How to Build Poker Table Tops

Friends enjoy a great game of poker. For the homeowner who doesn't have the room to keep a poker table set up all the time, building just the tabletop means you can put it away when you're done. Set it on top of an existing table; place the cup holders in the holes cut just for them; and invite friends and family over for an evening of fun. Create your poker tabletop from solid wood to make it last a long time.

• 1

  Put the 48-by-48-by-3/4-inch glued panel on a worktable. Make a mark at the center of all four sides. Place the 72-inch straightedge on the marks and draw intersecting lines across the wood.

• 2

  Lay the straightedge from corner to corner across the wood and draw a line. Do the same for the other two corners. Make a mark on the catty-corner lines 24 inches from the center point where all the lines intersect.

• 3

  Place the straightedge on the mark on the catty-cornered line and the mark at the center of the side. Draw a line from the side to the mark on the catty-corner line. Repeat this with the remaining marks until you create the octagon shape for the poker table.

• 4

  Cut the lines with a circular saw and a sharp blade. Sand the cut edges with 120-grit sandpaper.

• 5

  Install the round-over router bit in the router. Set the depth of the cut just enough to round the edges of the wood. Run the router around the perimeter of the poker tabletop. Turn the top over and route that edge as well.

• 6

  Turn the poker tabletop so the side with the lines is facing up. Make a mark on the catty-corner lines 2 1/4 inches from the edge of the tabletop. Set the drill bit of a 3 3/8-inch hole saw on the marks and drill holes all the way through the wood. Slip the cup holders in the holes.