Game nights offer an intimate way to spend time with family and friends without the distraction of devices and social media. Much like how holding an outdoor picnic party requires careful planning and preparation from the food down to the activities, anyone who hosts a game night must choose the right games to ensure everyone’s enjoyment.

Among the countless options for game night is poker, a card game that perfectly balances fun, challenge, and competition.

Easy to set up

One of the main advantages that poker provides is its simple and convenient setup. Unlike other games that require additional space or equipment, you can easily play on any tabletop with a deck of cards and a set of poker chips. The fun part also lies in having the freedom to choose the chip value. Since this is just a friendly game between family and friends and not an actual high-stakes match, you’d only have to exchange money at the end of the night when you have declared a winner.

Has cognitive benefits

It’s purely a myth that poker solely relies on luck and chance. Research shows that card games like poker have cognitive benefits as they test your memory, problem-solving, concentration, and decision-making. While the study was conducted only among individuals in their 70s, sharpening your cognitive skills at any age can, in fact, decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Poker is fundamentally a competitive game too, so it teaches you how to strategize and read your opponents’ every move, so you know which call to make.

Basic and understandable

If a game requires extensive knowledge of the rules before it can be played, people are less likely to engage and participate. Fortunately, understanding poker hands ranking is fairly straightforward, and even first-timers can join in. Whether you choose to play Texas Hold’em or Pot-Limit Omaha, the poker hand rankings remain the same. For example, most poker variants consider the royal flush as the best possible hand, which happens when you have consecutive ten-to-ace cards of the same suit. The universal rules also enable you to cycle through different types of poker games throughout the night so that you never get bored!

No time or player constraints

What’s also hard about hosting a game night is the fact that you have to factor in the number of players and the amount of time you have. You worry that someone will be left out or that a game will consume too much of your time. But the average duration of a poker game usually goes anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and a half; it can be played between 2 to 10 people, making it perfect regardless of the size of the group. The actual game length may vary depending on how cautious or carefree the players are, but don’t fret—it’s usually just the actual tournament or casino games that take up the entire day or night.

Perfect with food and drinks

A game night wouldn’t be complete without food and drinks. Even if you order a pizza or simply provide light snacks, you don’t have to worry about pausing or ending the game just to get your fill. When it comes to beverages, make sure there’s water in the midst of all the alcohol and cocktails so all the players can keep a clear head throughout the game. Complete this right mix of food, game, and company by playing songs that everyone can enjoy, such as jazz and ambient music.