How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top

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How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top 3,9/5 5114 votes

This page will instruct you on how you can build an eight player poker table step by step. The finished poker table is shown in the photograph below. The table is octogonal and has cut outs to hold cards, poker chips and beverage cups. The board is finished with stain and glossy clearcoat varnish; also the playing surface is covered in felt. All materials are cheap and readily available at any builders providers or hardware store. This table could easily be made over a couple of weekends depending on your woodworking experience and using modest woodworking tools. It would make for a very neat addition to any man cave! I got my poker table plans here.

Building your own portable poker table is not too difficult and can be done quite cheaply. Step 1 – Table Top. Attach the piano hinge to the two pieces of 3 ply, along the 48-inch edge. Make sure the hinge is secured on what will be the underside of the table top and fit the hinge so that the top will fold in on itself. Step 2 – The Felt. You can build your own hexagonal poker table in a day - and for a fraction of what you would spend at a store. If you're not only a poker enthusiast, but also a woodworking hobbyist, you can build it with tools you already own. The next time it's your turn to host the game, you can entertain your poker buddies at your homemade poker table. Felt Top Poker Table Free Woodworking Plan Build a poker table complete with a felt playing surface, insets for poker chips, and coasters. When the game is over, just fit the lid onto the surface to turn it into a dining table for the rest of the week.







Step 1 - Materials and Tools

Materials List and approximate prices:
$72
$26
$21
$48
$14
$16
$43
$9
$3
$5
$3
$5
$7
$8
$5
$7
$16
$306
Tools I used:
  • Circular Saw
  • Hand held sander
  • Electric Staple Gun
  • Plate joiner kit

Step 2 - Cutting for each side of octogan

Firstly, start with your 6'x8' 3/4' thick pine boards. These will be cut into 8 pieces and will form the perimeter of the top surface of the poker table. These will be routered out later to allow space for cups and chips/cards.


Step 3 - Cutting edge piece/molding

Next take your 6'x3' 3/4' thick long pine boards and using a drop saw or hand saw (with mitre box!)cut them roughly 1' longer than the longestedge of the 8 pieces that you have just cut in Step 2. These will be nailed and glued along the edge of the table top as a finish molding.

How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top 100


Step 4 - Gluing up each side of octogan

The next step will involve nailing and gluing the pieces cut in step 3 to the pieces cut in step 2.
I did mention that the pieces cut in step 3 ought to be about 1' longer than the longest edge of the piece cut in step 2. This difference will be split so that the pieces from step 3 will stick out 1/2' on each side of each piece (longest edge) from step 2. This was to ensure that there is enough material to trim off at the appropriate angle i.e. flush and inline with edges of the pieces made in step 2. Nails out to be punched below the surface and then later filled with appropriate colored wood filler.

Step 5 - Cutting each side to correct length and angle

The next step is to trim up the assembly on both sides such that each edge of the assembly is at the same angle. This is done using the mitre saw. Please ensure that your mitre saw is at the correct angle. Double check to be sure! Run your finger along the cut edge to ensure that the surface is smoothe and the edge of each piece is aligned.
The image on the right below shows the desired result.

Step 6 - Cutting out for cup holder

Using a hole saw cut a hole wide enough to allow the cup holders to fit snugly.

Step 7 - Cutting out for chips storage

The next step involves cutting the rectangular hole out which will allow each player to store his/her chips/cards. I did this by drilling a hole within the outline of the rectangle to allow the jigsaw blade to get started then slowly and carefully cutting out the material. Patience is key here, as I would imagine you want a smooth straight finish. Tip: Clamp a piece of straight edge to run your jigsaw against. This will ensure a very straight cut. This isn't shown in the diagram by the way.

Step 8 - Dry Assembly

At this stage, all going well, you should have 8 assemblies exactly like that in the picture above on the right. It would make very good sense at this stage to dry fit the assembly to ensure that all edges join up with no gaps, if you what I mean. They then can joined permanently.

Step 9 - Gluing up final assembly

Assuming that step 8 went well, the next step will be to cut out holes for the biscuits using the jointer and then gluing up the assembly. The pieces will be held together using clamps in the positions shown on the image on the right below.
Once the glue has dried, the two halves are then glued together on the flat as shown below in the picture.

Step 10 - Cut plywood base

The next step is to cut the plywood base onto which the assembly above will sit.
Using the octagon ring made in step 9, measure the inside diameter and this will give you the measurement to mark out the outline of the base onto a sheet of plywood. I actually had to join two plywood sheets together as one would not suffice. It's all about measuring twice and cutting once here!

Step 11 - Cutting out for cup-holders in plywood base

The holes for the cup holders will now be cut out in the plywood base. This is done by fitting the top octagon ring (from step 9) to the plywood base (from step 10) and then using the top holes as a guide for the hole saw to cut holes into the plywood base.

Step 12 - Router the top edges

To give the table top a nice appearance I rounded all the edges with a router and a rounding bit.
How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top
Paying particular attention to the joints, I sanded all the surfaces with 120 grit paper on a hand held sander. I finished off the sanding with a 220 grit sandpaper. The surface was very smooth at this stage ready for stain and a finish. But that will come later. Next to cut out the centre octagon.

Step 13 - Cut out centre octagon

Next, the centre octagon (play surface) is cut out and wrapped up with felt. This piece is cut using a 4' x 4' sheet of 3/4' birch plywood. Remembering that batting & felt will be wrapped around this piece it is important that there roughly a 1/8' gap all around to allow for the thickness of the felt.

The batting is glued to the plywood using a spray adhesive. The edges are then wrapped around the edges and stapled to the other side. The same is done when gluing the felt (green) to the batting.

Step 13 - Making the foot of the table.

The foot of the table is simply a plywood octagon which can be made to any width you desire. Mine was made 5/6 the width of the octagon centre piece mad in step 13.

Step 14 - Making the pedestal

The pedestal is the base onto which the table top rests. The pedestal consists of an upper pedestal and a lower pedestal. The upper pedestal slides over the bottom pedestal such that the table can be easily dis-assembled and transported from one place to another.

How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top Chairs

The top (&bottom) pedestal is square and is made from 3/4' plywood. The pedestal is nailed and glued together.
The bottom pedestal is constructed in the same way as the top pedestal but is nailed to the plywood foot. This is shown in the photos below.
Both the top and bottom pedestal edges are finished with a pine trim.

Step 15 - Finishing

The next step involves staining all surfaces that will be visible when the table is fully assembled.
All surfaces are given a sanding firstly with 120 grit sand paper and then secondly a rub with 220 grit sandpaper. All surfaces and brushed and rub with a tack cloth to remove any dust.
Uneven staining is a common problem when staining softwoods like pine, thus the wood is first preconditioned to allow the stain to stain the wood more evenly. The stain is allowed to dry, lightly sanded and rubbed with a tack cloth. The wood is then given a coat of polyurethane.

Round Folding Poker Table


Step 16 - Attaching the top pedestal to the plywood base

Once the polyurethane has dried you can now proceed to attach the top pedestal to the plywood base.
On the underside of the plywood base mark out a section in the middle and apply glue. For extra security the top pedestal is screwed to the plywood wood base.

Step 17 - Cutting & gluing fabric in chip holder cut out

The table is assembled. The octagon ring will give the correct positions for the batting and felt cut outs. The method of securing the batting to the plywood base and then the felt to the batting is identical to the method used in step 13.
Once the fabric fitting is complete lay the octagon ring on top.

Step 18 - Ready to Play some Poker?

The table is ready for some fun nights of poker playing with friends or family.
I hoped that you have realised just how easy it is to make your own poker table. I used some plans that I bought online and they were well worth it. I have had many a fun night poker with my buddies, you can too.
For an authentic gaming experience, whether you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em for toothpicks or Snap with the kids, build this card table.

Made entirely from MDF this lightweight table is designed for a maximum of six players.

Compact and portable the table has a hexagonal top and removable legs so you can flat-pack it for storage.

The hexagon is marked on the tabletop using a compass made from a length of timber that rotates around a centre nail with a pencil at the other end scribing the circle.

As the length of one hexagonal side is equal to the radius of its circle, the set compass spacing used to draw the circle remains the same to mark the length of each side around the circumference.

The tabletop is cut from a half-sheet of 1200 x 1200 x 16mm MDF using a circular saw.

The legs and armrests are also cut from 16mm MDF.

How To Build A Folding Poker Table Top Set

Automotive roof lining is positioned on the table as an underlay then covered with a gaming cloth.

For the armrests, two layers of 10mm foam are secured then covered with vinyl, from upholstery suppliers.

The top layer of foam and the vinyl wrap over the long outside edge of the armrest and are attached under the table base.

Practice cutting and stapling the foam and vinyl on offcuts of timber to master the technique of upholstery before covering the armrests.

Finish the table with timber and brass cup holders as a special feature.

New Guinea Rosewood was used here and clear finished, but more affordable Tasmanian Oak can also be used then stained to achieve the same colour.