The Poker Party Baby Shower For Couples
These days it is not just women who attend baby showers. Couples can also celebrate the big event. One way to get everyone involved and interested is to throw a poker party.
Getting Organized
There are web sites available to help you set up this party- no sense re-inventing the wheel. A simple search revealed a number of useful sites about how to set up a home Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament or one using other standard poker games. Product reviews, forums, and lots of information about different types of poker chips, playing cards, clothing, and all sorts of accessories are abundant. It might also be advisable to search your local yellow pages for places where poker party accessories such as poker chips, playing cards or other items can be rented instead of investing money in these things if they won't be used again. The party organizer can also ask guests to bring poker chips or decks of playing cards which can be used for the evening.
Decoration
Use tables that can accommodate 6 to 8 people comfortably. Cover the tables with green felt or perhaps green plastic table cloths to give a poker room atmosphere. You will need poker chips, playing cards, and copies of rules for each table. You might also obtain some visors for players and dealer buttons for the dealers. These can be found on many web sites. Stringing Christmas style lights around the room also adds atmosphere.
Food to Serve
This type of baby shower theme party calls for something informal and hearty that both the men and women will enjoy. A large 6 foot submarine sandwich would certainly fit the bill and will feed up to 30 people. Tell the sub shop or grocery store that prepares the sandwich how many people are expected to attend the shower, and they can make a judgment about how large of a sub to make. Ask several guests to bring a dish of potato or macaroni salad, perhaps baked beans, and chips, dip, pretzels and the like. Obviously soft drinks, wine and beer or other beverages will all go well with this theme.
Gifts
For a party like this the guests can bring individual gifts or the party organizer can suggest that couples go together and purchase an item that is more expensive. Good ideas would include baby furniture if needed, or perhaps a baby bike trailer if the parents-to-be are cyclists. If either is a jogger, a jogging stroller is a great idea as well.
Additional Baby Gambling Game
To keep the baby shower theme alive another gambling game can be done prior to or after the poker games. Make a grid with approximately the same number of squares as there are guests. For example, if 28 people are at the party make a grid that is seven squares along the top and 4 squares down. Along the top put the expected due date above the middle box and the dates prior to and after the due date above the appropriate columns. Along the side put various weight estimates that the baby might be, such as 6lbs.- 6lbs. 12 oz. on the bottom row. The next row up might be 6 lbs. 12 oz. to 7 lbs. 8 oz., etc. Each guest then picks a square and writes their name in it, similar to playing a football pool. Thus everyone has a guess about the day the baby will arrive and its weight. Call the winner after the birth and let them know they have won.
Baby showers for couples are becoming more popular, and consideration needs to be given to the men, since they won't be interested in silly little games and idle breast feeding chit chat. A poker party baby shower can be put together such that it is enjoyable for all the guests, both men and women.
