Poker often has connections to whiskey drinking and cigars. But the overlap in demographics between craft beer enthusiasts and players of card games is, unsurprisingly, quite large. And while many look for UK casino promotions in their own free time, finding an evening when your friends are all free is a different story.
So, instead of waiting for these all-too-infrequent get-togethers, why not explore whether you can combine your love of craft beer with an online poker tournament instead?
Choosing Your Online Poker Setup
Selecting the right online poker platform is going to be pretty important here. PokerStars Home Games has some pretty reliable free private game functionalities, and it’s known for its customizability.
For something simpler, with browser-based access (because not everybody wants to install software), DonkHouse.com is a relatively straightforward alternative, and Pokerrrr 2 excels for mobile private games while retaining an intuitive interface.
There’s no one-size-fits-all, so it’s best to evaluate platforms based on ease of use for all participants and ask around. Depth of customization (blinds, buy-ins, table settings) is worth valuing, but so too is its stability and any associated costs.
No-Limit Texas Hold’em is generally the go-to format. You want to establish stakes with a clear buy-in and decide on rebuys or add-ons that can really influence the game. Try not to deviate too much from normal standards, in part because beer is going to be involved.
Design starting stacks and progressive blind levels (e.g., 15-20 minute increases) for a 3-4 hour tournament, as this will align nicely with the tasting. Importantly, though, use video conferencing (Zoom, Discord) for your socializing and beer discussion, and so this will have to align with the poker site used (e.g., if you’re going web-based). Mobile is likely off the table as you can’t see faces and a poker table at the same time very easily, unless on a tablet.
Strategic Beer Selection
If you’re going all-in on this beer tasting, let’s develop a strategy beyond just randomness. A theme wouldn’t go amiss, such as having the nuances of West Coast vs. New England IPAs, or a vertical tasting of a barrel-aged series. If you’re not with total beer geeks, you could opt for a regional showcase, such as Belgium, as this is relatively accessible to buy and new to many people. A hop varietal focus could also be interesting, like highlighting specific hops (Citra, Strata) across styles, as you can end up with a deeper understanding of flavor by the end.
It is tempting to do a challenge, such as a blind tasting. You could ask one person to procure from a specialty shop for local pickup, or issue a curated BYOB list with 3-5 styles/beers. But you want to be careful here, as you have a game of poker to play. If you go this route, direct-to-consumer shipping is possibly the easiest, as you can then just send over the URLs, and everyone can get involved just as easily.
Tying in Pints and Poker Pacing
Harmonizing the beer tasting with poker’s rhythm is where it’s make or break. A “welcome beer”, which should be your lightest offering, is a good way to whet the whistle as you all log in and join the table, because this will end up taking longer than it should.
For subsequent beers, there are two approaches to consider. Scheduled “beer breaks” that align with tournament breaks (typically hourly) are perhaps the way to go if you’re a friend group of beer enthusiasts. This will allow for dedicated tasting and more focused discussion. For example, this has to be the option for any blind tasting.
If the group is more interested in poker than beer tasting, “sip-as-you-play” will allow players to enjoy the beer at their own pace. You can still synchronize the order of beers you drink, and this allows for in-game discussion, but it’s not too regimented and allows the poker tournament to flow better, as people won’t be waiting for the next break.
You want around 1 to 2 beers per hour of poker play time, depending on how much the group enjoys drinking. Consider the ABV of the beer you’ve chosen, as it may be higher than what the group is used to drinking, making 5 beers for a 4-hour tournament quite reasonable.
Post-Tournament Fun
The event doesn’t end with the final hand, so you can save a beer or two after the tournament. This is the time to share your tournament results and congratulate the winner while also sharing tasting notes or a summary of favorite beers.
If there is a resounding group favorite and you all live close by, you can organize ordering a bulk amount of that one beer, as it can end up cheaper when buying larger quantities. If it was a success and you would like to do it again, it’s worth writing down in your notes about what could’ve been better in terms of the logistics, so that the next one is even smoother.
