Weekly social games
Relaxed tables every week with play chips, music and a good mix of new and experienced players. Turn up, sit down, deal in.
The Poker Society
Weekly poker nights, from first hand to final table.
We're a friendly crowd who meet every week to play Texas Hold'em, run tournaments and teach the game to anyone who fancies learning. Total beginner or seasoned grinder, there's a seat for you. We play for chips and bragging rights, never real money.
What we do
A card room, minus the casino.
Poker is a game of skill, patience and a little nerve, and it's far more fun around a table with friends than on a screen. Here's what a term with us looks like.
Tournaments & a league
Monthly tournaments with proper blind structures and a season league table to climb all term long.
Learn the game
Never played? Our beginners' table walks you through every hand, from the basic rules to reading the board.
Socials & trips
Quiz nights, end-of-term dinners and the odd away day to take on other poker societies.
Weekly games
Your week at the tables.
Drop in whenever suits you. You don't need to book, and you can leave whenever you like.
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Wed7–10pm
Social night
Our bread and butter. Several tables running at once, play chips, and a rotating dealer so everyone gets a turn to shuffle up.
Every week -
1st Wed6:30pm
Beginners' table
Arrive half an hour early and a committee member will teach you the rules, the hand rankings and how betting works. Then stay for the social night.
First Wednesday of the month -
Last Wed7pm
Monthly tournament
Everyone starts with the same stack and the blinds rise every 20 minutes until one player holds every chip. The top finishers earn league points.
Last Wednesday of the month
The season league
Every tournament earns league points. At the end of term the top of the table meet at the Championship, where the winner takes home the trophy and a year of bragging rights.
Coming up
Dates for your diary.
Our headline events this term. Members and first-timers are welcome at all of them.
Oct28Wed♠
Tournament
Halloween Bounty
Knock a player out and take their bounty chip. Most bounties at the end of the night wins. Fancy dress strongly encouraged.
Nov4Wed♥
Beginners
Beginners' Night
A whole evening for new players: the rules, the hand rankings and plenty of practice hands, with experienced members on every table.
Dec9Wed♣
Championship
End-of-Term Championship
The league's top players battle for the trophy at the final table, with side games running all night for everyone else.
New to poker?
Texas Hold'em in three steps.
It takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. Here's everything you need for your first hand.
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You get two cards
Each player is dealt two cards face down. Only you can see them.
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Five cards are shared
Three community cards come out (the flop), then one more (the turn), then a final card (the river). There's a round of betting before and after each.
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Best five cards win
Make the best five-card hand from your two cards and the five on the table, or make everyone else fold first.
Hand rankings, best to worst
- Royal flushA♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠
- Straight flush9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥
- Four of a kindQ♣Q♦Q♥Q♠7♦
- Full houseJ♠J♥J♦4♣4♥
- FlushK♦10♦8♦6♦3♦
- Straight8♣7♦6♠5♥4♣
- Three of a kind7♠7♥7♣K♦2♠
- Two pairA♣A♦9♠9♥5♣
- One pair10♥10♣K♠6♦3♥
- High cardA♦J♣8♠5♥2♣
Membership
Take a seat. It costs less than a round of drinks.
One membership covers everything we run for the whole year. Your first session is on us, so come and try a game before you sign up.
- Every weekly game and monthly tournament
- A place in the season league
- Beginners' coaching whenever you want it
- Discounts on socials and away days
FAQ
Questions before your first hand?
Can't see yours here? Email us at pokersoc@example.com and we'll get back to you.
Do I need to know how to play?
Not at all. Plenty of our members learned at their first session. Come to the beginners' table on the first Wednesday of the month, or just ask at any game and someone will sit with you.
Do you play for real money?
No. All of our games use chips with no cash value, and there's no buy-in beyond your membership. The prizes are things like the league trophy and bragging rights.
What should I bring?
Just yourself. We bring the cards, the chips and the tables.
Can I try it before joining?
Yes. Your first session is free, so come along and see whether it's for you.
I'm already a strong player. Is it worth coming?
Definitely. The monthly tournaments and the season league are properly competitive, and we enter teams into events against other societies.