Skip to main content

The PartyPot blog covers game night strategy, rules and scoring guides for poker, Mahjong, Big Two, Ban Luck and other card and board games, plus tutorials on using PartyPot as a free digital banker and virtual ledger. Last updated: April 2026.

PartyPot Blog

Tips, updates, and insights for better gaming sessions

PartyPot Halloween 2026: Trick-or-Treat Quests, the Haunted Table and Free Candy
7 min read

PartyPot Halloween 2026: Trick-or-Treat Quests, the Haunted Table and Free Candy

What's in the PartyPot Halloween 2026 event: free candy and a Halloween summary card for everyone, three Trick-or-Treat quests that unlock the Spider Web throwable, and the paid Haunted Table that hosts can share with the room.

Read More
How to Host a Halloween Poker Night: Spooky Games, Stakes, Costume Prizes and a Clean Settle-Up
10 min read

How to Host a Halloween Poker Night: Spooky Games, Stakes, Costume Prizes and a Clean Settle-Up

Halloween poker night, planned properly: when to start on 31 October, stakes that suit a costume crowd, four spooky dealer's-choice games, a costume contest that never touches the pot, and a five-player settle-up in three payments.

Read More
Bunco Money & Prize Splits: How Much to Collect and How to Pay It Out
6 min read

Bunco Money & Prize Splits: How Much to Collect and How to Pay It Out

How the money works at bunco night: how much to collect, the standard prize structure (most buncos, most wins, most losses, booby, traveling prize), and a worked 12-player example that nets to zero.

Read More
How Money Works in American Mahjong: Card Values, Payouts, and the Pie
9 min read

How Money Works in American Mahjong: Card Values, Payouts, and the Pie

Every hand on the NMJL card has a money value — and the table rules decide who pays double. How American mahjong money play works: quarters, payouts, the jokerless bonus, and the $5 pie that keeps it friendly.

Read More
How to Start a Mahjong Club That Actually Keeps Meeting
8 min read

How to Start a Mahjong Club That Actually Keeps Meeting

Mahjong clubs are the fastest-growing game-night trend in America. The practical playbook for starting one: variant choice, equipment, cadence, house rules, and how to handle the money without arguments.

Read More
Is Mahjong Played Clockwise or Counterclockwise? The Complete Direction Guide
10 min read

Is Mahjong Played Clockwise or Counterclockwise? The Complete Direction Guide

Mahjong has two directions running at once: players take turns counterclockwise, but tiles leave the wall clockwise. Here is how the dice choose which wall to break, how to deal the blocks, and whose turn comes next — for Hong Kong, Singapore and Riichi tables.

Read More
How Much Money Do You Need for a Home Poker Night?
7 min read

How Much Money Do You Need for a Home Poker Night?

The most-asked question every host gets, answered with real numbers: buy-in math from the blinds, how many rebuys to bring, tournament budgets, and the bank the host should prepare.

Read More
How to Run a Poker League With Friends That Actually Finishes the Season
6 min read

How to Run a Poker League With Friends That Actually Finishes the Season

A league turns an occasional game into a standing tradition. How to structure the season, score points by finish, handle nightly pots vs. the season pool, and keep the standings from collapsing by game five.

Read More
Mahjong Stakes: How Much Money Do You Actually Need for a Night of Tiles?
7 min read

Mahjong Stakes: How Much Money Do You Actually Need for a Night of Tiles?

Mahjong has no official stakes — every table sets its own. Here are the ranges social players actually use: the $5 American pie, per-fan rates for Hong Kong and Singapore tables, riichi conversion, and how much to bring.

Read More