From Texas Hold’em to Five Card Draw, there are many variations to poker. Still, nothing compares to strip poker, which remains in a league of its own. It is entertaining, relatively simple to play, has fewer rules than other poker games, and, most importantly, is a lot of fun. If you have been wondering how to organize a strip poker game to have a fun time with your pals, you’ve come to the right place. With this ultimate guide to strip poker, you will discover more about the rules, do’s and don’ts, best tips, and other intricacies of this exciting game.
What is strip poker?
Strip poker is a popular party game and a variation of classical poker, which requires players to remove articles of clothing when they lose a round. Ultimately, your goal is to remain as clothed as possible while your opponent keeps losing clothes. Although strip poker can be played until someone is entirely naked, a more widespread version includes staying on the safe side and wearing underwear. Both romcoms and comedies frequently feature these versions of strip poker.
What Will You Need?
Luckily, you don’t need a lot of gaming paraphernalia to start a strip poker game. Of course, there is a lot of variation, but generally, you will need:
- playing cards (standard Anglo-American 52-card deck);
- chips (optional, as some variations of strip poker are played without chips);
- light drinks are another optional but preferable category, as alcoholic beverages will lighten up the mood.
How to Play Strip Poker?
Prior to setting up a poker table, you should establish ground rules to ensure that all participants are on the same page:
- Make sure that you have gathered a group of like-minded adults. Keep in mind that it is better to play this game with a group of close friends, couples, and paramours. Overall, it’s definitely not your typical family-friendly event.
- Strip poker is not fun if everybody involved is not on the board. Discuss with other participants how comfortable they are with discarding clothing items and whether you are playing until someone is naked or remains solely in underwear. You should establish limits and agree upon the rules with the participants early on to avoid uncomfortable situations.
Now, it is time to start your first strip poker night. Here’s a general guideline worth incorporating into your game.
1. Choose a Dealer
Any poker game starts with agreeing with other participants on who will deal the cards.
2. Place Value on Clothing
Before assigning clothing to chips, ensure that all participants are wearing approximately the same number of clothing items. If someone is wearing three sweaters and a hat while another is rocking a T-shirt, it’s time to rectify that and discard some clothing items until everyone is even. There is also the option of assigning multiple clothing items to one chip. For example, one chip is worth two sweaters, two socks, and so on.
Generally, all chips should be associated with one article of clothing. For instance, one chip is worth one sock, another is worth a belt, and a third chip means you are stripping off your T-shirt.
3. Undress in an Order
Undressing shouldn’t be chaotic. Start with outerwear and items like sweaters and hats and end with undergarments. For instance, there is no need to remove your underwear if you are still wearing your sweater, T-shirt, jeans, and hat.
Choose Your Poker Variant
When it comes to strip poker, avoid Razz or Badugi and stick with simpler variants to ensure everybody has a great time. Sure, you can spend half of the evening explaining the intricacies of more complex variants, but choosing simpler ones will ensure that everyone will follow and have maximum fun. Here are a couple of beginner-friendly poker games:
1. Five Card Draw.
This version is probably your best bet for a casual strip poker night. To start with, players announce the clothing item they are willing to risk. After that, every player is dealt five cards. They can exchange up to five cards for an equal number from the deck. After everyone is done, the player with the best hand is announced as the winner.
A winner preserves all of the clothes while everyone else strips. Another alternative requires a player with the worst hand to strip one clothing article. The winner can also be the one who chooses the person who will strip. In such cases, try to select different people instead of fixating on the same person. This behavior may start out lighthearted and cheery, but it can make the whole group uncomfortable.
2. Texas Hold’em
Although this option is slightly more complex, you can still make it work. Start with dealing two face-down cards to each player. Gradually, players will combine them with a pool of five community cards. You can also enable bluffing and spice up the game even more. After multiple rounds, the remaining player who makes the best five-card hand is the winner.
Dos and Don’ts of Strip Poker
Throughout this article, we have already mentioned a couple of rules necessary for a great strip poker night. Here are a couple of dos and don’ts to ensure that everyone is having fun.
Dos:
- Set up a cozy location with dimmed lights, soft music (no need to make a metal blast through the speakers if you can’t hear anyone), and some alcoholic beverages to lighten the mood.
- Explain the underlying rules and make sure that everyone is on board. It is also worth preparing the gaming items beforehand.
- Ensure the atmosphere is relaxed and everyone is having fun. After all, it’s the reason you’ve organized a strip poker night in the first place.
Don’ts:
- Force other people to play.
- Insult other people or act aggressively if you see that they are acting shy or not on board with certain elements of the game (That’s why it’s crucial for everyone to consent).
- Behaving predatory, singling out the same person, and generally behaving like a creep is a big no.
- Don’t invite unknown people. To ensure a relaxed atmosphere, play with your friends and close acquaintances (Introducing unknown people will likely offset the whole dynamic and transform this cheeky game of cards into a dreaded chore).
To wrap it up, these general guidelines are something you can easily deviate from, as strip poker has a lot of variations and the rules are often quite flexible. Still, if you are hosting a strip poker night, there is one underlying rule you should always commit to: make sure that everybody has fun.
