I’ve been wanting to start and host a neighborhood poker game for a while now, so I started looking at buying a poker table online. I found a few that looked good enough for around $200, but I wasn’t happy with the $100 shipping charges. So, I started to look into building one myself for that price.
I was pretty sure that I could just take one of those long folding party tables, put a sheet of plywood on it, upholster it with foam and felt, and call it a day. Then I decided I wanted the padded rail, so I started looking for tips on how to do that. I eventually found a site apply named “buildyourownpokertables.com”. It had all sorts of free plans in it and a gallery of what people have done. I’m glad I’ve learned from others. I was also inspired by some. This table inspired the theme of my table. I’m a fan of teams (guess which I pick), I could do something like that. I found that one early in January, and thought about it for a couple of weeks.
I liked the “racetrack” with the cup holders, I wasn’t sure about my ability to do woodwork that would be exposed. I wanted something that was completely covered, so I set out looking for examples of people that had done upholstered racetracks. I ended up being truly inspired by this one.
Now that I have my theme and the basic look, it’s time to strart buying. Let’s see if I can stay on budget. [spoiler: no!]
Here’s what is required for the project.
Sheets of MDF “wood”. I’m not sure it’s really technically wood, but it’s flat and pretty strong. It’s going to take 3 3/4 sheets and 1 1/2 sheet. Look at the build your own poker table for why. I had to have Home depot cut them down so they would fit in the car. They ended up being 46” wide by 7’ long. Still a decent size of a table. It also made it possible for me to get them downstairs, which is a problem given the 180 degree turn in our basement stairs.
Miscellaneous hardware from the hardware store. Some are from ace, some from home depot.
Starting from the lower left, we have:
- T-nuts, to attach the upholstered parts to other parts of the table
- Various bolts and washers
- A cutting guide for the jig saw (already purchased) and circular saw (already purchased)
- Angle bars to go on the bottom of the table to avoid it eventually sagging
- Spray on glue, fabric paint, and a brush (from JoAnn Fabrics)
- Folding table legs
- Staples for the upholstery
- A drill bit to allow washers to sit flush
- Handles for carrying
- A hole saw
- 8' x 4' sheet of hardboard
- Plexiglas, cutter, rope light, and drywall corner protector (none are pictured)
I also needed, but already had:
- Drill
- Clamps
- Saw horses
- Shop vac
Total cost at hardware stores: $392. Budget blown already, and I don’t even have fabric.
Foam. This ended up being one of the most expensive parts of the project. I bought 2 sheets of 2” high density foam and 2 sheets of 1/2” from JoAnn fabrics. $212. Ouch. Should have waited for a coupon.
Fabric for the playing surface (navy moleskin), for the racetrack (yellow vinyl), and for the rail (navy micro suede). Guess the theme yet?
$110 more at Joann Fabrics.
10 cup holders from a local boating store. $64.
Total cost: $777.13. Jen, I love you.
I was exhausted after day one of shopping and carrying everything downstairs.
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