Game Room Gear

Crazy Pool Trick Shot With Dominoes

2007-04-19T22:05:00.001-07:00

Masters of Ping Pong

2006-09-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

We've already seen some amazing Foosball trick shots. We've even seen some cool Pool trick shots. But we never expected to see Ping Pong trick shots. Check out this match between two masters of Ping Pong.

Matrix Ping Pong

2006-09-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

These guys do a funny "matrix version" of ping pong.

Poker Table Build Video

2006-06-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

The guys over at Poker Table Build have put together a cool website describing how to build a poker table. They have some very detailed step by step instructions along with a list of materials and costs. Check out this video they made of the process.

2006-06-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

We here at Game Room Gear experienced a small of excitement this week when one of our posts was linked on Gizmodo. This is probably the blogging equivalent of flopping a set in poker. You get excited when it happens, and you can rake in a slightly larger than normal pot. You can see from this image that Game Room Gear experienced a brief boost to its visitor traffic. It was much appreciated. For those who don't know, Gizmodo is one of the most popular and successful blogs in the blogoshpere. They cover all sorts of nifty gadgets. On average, Gizmodo recieves over 420,000 visitors a day. We were very glad to briefly welcome a tiny fraction of those visitors to our humble website.

Artistic Pool Trick Shots

2006-06-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is a video of some amazing trick shots on a pool table. This guy does some awesome and extremely creative tricks. He puts an incredible amount of english on the cue ball. For one shot he looks away from the table and right into the camera. Get a good look at his face. If he ever offers to play you for money, just say no.

Technorati Tags: Billiards, Trick Shot, Pool

The Ultimate Dealer Button

2006-06-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know about your poker game, but in mine, we can never keep track of when the blinds go up. When the blinds do go up, we always have a "discussion" about what they are supposed to be. Sound familiar? Here is a good way to bring some order to your home poker game. The Ultimate Dealer Button is a similar concept to the DB Dealer Button. Like the DB Dealer Button, the Ultimate Dealer Button has a built in digital timer. But the Ultimate Dealer Button goes a step further. In addition to keeping track of how much time is left in each round, it keeps track of the sizes of the blinds and antes for you. No more arguing about how much they should be. We need one of these in our poker game! It is 3" in diameter so it will fit in your poker chip case. It looks pretty sweet and sure beats the heck out of the cheap plastic dealer button I'm using now.

You can pick one up for $29.95 @ www.ultimatedealerbutton.com

Win The Ultimate Home Guinness Bar

2006-05-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Did you say you don't have a home bar in your game room yet? Guinness.com is running a contest in which you can win a GUINNESS home bar. To enter the contest you have to submit a design for your dream home bar along with an essay describing why you think you should win. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The contest ends July 31, 2006 so hurry up and get your bar designs submitted.

Technorati Tags: Bar, Beer, Game Room

Tornado Foosball Table Video

2006-05-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this foosball demonstration video. The table they are using is a Tornado foosball table. Tornado foosball tables are the standard tables used in foosball tournament play. They are also the same tables you will find in bars and arcades all across the country. They are extremely sturdy tables (they have to be in order to survive in bars for any length of time) and are easy to maintain. If you don't need the highest end tournament table in your game room, you can also choose from a few other table styles.

Technorati Tags: foosball, game room

The Man Cave

2006-05-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

CosmoD is a member of Scott's Poker Table Forums and he has accomplished something that will make married men everywhere jealous. He has created what his wife likes to call "The Man Cave". We prefer to call it game room nirvana.

Cosmo's room features a custom made bar that he made from plans he purchased at BarGear.com. He modified the plans slightly, but said they were "very much worth the $20 or $30 bucks." The base plans were for an "L" shaped bar, but the end result was more of a "J". Cosmo also says "the framing plans helped a lot."

Also in the man cave are a custom made racetrack poker table, a pool table, lot's of Redskins gear, and a couch in front of a large screen projection TV for watching said Redskins play. Truly a guy's paradise. But the ultimate finishing touch is in, of all places, the restroom. There he set up a urinal with a TV mounted in the wall above it. He's rigged it so that the TV plays whatever is on the big screen in the main room. I believe him when he says "you never miss a play".

More pictures of "The Man Cave"

Technorati Tags: Bar, GameRoom, Poker, Billiards

Dream Authentics Arcade Cabinets

2006-05-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here is another option for those of you looking to bring the classic arcade experience to your game room. Dream Authentics has created a series of game platforms that use high quality classic arcade controls and are compatible with the MAME emulator. They have 4 base models: the Excalibur, the Sting, the Ultra Quad, and the Eladius. The Excalibur and Sting are 2 player machines and the Ultra Quad and the Eladius are 4 players. Cabinets range from $3,495 to $5,995 and can be customized with many different options including light guns, steering wheels, and even cup holders.

DreamAuthentics.com [via Gizmodo]

Technorati Tags: Game Room, MAME, Arcade, Video Games

Classic Arcade Recreation

2006-05-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Peter Hirschberg's home arcade is amazing. He has faithfully recreated the look and feel of a video arcade from the 80's. His game room is filled with over 50 classic arcade and pinball machines including some of my personal favorites like Tron, Discs of Tron, Dragon's Lair and even a full cockpit version of Star Wars. He has lined the walls several video game posters. He even has a change machine. The thing that really completes the look is his use of blacklight carpet. Hats off to Peter on a job well done!

Luna City Arcade [via Gizmodo]

Technorati Tags: Game Room, Arcade, Video Games

MLB Poker Chips

2006-05-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Need a gift idea for Father's Day? Is your dad a baseball fan? Maybe this Father's Day he would like a nice set of MLB Poker Chips. These team poker chip sets come with 500 11.5 gram clay composite chips. The chips come in an aluminum carrying case with a clear acrylic top where the team's logo is displayed. You will also get two decks of casino-quality playing cards.

Also available are NBA Poker Chip Sets for the basketball fans out there.

You can find his favorite team at Amazon.com

Technorati Tags: Poker, MLB, Baseball, Father's Day, gifts

San Antonio Spurs Pool Table

2006-05-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Being a huge Spurs fan I thought this was really cool. This custom pool table was made by Billiards By Design. It is based on their ECLIPSE pool table. The Spurs logo is featured prominently across the table felt. Billiards By Design was commissioned in 2002 to make this table for the Spurs practice facility in San Antonio. Of course we all know that the Spurs went on to win the NBA Championship in 2003 and again in 2005. Coincidence?

Technorati Tags: Billiards, Pool Table, NBA, Spurs, Basketball

Dealer Button With Built In Timer

2006-05-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever played in a home poker tournament where everyone keeps forgetting to increase the blinds? I know I have. The DB Dealer button offers a clever solution. It is a dealer button with a built in digital timer. With this you no longer have to watch the clock. You will hear an alarm at the one minute warning and again when the blinds go up. The DB Dealer then resets itself to the last setting used so you don't have to do anything. The DB Dealer Button is small enough to fit in the card slot of your poker chip case.

$19.95 @ www.dbdealer.com

Technorati Tags: poker

Drink Holdem

2006-05-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Add this to your list of drink holder options. The Drink Hold'em attaches to the edge of any table and adjusts to hold cans, cups, bottles, or glasses. It comes in four colors blue, black, green, or red.

$14.99 each, or $52 for a set of four. Credit: Gizmodo & Strange New Products

Technorati Tags: Poker, Game Room, Bar, Drinks

Kenny Smith's Home Turf

2006-05-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Previously AT&T Home Turf gave us a peek inside Tony Parker's poker room. This time AT&T Home Turf pays a visit to the home of Kenny Smith. The only reason I bring this up is because we got to see Kenny's "arcade." When I say arcade I mean one lonely namco cocktail table stuffed in a corner for decoration never to be turned on again. I'm not even sure it's plugged in.

The table is actually a 3-games-in-1 20th anniversary edition table featuring Pac-Man, Mrs. Pac-Man, and Galaga. The list price for the table is $4,199.99 but it can be found on sale for $3,599.99. With prices like that why not just buy a MAME arcade cabinet and have access to thousands of games instead of just three?

Technorati Tags: Kenny Smith, Basketball, Arcade, MAME

Foosball Trick Shots

2006-05-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some more foosball trick shots. I wonder if they are this good on a Tornado or Dynamo foosball table.

Technorati Tags: Foosball, Trick Shots

Scott's Poker Table and Forums

2006-05-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

If you've been following Game Room Gear with any regularity, you know that I've been researching poker tables a lot lately. One of the most informative sites I've come across is Scott's Poker Table and Forums. Host Scott Keen has documented the step by step process he went through in creating his own poker table, complete with pictures of each step. While Scott has done a very nice job with that portion of his site, the real gem here is Scott's Poker Table forum.

The forums are a place for people to discuss poker table building tips and post pictures of their masterpieces. You can even talk directly with several suppliers of various table building materials like poker cloth or drink holders. If you are planning on building your own table, Scott's forums are an essential resource.

Technorati Tags: Poker, Game Room, Poker Tables

Poker Cloth Sale at YourAutoTrim.com

2006-05-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

YourAutoTrim is currently running a store wide sale that includes their highly acclaimed poker table fabrics. A buddy of mine bought fabric and padding from them for his home made poker table and it turned out really nice. It looks classy and the cards slide really well across the surface.

Here are the specifications from their website:
* 54" Inches Wide
* 70% Polyester, 30% Olefin
* Protected by Teflon Fabric Protector
* NO NEED TO TREAT WITH ANY OTHER FABRIC PROTECTORS!!!
* Exceeds 30,000 Double Rubs
* Flamability: Passes California Bulliten 117E, UFAC, BIFMA, & NFPA 260A
* Weight: 8.25oz. per sq. yard
* Pattern Reapet: Width-2.25" X Height-2.25"

They sell poker cloth by the yard. It is regularly $18.95 but is currently on sale for $14.95.

Technorati Tags: Poker, Game Room, Poker Tables

KEM Playing cards

2006-04-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

By now you should have almost everything you need to host poker night at your house. You've got a nice poker table and nice poker chips. Heck, you've even got drink holders. That last thing you absolutely have to have is a nice deck of playing cards. Ask any longtime Poker player what the best brand of cards is and they will say KEM. KEM playing cards are printed on Cellulose Acetate, which is a strong and flexible plastic. That means that the cards will hold up extremely well over time unlike standard issue paper cards. We've played with KEM cards in our home game for over two years and they still look great. There are no markings on them whatsoever. You can even wash KEM cards if you spill something on them. You definitely can't do that with paper cards.

Buy KEM Playing Cards at Amazon.

Technorati Tags: KEM, Cards, Poker

Tony Parker's Poker Room

2006-04-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

AT&T Home Turf has an interview with San Antonio Spurs Point Guard Tony Parker. During the interview Tony takes Kenny Smith on a tour of his home in San Antonio. It is basically one long AT&T add, but the cool thing about it is that we get a glimpse into Tony's poker room. For most of the video Tony and Kenny sit around a poker table with Spurs players Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, and retired all-star David Robinson. It was surprising to see that Tony's table is nothing more elaborate than a cheap folding table top. That was somewhat disappointing. But then again, I guess we wouldn't expect Doyle Brunson to have a room for full court basketball in his house. At most he might have a goal in his driveway. Still I think Tony could easily afford an upgrade. The cost of a really nice table would basically amount to a rounding error in his paycheck.

Technorati Tags: Poker, Basketball, Tony Parker

Poker Table Drink Holders

2006-04-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, if you are hosting poker night, your guests will need a place to rest their drink of choice in between sips. They can either set the drink directly on the felt of your brand new table, or you can give them a better place to set it that won't leave a mark. You have essentially three other options you can offer them: built-in drink holders, movable drink holders, or a side table.

Built-In drink holders are somehow affixed permanently to the table. Lackley tables have slide out drink holders. B&V Poker Tables have their drink holders built into the racetrack. Both of these options look great. Some other tables have holders built into the padded rail.

If you already have a poker table, but don't have built in drink holders, you can offer your guests drink holders that slide under the rail. If you've ever played blackjack in a casino, you have probably seen these. They aren't nearly as attractive an option, but they are functional.

Some of you may not be comfortable with the idea of drinks being on your table at all. Not everyone has a stain resistant playing surface like B&V offers. In the casinos they often offer a nice side table about 18" high for you to set your drink on. I've looked all over the web for one and can't find what I want. It's hard to even find something with the correct dimensions. The closest thing I've found is actually an outdoor deck table. If you know where I can find a nice side drink table like the ones in the casinos, please let me know.

Cheers!

Technorati Tags: Poker, Game Room, Bar, Drinks

MAME Arcade Cabinets

2006-04-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some resources for those of you interested in bringing the sights and sounds of the arcade into your game room. An increasingly popular option is to purchase a MAME capable arcade cabinet like the Diamond Plate Games Upright or the Classicade Upright Arcade System. MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. These systems effectively allow you to have literally thousands of games in one cabinet. Commercially available MAME cabinets typically come preloaded with anywhere from fifty to a couple hundered games. You can always find more game roms on the internet and add them yourself. I suggest checking Wikipedia's MAME entry for a pretty comprehensive list of MAME resources online. Once again, if you don't want to shell out $4K and are so inclined, you can build your own.

Technorati Tags: Game Room, MAME, Arcade, Video Games

World Poker Tour Texas Hold'em Pinball

2006-04-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

I found this over at the Card Squad, a World Poker Tour Texas Hold'em Pinball Table. From the Stern website:

Travel from city to city playing Texas Hold 'Em until you reach the WORLD POKER TOUR® final table. A dot matrix display is located in the center of the playfield, showing players their Hole cards, as well as the Flop, Turn, and River cards. The player gets the Flop, Turn and River cards successively by making ramp shots located on the left and right sides of the playfield. WORLD POKER TOUR™ pinball also features 5 Card Stud, where the player needs to hit cards on sixteen drop targets to get all the poker hands, such as two of a kind, three of a kind, etc … all the way up to a Royal Flush. WORLD POKER TOUR™ pinball also offers a second level playfield, and a "mousetrap" that holds and releases balls for exciting Multiball play.

WORLD POKER TOUR™ pinball features the voices and images of the television show's color commentators, Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton, as well as Courtney Friel, the WORLD POKER TOUR's sexy host.

Boxed dimensions:
H:56"; W:31"; D:31"; Weight: 285lbs

Unboxed Dimensions:
H: 75 1/2 ", W: 27 ", D: 55", Weight: 250lbs

I think I'll add this to my wishlist for my dream game room.

Technorati Tags: Poker, WPT, Pinball, Game Room