How to Plan a Poker Party

I’m finally getting around to posting about the poker-themed birthday party I hosted for H a few weeks ago.

I cleared off just enough space on the computer to upload these images. Now it’s full again. Something’s gotta give, and I think it’s my music collection, which apparently is taking up more than 30 gb on my tiny laptop. Excuse me while I swallow back tears. The thought of purging music makes me very sad.

But back to the party. H is a Texas Hold ’em aficionado, to the point where he plays online and records the World Series of Poker, so the theme was obvious. But how to execute it?

Well, first I started by squeezing a dozen helium-filled balloons into my Beetle. Red for hearts and diamonds; black for spades and clubs.

I tried not to change lanes, and I made only right-hand turns a la Zoolander. It wasn’t because I “couldn’t turn left.” It was because I couldn’t see where I was going.

The guests were invited to come dressed as their favorite poker player (dead or alive). We would then pretend we were at the final table at the WSOP tournament.

Some of the personalities who showed up: Doc Holliday, Poker Alice, Frank Sinatra.

Poker Alice was kind enough to bring some green felt, and with that we transformed my dining table into a card table worthy of casino status.

I created a menu of cleverly named finger foods.

We had “The Nuts.”

We had “Suite Cookies.”

And, my favorite, “Pocket Aces” Pizza.

• Mini pitas
• Marinara sauce
• Toppings (suggestions: beef, turkey sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

1. Arrange a package of mini pitas on a cookie sheet.
2. Spread marinara (store-bought or your homemade) in a thin layer atop each pita.
3. Add your toppings. At our party, we used pepperoni and turkey sausage (Husband’s fave). Any of your favorite pizza toppings will work. Make sure any meat has been sauteed and seasoned beforehand.
4. Sprinkle a little Parmesan atop.
5. Sprinkle even more mozzarella atop that.
6. Keep in fridge till you’re ready to eat.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Cook until cheese is melted (10-15 minutes).
9. Eat immediately. It’s a three-bite affair.
10. Hope you made enough for everyone!