Jake14mw
Flush
Hi all,
I have always had a strange sort of obsession with making the "best" solution for the poker table cup holder debate. I definitely have certain opinions about cup holders:
1) I don't like drinks on the table surface, so slide unders, or cupholders built into a racetrack or surface have been a no for me.
2) Similarly, I have never wanted cup holders in the rail. I don't like them so high up, they seem to be in the way, and the spot is fixed.
3) Side tables are great, if you have a lot of room, but they can get in the way.
4) My compromise for the first two tables I built were swing out cupholders on lazy susans. They were basically dual cupholders that swing out between every pair of seats.
I really do like this solution. They are off the table surface, to be more out of the way, and don't take up much room. They sit lower than in-rail cupholders, they are built into the table, and hide away completely when players don't want to use them. Really, the only issue I have with them is that their location is fixed. In some seats, your cup holder has to be on your right, other seats on your left.
I wanted cup holders that are low and out of the way and can be placed wherever the player wants them, directly in front, to their left, or to their right. If they don't want one, it doesn't need to be there. If they want jumbo, they can have jumbo, their choice. The solution - slide out cupholders that slide into a slot and use magnets to hold them in place. This was my original diagram,
And here they are done in my recently completed 58" round table. I love playing on round tables!
Several options are available. Most are just the standard size cupholder, but jumbos are available, even small integrated tables for phones, or a snack plate. There is also one with a wireless qi phone charger that plugs into the usb ports in the table.
Magnets in the wood of the cupholder hold them solidly in place.
I was able to test them out in a small family game on Friday. I'm really happy with them. No complaints at all, they worked great! Some people had them on their left, others on their right, and one in the center in front. I tried it directly in front of me, but didn't like that at all. Too much in the way for me.
So, what are the cons of this method? The main one is that it is a royal PITA to implement. I had to cut sheet metal for the magnets to place under the surface edge around the entire table perimeter and glue it. Also had to attach that perimeter wood around the table to create a slot to slide them into. That was also a LOT of work. It was very difficult to get the gap just the right width so that the fit was tight, but not too tight. Neither the magnets nor the slot would work by themselves, but together they work great. For most people, having a better cup holder system is not worth all that work. I don't know how many hours I had into the thing. The second downside is storing all of the cup holders when not in use. I haven't found an elegant way to do that yet, but I have some ideas. Anyway, I'm extremely happy with the result.
I have always had a strange sort of obsession with making the "best" solution for the poker table cup holder debate. I definitely have certain opinions about cup holders:
1) I don't like drinks on the table surface, so slide unders, or cupholders built into a racetrack or surface have been a no for me.
2) Similarly, I have never wanted cup holders in the rail. I don't like them so high up, they seem to be in the way, and the spot is fixed.
3) Side tables are great, if you have a lot of room, but they can get in the way.
4) My compromise for the first two tables I built were swing out cupholders on lazy susans. They were basically dual cupholders that swing out between every pair of seats.
I really do like this solution. They are off the table surface, to be more out of the way, and don't take up much room. They sit lower than in-rail cupholders, they are built into the table, and hide away completely when players don't want to use them. Really, the only issue I have with them is that their location is fixed. In some seats, your cup holder has to be on your right, other seats on your left.
I wanted cup holders that are low and out of the way and can be placed wherever the player wants them, directly in front, to their left, or to their right. If they don't want one, it doesn't need to be there. If they want jumbo, they can have jumbo, their choice. The solution - slide out cupholders that slide into a slot and use magnets to hold them in place. This was my original diagram,
And here they are done in my recently completed 58" round table. I love playing on round tables!
Several options are available. Most are just the standard size cupholder, but jumbos are available, even small integrated tables for phones, or a snack plate. There is also one with a wireless qi phone charger that plugs into the usb ports in the table.
Magnets in the wood of the cupholder hold them solidly in place.
I was able to test them out in a small family game on Friday. I'm really happy with them. No complaints at all, they worked great! Some people had them on their left, others on their right, and one in the center in front. I tried it directly in front of me, but didn't like that at all. Too much in the way for me.
So, what are the cons of this method? The main one is that it is a royal PITA to implement. I had to cut sheet metal for the magnets to place under the surface edge around the entire table perimeter and glue it. Also had to attach that perimeter wood around the table to create a slot to slide them into. That was also a LOT of work. It was very difficult to get the gap just the right width so that the fit was tight, but not too tight. Neither the magnets nor the slot would work by themselves, but together they work great. For most people, having a better cup holder system is not worth all that work. I don't know how many hours I had into the thing. The second downside is storing all of the cup holders when not in use. I haven't found an elegant way to do that yet, but I have some ideas. Anyway, I'm extremely happy with the result.
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