The printable poker night checklist
Most poker nights that go sideways go sideways the same way: something small wasn't agreed before cards hit the felt. The rebuy debate at 11 pm, the missing cut card, the second buy-in nobody wrote down. None of it is hard to prevent - it just has to be thought of at the right moment, which is earlier than you think.
This checklist covers the whole arc of the night in 3 columns on 1 A4 page. Before the game: confirm players and the start time, set the buy-in and format, pick a blind structure, work out the chip distribution, and get the rebuy rules agreed in the group chat while everyone is still sober. During the game: bank chips as people buy in, keep the blind timer running, and record every rebuy the moment it happens. After the last hand: count final stacks, check the nets sum to zero, work out who pays who, and square away the float.
Print one for each game night and stick it on the fridge or in the chip case. The before column is the host's homework, the during column is what keeps the game honest, and the after column is what saves the group chat from the 1 am who-owes-who argument.
The PokerPall app takes care of the game itself for you - it banks buy-ins, runs the blind timer, and records rebuys live, then turns the final stacks into a settlement card at the end.
Common questions
What do I need to organise for a poker night at home?
Players and a confirmed start time, an agreed buy-in and format, a blind structure, a chip distribution, rebuy rules, a table with enough chairs, and two decks with a cut card. The checklist covers all of it in the before column.
What gets forgotten most often at home games?
Recording rebuys when they happen. A missed rebuy is invisible until the final count, when the nets refuse to sum to zero and nobody can remember why. Write it down the moment the chips cross the table, or let the app record it.
Why do the final nets have to sum to zero?
Every euro won at the table is a euro someone else lost, so the plus and minus column has to cancel out exactly. If it doesn't, a stack was miscounted or a buy-in went unrecorded - recount before anyone pays.
Is the checklist free to print?
Yes. It's a free 1-page PDF, sized for A4 and designed to print in black and white. No email address required, no sign-up.
Guides that go with this printable
Run the whole night with PokerPall
The paper does the table talk. The app does the work - live blind timer, chip setup, rebuys, and a settlement card at the end.