Full disclosure first: idea number one is our own book, so we are obviously not neutral about it. None of the other ideas have anything to do with us, and we do not earn anything if you buy them.

In a hurry? Under $25: the book, a deck of plastic cards or a card guard. $25 to $75: a chip set, a poker mat or an automatic shuffler. Splurge: a tournament buy-in or a whole poker weekend.

1. A book they will retell at the table

Most poker books are textbooks. The Ultimate Poker Book of Useless Facts is the opposite: 111 true stories about legendary hands, crazy bets, scandals and bad beats. Each chapter takes a few minutes to read and carries a label saying whether the story is documented, lore or disputed. Perfect for anyone who does not need another strategy guide. A taste: What are the odds of a royal flush?

2. Really good playing cards

Paper cards bend, stick and are worn out after a few nights. Plastic cards last far longer and can be wiped clean when a drink goes over at poker night. A gift that sits on the table at every home game.

3. A proper chip set

Anyone still playing with light plastic chips will appreciate a set of heavier chips. They sit better in the hand and sound the way poker is supposed to sound when you stack them. Make sure there are enough chips for the usual group and a case to keep them together.

4. Dealer button and card guard

Small things every player uses: a heavy dealer button and a card guard to protect their hole cards. Fun fact: the button is called the "buck" because a knife with a buckhorn handle used to be passed around the table, which is where "passing the buck" comes from. More of that in our useless poker facts.

5. A poker mat for the dining table

Not everyone has room for a poker table. A felt table top turns the dining table into a poker table in a minute and disappears back into the closet afterward.

6. A poker night as an experience

The most personal gift is a whole evening: invite the regular group, add snacks, drinks and a small trophy for the winner. Experiences instead of things work especially well for people who "have everything".

7. A tournament buy-in

For players who like to play live: cover the buy-in for a tournament at a local casino or card room. Casually find out beforehand which tournaments they would actually want to play. And remember that gambling is only for adults.

8. Poker art for the wall

A print of the famous "Dogs Playing Poker" is a classic for the game room. Hardly anyone knows it is not a single painting but a series: in 1903 an advertising printer commissioned sixteen paintings for cigar ads, and nine of them show dogs at a card table.

9. An automatic card shuffler

The gift nobody buys for themselves and everybody uses once it is on the table. A battery-powered shuffler takes two decks, shuffles in seconds and ends the argument about who shuffles badly. Especially welcome in home games with players who have arthritis or just impatient friends.

10. A custom deck or personalized chips

Playing cards with the home game's name on the back, or a few chips with the host's initials: small print runs are cheap these days, and a personalized deck is the one gift that is guaranteed not to be a duplicate. Add a line like "Est. 2019" with the year the regular game started.

11. Something funny to wear

Poker socks, a hoodie with a bad bluffing joke or a cap for the next tournament. It will not improve anybody's game, but it works as a stocking stuffer or a white elephant gift, and it is the easy way out if you only know that "they play poker".

12. A poker weekend

For the player who already has everything: a trip to a casino town with a card room, or the big one, a few days in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker in summer. Even without playing a single hand, watching the Main Event is a bucket-list item for most poker fans. Plan it together rather than as a surprise, because dates matter.

Gifts for poker players who have everything

The honest answer: give them a story, not a thing. A poker night with the regular group, a buy-in with a bet on the side, or a book of true stories they have not heard yet. People who own every accessory still do not own an evening.

Which gift for whom?

  • Home game hosts: playing cards, a chip set, a poker mat, a card shuffler
  • Tournament players: a buy-in, a card guard, a book for the breaks
  • Poker fans who prefer to watch: the book of 111 true stories, poker art
  • People who have everything: a poker night, a poker weekend, or a story they have not heard yet
  • Secret Santa and small budgets: the book, plastic cards, a card guard, poker socks

Three things to avoid

  • Strategy books, unless they asked for a specific one. Most players own two they never finished.
  • Cheap plastic chip sets from the toy aisle. They are the reason your friend wants a proper set.
  • Online poker credit. Gambling is for adults only, and many players keep their bankroll strictly separate from gifts.