Clueless about what to buy?  Do you think “the flop” is some kind of strange high-dive?  Not to worry.  Shopping for the poker player on your holiday list is a lot easier than you think.  But there are a lot of options to choose from.  Following are some great gift ideas to satisfy any poker player and are sure to get a lot of use.

Poker Chips:  On one of the broadcasts of ESPN’s World Series of Poker, a segment about poker chips was aired.  One of the professionals commented that plastic chips were fun when you were eight.  He’s right.  While plastic chips can still be used, nothing beats the feel of a real clay chip.  Plus, there’s that great sound they make when you place them in front of you or impress your friends with chip tricks.

Most retailers carry good poker chip sets that come with a case as well.  When looking for a good poker chip set, take a look at the thickness of the chip, as the thicker a chip is the better it will be.  A standard

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Target carries several sets, with prices ranging from $49.99 to $99.99.  Wal-Mart also has a nice 300-chip set for $49.77.  Amazon.com also featured some very nice sets; my favorite was one for $49.99 that was originally listed for $179.99.  This set came with five special poker dice, a dealer button and other buttons (missed blind, big blind, little blind, etc.)  Another feature with Amazon.com that is nice is the customer reviews, so you can read about the experiences customers have had with the product.  Ebay is also a good resource for chips, as you get reviews of the seller and there are a wide variety of set designs to choose from -- a search of poker chips will get you nearly 9000 products to choose from!  Specialty game stores are also an option, but I’ve found these to be more expensive then shopping online or at the larger retailers.  Also, please note the prices from Target and Wal-Mart are from these companies’ web sites; prices at local stores may vary.

Playing cards: A deck of cards or set of two decks also make a great gift.  In my opinion, the best cards on the market are KEM playing cards.  You can find these on Ebay or Amazon for about $20.  There are many designs to choose from; the “arrow back“ and “casino“ designs are my personal favorites, and these are great choices if you aren‘t sure what design the person you are buying for might like.  The beauty with these cards is they last.  Sure, you can buy a set for a few dollars,

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Poker Tables & Tops: Nothing beats the great feel of a poker felt.  It makes it easier to pick up your cards, and gives you the feel of playing in a casino.  You have two options for a great poker-playing surface: a table-top, which you place on top of a table, or an actual poker table.

Poker tables are, obviously, more expensive.  Amazon.com lists a nice table for $149.99 that can easily be folded; for $229.99 you can upgrade to having wood instead of metal.  These are nice tables, but if you are looking for a more permanent table for a gaming or recreation room, check out pokeroutlet.com.  This website has a large assortment to choose from, including tables that have a dealer tray, which is very nice if you host regular games and have a permanent dealer, as the tray is set into the table rather than having it on top.  Because a poker table can be a big investment, it’s not a bad idea to have the person pick out the model he or she would like, especially when buying online.  Returning a big poker table to an online retailer can be quite a hassle.  If you live in or near a major city, you can also find area game and specialty stores where poker tables are available.  This might be the best option, as you can get more than just an image on the screen and “kick the tires” before you make the purchase.

A less expensive option is to buy a poker tabletop.  These provide a great surface for card parties.  Several years ago I purchased a felt from a local casino supply store, and have brought it to numerous home games.  It makes the cards much easier to shuffle and pick up.  This is also a great gift for teenagers or people who don’t have the room for a poker table.  Target carries a nice table top for $29.99; Wal-Mart has a nice one as well with drink and chip holders for $37.52.

Poker Apparel: Poker apparel is widespread, with everything from World Poker Tour T-shirts to shirts with phrases like, “I have the nuts.”  Amazon and Ebay carry numerous designs.  JCPenney also carries poker t-shirts with -- I kid you not -- poker-themed pajamas.  Kohl’s Department Stores also carry various poker-themed t-shirts for about $10, and even sells poker boxer shorts.

A poker-themed tie is also a nice gift.  Ties get a bum rap as a lame Father’s Day or Christmas gift, but I love ties and wear them often to the poker table.  JCPenney has some very nice choices in silk from $19.99; Ebay also has many choices.

Dragonfly Clothing also manufactures a slick poker shirt of dogs playing poker, red and in polyester.  This is available from numerous online retailers, for about $39.99 to $49.99; simply type in “dragonfly dogs playing poker t-shirt” into your favorite search engine and you’ll find many options.  Of course, you can also buy directly from Dragonfly at dragonflyclothing.com.

Stocking Stuffers: Handheld poker video games make a great gift for travelers, killing some time, or for teens.  Radio Shack carries a nice handheld holdem game for $14.99, and several other handheld games that offer poker, blackjack and solitaire.  Wal-Mart also carries a handheld poker game where you can play lowball, deuces wild or draw poker; this sells for $18.83.  The online retailer thehouseofcards.com also has many different handheld poker games you can choose from, ranging in price from $10 to $40.

Computer and Video Games: As evidenced by the crowds who lined up to grab an Xbox 360, video gaming is huge, as is the computer gaming industry.  Numerous computer and video games are available if the poker player on your shopping list is also an avid gamer.  These games also enable one to get a poker fix without putting any real money at risk. One of the hottest titles is the game “Stacked,” available for the Xbox.  This retails for $29.99, and is unique in that it features adaptive artificial intelligence, and you can get tips from Daniel Negreanu as you play.  Other titles available for Xbox and Play Station 2 include: “World Championship Poker,” “World Poker Tour,” and “World Series of Poker.”  There are also many PC games such as Hoyle Casino and Real Deal Casino; the Xbox and PS2 games are also available on the PC.  For the serious player, check out Wilson Software (wilsonsoftware.com), which offers programs on various poker games that are designed with many different opponents and has useful tools to gave the player an in-depth analysis of how they play and what they need to do to improve.

I must confess I am not a gamer unless we are talking about online poker or Wilson Software.  I’d still be perfectly content playing “Space Invaders” on my old Atari.  A great online resource though to help you in your search for a poker computer or video game is gamespot.com. Here, you can search via the console you are looking for (PS2, Xbox, PC, etc.) and get prices, reviews and screen-shots on games.

Reading Material: Poker books also make a great gift.  With so many to choose from, though, ask the poker player on your list what they play.  If stud is their game, a book on no-limit Texas holdem won’t do them much good.  Some safe bets include Small Stakes Holdem: Winning Big With Expert Play by Ed Miller and Winning Low Limit Holdem by Lee Jones.  Low-limit holdem is by far the most popular game, and both of these books are a must-read. (The Jones book is better for the novice, the Miller for the more experienced player.)  No-limit holdem is, of course, also huge.  Dan Harrington has written a solid two-volume set, Harrington on Holdem covering no-limit holdem tournaments.  You also can’t go wrong with Super System or Super System 2, as the books cover many different poker games.  The no-limit section in both by Doyle Brunson is still the best out there on no-limit hold ‘em. The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky is also a classic.

For non-strategy material, The Professional, The Banker and the Suicide King by Michael Craig is a great read about a high-stakes game in Las Vegas.  The Biggest Game in Town, by Al Alvarez, is also a classic, covering the poker scene in Vegas in the early 80s.

Movies & Strategy DVDs: Poker-related movies also make a great gift. Rounders is available with bonus material on a new collector’s DVD.  Other great films include The Sting, California Split, and The Cooler.  Amazon and electronics stores like Best Buy also carry numerous DVDs on poker strategy, such as Annie Duke’s Advanced Texas Holdem Secrets.  You can also let the ESPN DVDs of the 2004 and 2003 World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour seasons.

Stuff for the Walls: Poker artwork makes a great addition to any rec room.  The best deals for prints can be found on Ebay, where numerous variations on the “dogs playing poker” theme can be found.  If you’d like something a little different, consider a print with a Vegas theme, ora framed movie poster; again, your best bet for these is Amazon or Ebay, as movie posters can be hard to find.

Wall clocks with a poker theme are also a nice addition to a poker-themed recreation room.  These clocks have neon, and look great on a wall near any poker or pool table, or behind a bar. They can be found for about $50 (with neon); less expensive models can be found, too. Cafepress.com has several designs under $20 (without neon).

Poker products are in high demand.  The chip set you want or poker table you are looking for may be out of stock.  Call ahead.  Also, be sure to pay attention to Sunday ads in your local papers, as poker-themed material may be available at discounts.

Online shopping can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before.  I’ve had no problems with credit card information being compromised.  But NEVER send out your credit card in response to an email from Amazon or Ebay; these are likely to be “phishing“ scams, not from the company.  If time is your primary concern, use Amazon and buy the product as new (Amazon also has links to other sellers where you can buy the product used; buying it new means it comes directly from Amazon.)  Buying it new from Amazon will mean it will be shipped quicker. Ebay offers both new and used products; many retailers use Ebay as an outlet to sell their goods. Be sure to read the customer reviews to make sure your experience will be a good one.