Playing Poker Without Money

How to Play Poker Without Money?

You’ve probably seen poker games, either on the television and movies, or in real life. You’ve watched players hold their cards close to their chests. You’ve caught them surreptitiously observe each other. You’ve seen them move those chips back and forth on the table. And even if all else may seem alien to you, you’re aware that those chips have value to them. You know that those small discs translate to big amounts of money in the real world. But is it possible to play poker without money?

Now, if you’ve asked the same question, then don’t worry, you’ll get no judgment from me. In fact, it makes the most sense. So many of us are either students who don’t earn much, or we’re employed, but rent and other essentials suck up all our income or we’re just amateur players who can’t afford to play with money because we really don’t know what we’re doing. Money is valuable, and you don’t want to waste it unless you’re sure your investment is going to fetch you some results, right? What if I can tell you that you can play poker without having to risk a single dime? Surprised? Well, don’t be. I’ve got you covered.

7 Tips to Enjoy Poker Without Money

Before we begin, let’s quickly understand why placing bets, and especially with money, is so essential to poker. It is a game that is built around the concept of wagering. You require those chips to tell you who is winning and who isn’t. If we decide to partake in poker without money, we’ll have to substitute the chips and money combination, with something else. Now, it is true that money makes the game more exciting, but it can also be a risk for players who are new to the game and want to play, to get the hang of things. In such cases, you can easily do away with the money and play solely with poker chips, without attaching any monetary value to them. If you can’t get your hands on some chips, then there are other great ways to play poker without money. Read on, and find out.

1) Board Game Pieces:

If you’re interested in poker, then I’m sure you’ve been playing games since you were a kid. You’re bound to have some board games lying around, in some cupboard of your house. Now is the time to dust off those games and use them to help you play poker without money.

All you need to do is to substitute your chips for pieces from board games. Whether it is your pawn from Monopoly, or Life, or even the good old game of Snakes and Ladders, they can all be used to play poker. If you want to be really highbrow, then use some chess pieces. Mix the pieces up, and attach different values to them. For instance, a chess pawn can be worth 100 points, whereas a monopoly pawn can be worth 10. It’ll be almost similar to playing with chips, without any of the risk. This will definitely spice up the game, and let you indulge in some poker without money.

What does the winner get? All the fake cash in the Monopoly box, maybe?

2) Hardware:

No, I’m not making a list for my shopping trip. Hardware just happens to be an easy hack to play poker without money. What do I mean by the vague term ‘hardware’? Well, it’s all the stuff you have lying around your house. If you’ll look around, you’re sure to find some sort of a tool box. Dig through it, and you’ll come up with several interesting bits and bobs. Use the nails, bolts, nuts, and if you’re feeling adventurous, throw in a hand tool or two.

Similar to the board game pieces, these kinds of knickknacks can also be used in lieu of poker chips. They’re small and come in different sizes and shapes. That’s enough for you to attach a different value to each one. If you don’t have a toolkit, maybe someone you’re playing with will have one. In short, you can partake in poker without money, by using items from your toolbox. Not only can they fix broken things, but they can fix you up with a good game of poker, too.

And the best part? When you win, you can say that you hit the nail right on the head.

3) Coins:

This item is so obvious, that you don’t even need me to put it on this list for you. You’ve been to the store or to the market and got handed some coins as change. Or, you’ve got some coins in your swear jar. Either way, you probably have a large stock of coins, and you won’t be using it to pay your electricity bill, any time soon. But you can use it to poker without money.

I mean, it is money, but it’s not money. You can use different coins of different denominations and play the game. If you’re a big traveler and have coins from different countries, maybe you could throw those in, and create a good mix. Playing with coins is a good way to begin playing poker because while you’re playing with very amounts of it, you’re still getting used to playing with real life money. This game of poker without money can help prepare you for a more high stakes game, for sure.

Playing poker with coins, can be a good change

4) Fake Cash:

Remember all the fake cash you won? Well, now is the time to put it to good use. We’ve already established that you might have some board games lying around. Apart from the game pieces, a lot of games come with fake cash. All you have to do is substitute these for poker chips or real money, and you’ll get to play poker without money.

With this hack, you have to do the least amount of work possible. You won’t have to find different varieties of an item and attach a value to them. All of this is already done for you. Fake cash from games like Monopoly or Life, is eerily similar to real money. All you have to do is play a regular game of poker. You won’t have the added stress of playing with real cash, but your game will seem like ordinary poker games do. With this hack up your sleeve, you’re ready to play poker without money, and without any stress.

This is the only time you’ll be happy to win fake cash, so enjoy it!

5) Office Supplies:

This is another item from my shopping list. You know I’m just kidding, right? But, what I’m not kidding about is playing poker without money. Now, you would think that poker and your office would never exist in the same world. But, you’re wrong. There is a way, that your office life can facilitate a poker game. All you need are your office supplies.

You can use supplies like staple pins, u-clips, binder clips, tacks and every tiny piece if administrative aid, as a substitute for money. Attach a value to the different items, and if possible, convince some co-workers to join you. You’ve got yourself a game of poker. Maybe you can play this at work (if you have an amazing boss who allows you to), or after work, as a bonding exercise between your colleagues. So raid your desk at work or at home, and forage for some of those supplies.

Honestly, you have nothing to lose when you play poker without money, except, maybe, your favorite stapler.  

6) Candy:

What’s better than playing poker without money? How about playing it with candy? Seriously, it’s the best way I can think of, of playing poker. You remove all the stress that money brings, and replace that with the sugary goodness of candy. You can play with any candy you have lying around, or go to the store and buy some of your favorites.

You can use M&Ms, or skittles, or even a Mars bar. Attach different values to the candies according to your preference. Maybe, the one you like the most can be of the highest value, and the one you dislike can be chump change. And imagine how good that pot would look; all of that glorious candy to replace those boring poker chips. However, if you’re unlucky and don’t have any candy in your house, you can use any other food item to play. Whatever culinary option you choose, it’s a great motivation to play poker without money well, and win.

You don’t need to wait for Halloween to go trick or treating.

7) Online Poker Without Money:

Ah, the internet. The kinds of gifts it bestows. One of the cool things you can do on the internet is play poker without money. There are so many websites that allow you to play online poker without money. All you need is a computer of some sort, and an internet connection. You can even download some of these apps on your smartphone and play wherever you are.

You can play on these sites without using any real money. You’ll be using virtual money to play. The benefit of this is that you’ll be playing a regular poker game, only without worrying about any monetary loss. On these websites, you can play multiplayer games that are exactly like playing poker in real life. On top of that, you don’t need to invite friends over to play some poker. You can even enjoy online poker on your own. This is a great way to practice and learn how to play poker without money. It helps improve your game and prepares you for an eventuality of playing with real cash.

I’m asking you to spend more time on the internet. It’s really the easiest thing you can do, isn’t it?

These are all the different ways you can play poker without money, and doesn’t this make playing poker so much simpler. Now you don’t need to check your wallet or your bank account every time you want to play a game of poker. All you need are some alternate options that can be found easily around the house, and you’re good to go.

We’v given you seven solid hacks on how to play a game of poker without using any cash. You can easily find all of the items from the list around your house. So, call your friends, arrange your chip alternatives and get playing. However, if you’re more inclined to play alone, or get some practice in before you play socially, you can play poker online. So, come join us at Spartan, download the app and let the games begin!