haugen^[5] reported that planning poker provided accurate estimates of programming task completion time, although estimates by any individual developer who entered a task into the task tracker was just as accurate. Tasks discussed during planning poker rounds took longer to complete than those not discussed and included more code deletions, suggesting that planning poker caused more attention to code quality. Planning poker was considered by the study participants to be effective at facilitating team coordination and discussion of implementation strategies.

Poker Face Table Size Table

See also[edit]

• Comparison of Scrum software, which generally has support for planning poker, either included or as an optional add-on.

References[edit]

Poker Face Table Size Calculator

1. ^'Wingman Software Planning Poker - The Original Paper'. wingman-sw.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
2. ^Mike Cohn (November 2005). 'Agile Estimating and Planning'. Mountain Goat Software. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
3. ^'Planning poker - Trademark, Service Mark #3473287'. Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR). 15 January 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
4. ^Cohn, Mike. 'Planning Poker Cards: Effective Agile Planning and Estimation'. Mountain Goat Software. Mountain Goat Software. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
5. ^K Moløkken-Østvold, NC Haugen (10–13 April 2007). 'Combining Estimates with Planning Poker—An Empirical Study'. 18th Australian Software Engineering Conference. IEEE: 349–58. doi:10.1109/ASWEC.2007.15. ISBN978-0-7695-2778-9.

• Mike Cohn (2005). Agile Estimating and Planning (1 ed.). Prentice Hall PTR. ISBN978-0-13-147941-8.

Poker Face Table Size Chart