If you’re looking to host a poker night with your friends, you might be wondering how many decks of cards for poker you need. The answer depends on the number of players and the type of game you’ll be playing.

For example, if you’re playing Texas Hold’em with six or fewer players, then you’ll only need one deck of cards. But if you’re playing with seven or more players, then it’s recommended that you use two decks. To understand more, read this guide on how many decks of cards for poker you need for the game.

Can you play poker with 2 decks?

Perhaps you have a group of friends who like to play poker games together on weekends. If there are a lot of people, you might feel tempted to use two decks so everyone can play. This is not a good idea.

There are better, more efficient options.

Can you play poker with two decks? You can only use one deck to play poker. If you have more than 11 people who wants to play, but not enough cards in your deck, then you can divide them into multiple tables.

To speed up the game, it is common in casinos to use two decks.

The same thing can be done in home games. To speed up the game, you can use two decks. If you don’t have a designated dealer, such as in casinos, the person who dealt your last hand will collect your cards and shuffle them.

The new dealer can then start to deal another deck of card during this time.

To be clear, you would only play with one deck, but you can have a second deck of cards to shuffle so that the next hand can begin right away.

Can you play poker with more than one deck of cards?

Nothing prevents you from making your own rules and using multiple decks. You should be aware that it is difficult to create hand rankings if you make this decision. How would you value cards of the same rank and suit?

This would create a lot confusion and it is not surprising that poker is not played using more than one deck.

Poker is only allowed to be played with one deck of 52 cards according to official rules. This is quite different to blackjack, which can be played with multiple decks.

Consider the following if you are interested in playing poker with two decks.

You can play with friends or for fun. Now you have to determine how much 5 of a type is worth. What happens when you get a card of the exact same suit and rank? Is it different or the same as any other card? Is it easier or harder to make a flush right now than to make a pair? To avoid confusion , all of this would have to be defined in advance.
If you are playing for money and invite people you don’t know to play, I would recommend that you only play with one deck and stick to the rules. This would create a lot confusion among them and they would believe that the game is rigged even though you told them beforehand that you were using 2 decks.
This will allow you to play less poker hands per hour, which may bore others. You now have more cards to shuffle . You also have players who are new to this type of poker. They need to think longer to make a move.
Playing poker with two decks with friends can be very fun if you have set up special rules. This type of poker is not well-known so everyone would begin on the same ground and no one would have an advantage. It may be a good idea to mix things up sometimes, but it might be a better idea to first try other poker formats and then use 2 decks as a last resort. You might start by playing Omaha or Chinese Poker. Or Pineapple Poker. These three options should keep you busy for a while.

How many decks of cards for poker do you need?

A single deck of 52 cards will suffice for a game. If you have multiple tables you will need multiple decks.

A deck of 52 cards could be enough to:

11 Holdem players.
9 7card STUD players.
11 Omaha (4 card Omaha) players.
8 players for Omaha (5 card Omaha).

Special rules are in place to ensure that the deck does not run out of cards. Triple-draw allows you to reshuffle the cards if you have too many cards. 7 card Stud allows you to share the river card with everyone.

Some people might not like this method. First, 11 players are not too comfortable. Secondly, some players are not happy that all the cards are being used, even though it sounds funny.

It is better to split the poker players into two tables and buy one additional deck. 2 decks of professional poker players will run you less than 10 dollars.

How many decks do casinos use in Texas Holdem?

Poker tables often have two decks. You can play a game with two packs. One pack is for playing and the other is being shuffled by the machine. Switch the decks after you’re done with the hand. This process continues for each of the poker hands.

If dealers are still manually shuffling cards, then one deck is usually enough.

Two decks instead of one speeds the process and all additional poker hands you can get per hour means a bigger hourly profit for both you and the casino.

Can two players play poker together?

Poker can also be played with two players. This type of poker is known as heads-up poker.

There are many options for playing poker games with 2 players.

cash games
sit and Go
tournaments

Heads up poker games can be played in cash games. Each player has a set amount of money that can then be converted into chips. The blinds will not change and you have the ability to leave or sit down at any time.

These games are difficult to find in casinos.

You can also play it as an N Go. Poker players buy-in with the exact same amount and that money is converted into chips. Blinds increase and the game ends when one player has won all of the chips.

This format is most commonly found in online games.

Heads up poker tournaments work in the same way as sit n goes, except that you must win your first match before you can get another player who has won at the table. This is a simple system for elimination. The prizes are just as high-stakes as regular tournaments. This format is mostly available online, but you can also find it at live games.

Poker pros often play head-up because they believe that there is nothing better than two poker players competing. It’s a great way to see who is more skilled. No third guy is interfering.

The button posts the small blind, while the big blind is always out.

Conclusion

So, how many decks of cards for poker do you need? I would recommend one deck for playing and a second deck to be shuffled so its ready for the next hand.