The Opera Poker Set ($499)

LET’S FACE IT, men like to go all in. Whether it’s their clothes, their cars or their women — they want the best. When a man invites his buddies over for the weekly poker game, the same applies. Nobody wants to go to the guy’s house who brings out the plastic chips from the supermarket and the flimsy cards.

If a man is to host poker night, he must do it right. And that starts with the poker set.

A good poker set — complete with clay chips and playing cards that actually shuffle correctly — can making playing even at the kitchen table seem as good as Vegas (or Atlantic City, for you East coasters). And if you’re going to drop some coin on a poker set, you might as well go for the best.

We recommend The Opera Poker Set, available at Christopher’s Games of Quality and Distinction. This set will set (pardon the pun) you back a cool $500 … but practice your craft, and you’ll win that cash back in no time.

For something of an alternative, yet classic, set … try the River Boat Casino Poker Set ($210). Its Monte Carlo-style chips will add a bit of flair to your otherwise mundane breakfast nook.

For an added bonus, set up the card table in the garage with the door open. Let the breeze in and the smoke out.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramberto/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0