Two favorite pastimes for men, as well as many women, are football and poker. The idea of combining the two into one exciting night of entertainment and fun would be a dream come true for many men. This can easily be done by hosting a football themed poker night. All you need is the right friends, the right food and the right equipment to make your poker night the perfect guy's night out event.

? Choose your friends wisely ? When deciding whom to invite to your poker night, the most important factor is the numbers. You'll want to make sure that you have the right amount of players for the variations of poker you are playing. Be sure to tell them to come wearing their favorite team jersey. Have a backup plan of a couple of last minute players, in case someone cancels at the last moment.

? Hire a dealer ? While you can always have a player act as dealer, for a more authentic poker room experience, hiring a professional poker dealer to host your event is a much better option. Professional dealers can assure that games are fair and played properly, taking any hassle and conflict out of your event. Professional dealers are quite affordable and well worth any expense, if you want an authentic and successful poker night. If you are going to have many tables, consider also hiring a croupier.

? Set up the tables ? For a perfect poker party, use a casino style poker table. Be sure that there are enough chips on hand to accommodate all of your players. Quality chips can be purchased in a variety of retail outlets. Poker tables can often be rented at any number of local rental facilities that specialize in party supplies. Having extra decks of cards on hand is also a great idea.

? Decorate within the theme ? Since you are shooting for a football theme, decorate in your favorite team colors. You can find beer mugs or glasses with each guest's favorite team to help personalize the party and give everyone a nice memento. Look for serving bowls in the shape of helmets and footballs, for your refreshments. Finish off the party atmosphere with the latest big game on the TV or some videos of favorite football moments, playing in the background.

? Provide football worthy food and drink ? Football worthy food isn't always poker friendly so think carefully about your menu. Chips, pretzels, and cold cut sandwiches are an easy to handle menu. Beer and soft drinks are perfect beverage choices. Try to avoid some of the messier finger foods that are usually associated with football, such as buffalo wings, as these can prove disastrous to a deck of playing cards and poker chips.

Once everything is in place, there is nothing left for you to do but kick back and enjoy your football themed poker night. With just a bit of effort, you'll have a fantastic poker night that will keep your friends talking for months to come. Your football themed poker night is sure to be a huge hit.