4 poker-inspired recipes you need for your game night

Gathering for game nights is a time-honored ritual that brings together friends for enjoyment. Films often portray them as both glamorous and intricate, yet they’re not the sole choice available. Particularly for those who prefer to keep active, strategic games emerge as the top selection.

Luckily, today you don’t have to own some cards and other equipment, since the availability of virtual gaming platforms made everything easier and more accessible. For instance, playing poker games online is fun if you know what game options match the most to the interest of your group. But don’t even worry about this, since there are plenty of options for mobile poker to play online and enjoy with friends.

Friendly competition is just what you ordered to exercise your poker skills and maybe show your friends up while you are at it. The food might not be restaurant-worthy, but these dishes will ensure you and your friends have a chiastic night!

Cheesy Loaded Nachos

Everyone loves a good nacho plate, especially if it’s loaded with salsa and cheese. These nachos will have your guests feeling full and wanting more!

Nachos are perfect for a round of Texas’Hold Em. Because there are multiple rounds involved in the game for players to place their bets, more efficient snacks are a must to keep up a good strategy. With up to ten players, nacho-sharing plates are a perfect snack for all your guests to enjoy without disturbing their game.

Ingredients: Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream, guacamole, diced jalapenos, and ground beef or chicken.

Fruit and sweet trail mix

Yes, it might sound kind of boring, but trail mix is an essential snack for a mess-free, hands-full poker night. Trailmix is a fitting snack to play during Seven Card Stud. After eating the carb-filled nachos, it’s good to get back your brain power. The balance of fats, protein, and carbs in this snack is great for your game. Why? Because your energy will be through the roof!

The snack itself is a healthy alternative for your more health-conscious guests and can be eaten in handfuls while your guests work to make their best five-card hand possible. Nutritionists recommend nut-based snacks for your healthy fats and oils because they help your brain function and are an anti-inflammatory addition to your diet. Try this sweet cinnamon and nutty goodness for that sweet craving.

Variety Meze Veggie Dip Platter

Sticking with the healthy theme, a veggie dip platter is a must for avid snackers, or if you’re allergic to nuts, it’s a yummy alternative to our trail mix. Veggie platters are perfect for Three-Card Poker. These nifty little snacks keep your hands and your mind clean. Clean hands are a need when you are competing against dealer-led games like Three-Card Poker!

This meze-style vegetable platter is also perfect for the summer season. This veggie tray will take less than one game between you and your comrades, so get down to your local veggie aisle soon.

Ingredients: one lemon, one tablespoon of tahini, 400g of drained butter beans but keep the liquid, one garlic clove, two cooked beetroot (165g), one tablespoon of chopped dill, ½ of a finely chopped red onion, 100g of natural yogurt, a pinch of smoked paprika, 6 pitted Kalamata olives, a handful of mint leaves, 1 large red pepper cut into quarters with its seeds removed,  one large courgette sliced into rounds, one tablespoon of olive oil, and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling if desired.

Fun Fruity Skewkers

Fruit skewers are a summer classic for barbeques and outdoor parties, but they’re also perfect for poker night. If you want to wow your guests, serve them the skewers just before Carribean Stud Poker for that island feeling right in your living room. These refreshing snacks on sticks are on theme and will make you feel like you’re on a sunny Caribbean island, sipping away on fruity cocktails or mocktails.

Similar to Five-Card Poker, the game requires max concentration, as the aim is to beat the dealer by creating a better poker hand than them. Fruit skewers are a perfect way to round off the night for what will probably be your longest game of the evening. This 40-minute fruity goodness is easy to get your teeth into.

Although fruit is made of pure sugar, satisfying your sweet tooth with this tasty dessert will ensure you don’t have a sugar crash during the game and lose any of the energy you’ve built up to take on that dealer!

Ingredients: 6 cups of bitesize watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple, one cup of blueberries, three small starfruits cut into 24 different slices, ¼ cup of pineapple preserves, 2 large peeled and seedless mangos.

Final Tips for a brain-powered, fun-filled poker night

Now that you have an idea about the night’s menu in your head, remember to consult your guests for tips and tricks in the kitchen. After all, what harm is there in taking advice from your best friends on what to serve and how to serve it? Careful though, they could just be trying to psych you out for the game night, so keep your wits about you.

For your friends’ consideration, you should ask guests first before curating your menu if they have any dietary requirements or allergies just to ensure everyone has a safe, and productive night. Happy playing!