Casino and game night

What it is

A Las Vegas night at home with play money only. Set up two or three game tables with friends acting as dealers, dress up, and give prizes to the guests who finish with the most chips. It works for birthdays, New Year’s Eve, or a work social.

Plan ahead

• Three weeks before: send “VIP invitation” cards with a dress code (black tie, cocktail, or Vegas glitter).
• One week before: buy or borrow a poker chip set, a roulette wheel, decks of cards and felt table layouts. Recruit a dealer for each table (friends who know the rules).
• The day before: print rule cards for each game, set up tables and print fun money.

Set the scene

Green or black tablecloths, red and gold balloons, playing card bunting and dim lighting with lamps over the tables. A “cashier” desk at the door for handing out chips. Rat Pack jazz playlist.

Activities

The tables

• Blackjack: get as close to 21 as possible without going over. The dealer stands on 17. Simple to learn, quick rounds.
• Texas Hold’em poker: for the more serious guests; put a rules sheet on the table.
• Roulette: bet on red/black, odd/even or a single number. Very sociable and easy for beginners.
• Extra: a dice table for “craps lite”: bet on whether the next roll is over or under 7.

Prizes

Give everyone the same chips at the start. At the end, the top three chip-holders win prizes (a bottle of fizz, chocolates, a gift card). Let everyone else swap chips for raffle tickets so all guests have a chance.

Food and drink

• Canapés: mini sliders, smoked salmon blinis, cheese straws, olives
• A classic cocktail menu: martinis, Old Fashioneds, and a non-alcoholic “lucky 7” mocktail
• A cake decorated as a stack of chips or a pair of dice

Tips

• Play money only. Gambling for real money can break the law in many places.
• Give dealers a break by rotating hosts every 30 minutes.
• For New Year’s Eve, do the cash-out at 11:45pm and announce winners at midnight.