Having a casino theme party? Think red and black, and especially green! Decorate your place with fake money, chips and cards. Turn the lights down low and string fairy lights everywhere to create mood.

Provide each of your guests with little buckets for their winnings. To keep people circulating, give everyone a score card that keeps tracks of how many games they've tried — this will insure that everyone's interacting.

Cover tables with black felt and use a white paint marker to draw blackjack, craps, and baccarat lines, or buy premade game layouts. You should have a rule book handy in case there are any disputes, but don't forget this old adage: the house always wins!

Depending on the type of establishment you're running, you might want some guests to be patrons, and others to work the tables. Provide your dealers with visors and arm garters, and make sure your gamblers are dressed to the nines — visualize a tuxedo-wearing James Bond staring down Le Chiffre in Casino Royale to get the right idea. Ladies and gents should get dolled up and into character. Glam it up!

Spiffy clothing and accessories for your casino party outfit:

• Tuxedoes & suits for the gents, sparkly attire for the ladies • Pocket watches and opera gloves • Sparkly jewelry (in case you run out of cash)

• Aces up your sleeves • Decks of cards, dice, chips, fake money • Prizes for the biggest spenders and biggest losers

Every casino party activity you dream up with should center on gambling so set up different zones for different events: one for Texas Hold'em, one for 5-Card Stud and other poker games, other rooms for dice games and roulette.

Partner up novice gamblers with old pros, and make sure there's space around your tables so people can watch and learn. If you're feeling unconventional, make a tiny obstacle course and get a mock greyhound race going with your pets or windup toys, or have a team charades grudge matches! Everything is more fun when there's wagering involved.

When you think casino, you generally think drinks and lots of them, but don't forget to fortify people's stomachs with some good food!

If your casino leans more towards the highbrow,  bust out the platter and serve Swedish meatballs or warm crab and artichoke dip. Or stoke your guests' appetites with spicy foods like wings, chips with charred corn salsa and tangy tomato bruschette.

Hand out plenty of drink napkins so that hands, cards and tables stay clean. You don't want anything to undermine the legitimacy of your operation!

Champagne Cocktail • 2 dashes bitters • 1 tsp sugar • chilled Champagne • 1 twist lemon peel Mix and serve chilled.

Non-Alchoholic - Make pitchers of non-alcoholic classics like Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers. Be sure to decorate with maraschino cherries and groovy stir sticks.

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