Round vs Oval Table for up to 8 Players (1 Viewer)

[Seeking Alpha Social Club]

Well @Seeking Alpha Social Club is a HUGE advocate for the round club... personally I have never felt comfortable at round tables, not a fan of the reach, almost always feel cramped unless it is less than 8 players. I much prefer an Oval myself.

Well I say round but @Seeking Alpha Social Club likes whatever this is
View attachment 982992
I guess that's an octagon! Lol

8 of us packed around Ole Gunnys Round beauty
View attachment 982994
That one is quite cramped with 8 players.

@Highli99 had a beaut custom made
View attachment 982995
Not sure the measurements but this one is comfy (I haven't plaid on it with 8 yet though)

Another option to consider for 8 is what the call a "pub Oval"
View attachment 982998
Fantastic table for 8 players, this one belongs to @longflop
View attachment 982999
Plenty of space but still close. My 84" has 10 cup holders but I consider it a "pub"8 player max table
View attachment 983000
Hard to Guage the size there, so bottom of the screen here.
View attachment 983001
Perfect 8 player set up IMO.

I guess to each their own, I like the space of ovals over even an 60" round if it is a full 8 players.

Seeking Alpha likes octagon so big ass mother f'rs don't float into my space.

Bastards!!

 

[gopherblue]

Ellipse, FTW.

 

[longflop]

Well @Seeking Alpha Social Club is a HUGE advocate for the round club... personally I have never felt comfortable at round tables, not a fan of the reach, almost always feel cramped unless it is less than 8 players. I much prefer an Oval myself.

Well I say round but @Seeking Alpha Social Club likes whatever this is
View attachment 982992
I guess that's an octagon! Lol

8 of us packed around Ole Gunnys Round beauty
View attachment 982994
That one is quite cramped with 8 players.

@Highli99 had a beaut custom made
View attachment 982995
Not sure the measurements but this one is comfy (I haven't plaid on it with 8 yet though)

Another option to consider for 8 is what the call a "pub Oval"
View attachment 982998
Fantastic table for 8 players, this one belongs to @longflop
View attachment 982999
Plenty of space but still close. My 84" has 10 cup holders but I consider it a "pub"8 player max table
View attachment 983000
Hard to Guage the size there, so bottom of the screen here.
View attachment 983001
Perfect 8 player set up IMO.

I guess to each their own, I like the space of ovals over even an 60" round if it is a full 8 players.

I built that one myself. Outer dimensions are 48" X 72". It seats 8 very comfortably, and never a need to reach for chips, easy to pitch cards. plans are at: https://www.pokerlistings.com/how-to-build-your-own-poker-table-for-under-300-guide-images-and-plans

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Well @Seeking Alpha Social Club is a HUGE advocate for the round club... personally I have never felt comfortable at round tables, not a fan of the reach, almost always feel cramped unless it is less than 8 players. I much prefer an Oval myself.

Well I say round but @Seeking Alpha Social Club likes whatever this is
View attachment 982992
I guess that's an octagon! Lol

8 of us packed around Ole Gunnys Round beauty
View attachment 982994
That one is quite cramped with 8 players.

@Highli99 had a beaut custom made
View attachment 982995
Not sure the measurements but this one is comfy (I haven't plaid on it with 8 yet though)

Another option to consider for 8 is what the call a "pub Oval"
View attachment 982998
Fantastic table for 8 players, this one belongs to @longflop
View attachment 982999
Plenty of space but still close. My 84" has 10 cup holders but I consider it a "pub"8 player max table
View attachment 983000
Hard to Guage the size there, so bottom of the screen here.
View attachment 983001
Perfect 8 player set up IMO.

I guess to each their own, I like the space of ovals over even an 60" round if it is a full 8 players.

That octagon in the first pic looks VERY roomy! @Seeking Alpha Social Club what is the diameter? Must be over 60 inches, right?

 

[LeLe]

Round is always the prefer one for me esp since I mostly played 6 handed poker

 

[Machine]

So, I find that each table has a specific role, and the majority of posts here are of a certain persuasion.

If you are playing dealers choice and passing the deal I think round is better.

If you are playing holdem, rounds, or a dedicated game ovals are better. These are typically what you see when people are playing to win money and typically have a rake with a focus on efficiency, hence a dedicated dealer.

Sure we all play to win, but the focus of the game that most host w/o a rake is more social.

I like the social aspect of a round better, but I'm more comfortable at an oval.

 

[Seeking Alpha Social Club]

That octagon in the first pic looks VERY roomy! @Seeking Alpha Social Club what is the diameter? Must be over 60 inches, right?

62"

 

[upNdown]

Seeking Alpha likes octagon so big ass mother f'rs don't float into my space.

Bastards!!

Octagons are of course the best. People just can’t wrap their heads around what to do with 8 sides if you only have 6 or 7 players.
But if anybody’s curious, you can build an octagon bigger (to create more space) without increasing the reach to the center of the table.

 

[warma]

Mine is a Gorilla table and they don’t do folding legs on round tables, so it’s a solid base that’s very stable.

View attachment 983011

I played for years on a 60 inch banquet table with folding legs and I can tell you that players would always get there early just to avoid having to straddle the legs. It was very awkward for one or two that drew that seat.

Thanks. The fixed base is the issue for me. I’d prefer to collapse it between games.

 

[Highli99]

Thanks. The fixed base is the issue for me. I’d prefer to collapse it between games.

In that case a pub table is probably the best option.

 

[warma]

In that case a pub table is probably the best option.

Makes it an easy decision, then.

 

[Ben8257]

Alright @JeepologyOffroad I know you saw my post and thought you would take the bait... go ahead and hit us with the "One Pub Table to Rule them ALL!" That thing is worth not only building a poker room around, but an entire house! Lmao

 

[Defarse]

7 years ago I built my first table.........48x72 "pub" table. Worked awesome for us, usually 8 handed and sometimes 9 (all self dealt).

I'm building a new table this month and have gone with a 42x72 oval.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Octagons are of course the best. People just can’t wrap their heads around what to do with 8 sides if you only have 6 or 7 players.
But if anybody’s curious, you can build an octagon bigger (to create more space) without increasing the reach to the center of the table.

I really like the look of the octagon. and it seems to be more roomy than a round when it is full. I like that each player's space is more clearly defined. But as far as using it with 5-7 people, I don't think it's so much wrapping their heads around it as it is the inefficiency of space. With a round table and less players, everyone just shifts so that the space around the circumference is shared fairly evenly. But if you shift on an octagon, it just feels weird. Some players will have a "point" in front of or near them, rather than just straight rail. I suspect some players (especially those with OCD) might be resistant to shifting on an octagon, and will just settle for remaining in the defined spots, creating gaps around the table and not really providing every player with added space.

 

[CraigT78]

Octagons are of course the best

They aren't though. Only for the time you have 8 players. What game starts and ends with 8 players? Nevermind the fact that 8 is not the optimal number of players. I've had octagon tables and my opinion is that round is superior to all other choices.

 

[upNdown]

I really like the look of the octagon. and it seems to be more roomy than a round when it is full. I like that each player's space is more clearly defined. But as far as using it with 5-7 people, I don't think it's so much wrapping their heads around it as it is the inefficiency of space. With a round table and less players, everyone just shifts so that the space around the circumference is shared fairly evenly. But if you shift on an octagon, it just feels weird. Some players will have a "point" in front of or near them, rather than just straight rail. I suspect some players (especially those with OCD) might be resistant to shifting on an octagon, and will just settle for remaining in the defined spots, creating gaps around the table and not really providing every player with added space.

They aren't though. Only for the time you have 8 players. What game starts and ends with 8 players? Nevermind the fact that 8 is not the optimal number of players. I've had octagon tables and my opinion is that round is superior to all other choices.

Maybe people just need to stop being greedy little space piggies. If a table is comfortable with 8, then why do people need to spread out when it gets down to 7 or 6? You can stay right where you are, and still be comfortable.
I’ll tell you, I’ve never played 8 on a round, but those pictures make it look really tight for 8. So of course you guys are always waiting for somebody to leave, so you can spread out. But an octagon gives you a bit more space per person, and since it’s defined space, it’s probably better quality space, unless you’re a giant. So maybe people would be more comfortable on an octagon and maybe there’s no need to spread out.

 

[CraigT78]

Maybe people just need to stop being greedy little space piggies. If a table is comfortable with 8, then why do people need to spread out when it gets down to 7 or 6? You can stay right where you are, and still be comfortable.
I’ll tell you, I’ve never played 8 on a round, but those pictures make it look really tight for 8. So of course you guys are always waiting for somebody to leave, so you can spread out. But an octagon gives you a bit more space per person, and since it’s defined space, it’s probably better quality space, unless you’re a giant. So maybe people would be more comfortable on an octagon and maybe there’s no need to spread out.

People spread out because they like space. Can't do that on an octagon unless you want to sit at a point.

 

[natumes]

8 people on Craig's rounds was no more cramped than 10 people on my oval. The pics he shared were also during the meetup and there were probably 20+ people in that room (2 full tables + spectators and people coming in and out for beer/whiskey/coffee)

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Maybe people just need to stop being greedy little space piggies. If a table is comfortable with 8, then why do people need to spread out when it gets down to 7 or 6? You can stay right where you are, and still be comfortable.
I’ll tell you, I’ve never played 8 on a round, but those pictures make it look really tight for 8. So of course you guys are always waiting for somebody to leave, so you can spread out. But an octagon gives you a bit more space per person, and since it’s defined space, it’s probably better quality space, unless you’re a giant. So maybe people would be more comfortable on an octagon and maybe there’s no need to spread out.

Is it being greedy to want to have 20% of the space rather than 12.5% when there are only 5 players? With five players all using the defined spaces on an octagon, two people have no one in the space on either side of them, two people have no one on one side of them, and one poor sucker is stuck in between two people right next to them! Do they have as much space as they would have when there are 8 players? Sure, but it's still not equitable as the other four players all have significantly more space around them. So if all your games are played with 8 players, then maybe the octagon is best. But in all other situations with less players, the round table wins out.

 

[upNdown]

Is it being greedy to want to have 20% of the space rather than 12.5% when there are only 5 players? With five players all using the defined spaces on an octagon, two people have no one in the space on either side of them, two people have no one on one side of them, and one poor sucker is stuck in between two people right next to them! Do they have as much space as they would have when there are 8 players? Sure, but it's still not equitable as the other four players all have significantly more space around them. So if all your games are played with 8 players, then maybe the octagon is best. But in all other situations with less players, the round table wins out.

“Greedy” was more of an exaggeration for humor. But I really don’t understand this compulsion for using and dividing evenly all the available space on a table.. I hosted on an octagon for a while, and when we were 5 or 6 handed, most people seemed content wherever they were. Occasionally a guy would stretch around a corner, but it never seemed like anybody cared much about percentages of space.
This argument comes up every time octagon discussions come up. And I will freely admit that an octagon isn’t as efficient once you get under 8 players. But I’ll stand by my argument that if the table is big enough to give everybody enough space, then the under-8-innefeciency doesn’t matter.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

“Greedy” was more of an exaggeration for humor. But I really don’t understand this compulsion for using and dividing evenly all the available space on a table.. I hosted on an octagon for a while, and when we were 5 or 6 handed, most people seemed content wherever they were. Occasionally a guy would stretch around a corner, but it never seemed like anybody cared much about percentages of space.
This argument comes up every time octagon discussions come up. And I will freely admit that an octagon isn’t as efficient once you get under 8 players. But I’ll stand by my argument that if the table is big enough to give everybody enough space, then the under-8-innefeciency doesn’t matter.

Therein lies the rub. Very few tables when full give everybody enough space. Enough space to keep your chips in front of you and to play the game? Sure. But enough to be truly comfortable? Not really, other than maybe a really large oval, and then you pretty much have to have a dedicated dealer in the center of the table. But I think it's pretty natural for everyone to want to spread out and have a little extra space when the table isn't full. Not really sure why you describe that as a "compulsion."