More poker room etiquette
December 19th, 2010 at 9:48:56 PM
permalink
I saw a thread that was mainly focused on buying in and getting started.. I am a poker dealer, and here are some more etiquette guidelines which will make the game run more smooth and provide a friendly atmosphere.
Act in turn. Do not put out a call or raise when there is action in front of you. Also, if there is a bet and five people to act in front of you, do not cut out cheques to call. Ditto to Angleshooting.
Keep your hole cards visible. If other players can not see you are in the hand, it can easily cause a domino effect of action moving ahead of you.
Also, if the dealer can not see, it may lead to pre-exposed turn/river cards, etc.
Never berate another player. A player may call your all in preflop with 72 when you have AA and suck out. Does not give you the right to yell at him or her. It's their money and are entitled to play any way he or she chooses. Stay classy. :)
Keep all your cheques visable. Keep higher denomination cheques in front of the rest of your stack or on top. If you have towers of white a player may bet on the assumption you only have 40$ left when you actually have 300$ in green. That's an extreme scenario.. but you get the point.
Avoid cell phone usage. Most Houses do not all cell phones. I would recommend NEVER talking on a cell phone (even if the House permits it).. and very rarely text while at the table. If you have to send the wife a quick text, sure... but don't hold conversation texting.
Never ask to borrow money / do not lend money to other players
Do not slow roll. All it does is cause hostility at the table.
Never read the board aloud.
ex1. In Texas Hold'em if the board is AKQJ-10 with no flush possibilities.. Whether in the hand or not, one should not say, "It's a chop". There are players that would fold to bets without realizing it.
ex2. There are four spades on board. At showdown it goes check-check. Don't say, "Who has the spade".. A player may table Two pair.. and a person with one pair but backed into a spade may be preparing to throw hand into the muck then realize he or she has the winning hand with a flush. Players are to be responsable for their own hand.
One to a hand. Do not allow people to "sweat" ur hand. Poker is individual game.
When not in the hand, do not show emotion. NEVER say things like, "I would've flopped the nut flush" "I folded Q-J" "I woulda turned a straight".. or if the board is QQ7.. don't show emotion that telegraphs you folded a Queen.
If you believe that a dealer short changed you (ex. in a 1-2NL game you were small blind and had a 5$ cheque then folded and dealer only threw you 3$ change instead of 4$) say so as soon as you spot the error. The longer you go, the less the dealer/House can help you. A player once accused me of shorting him 1$ literally 5 hands later.
After a reasonable amount of time has passed, it is a player's right to call "clock" on another... however in a non-time raked cash game it is polite to give the player with the decision as much time as needed. Conversly, one should play at a reasonable pace.
Do not make change amongst yourself. The dealers get paid to do that... and if the dealer does not see the change occur, it will just cause confusion. In particular, if there is a raise, and the small blind and big blind made change already (this happens more in tournaments) the game doesn't run smooth.
Somebody raises to 13$ and a player that puts out three 5$ cheques grabs two white from another player... if you've dealt before you'll know what I'm getting at.
Don't splash the pot.
Act in turn. Do not put out a call or raise when there is action in front of you. Also, if there is a bet and five people to act in front of you, do not cut out cheques to call. Ditto to Angleshooting.
Keep your hole cards visible. If other players can not see you are in the hand, it can easily cause a domino effect of action moving ahead of you.
Also, if the dealer can not see, it may lead to pre-exposed turn/river cards, etc.
Never berate another player. A player may call your all in preflop with 72 when you have AA and suck out. Does not give you the right to yell at him or her. It's their money and are entitled to play any way he or she chooses. Stay classy. :)
Keep all your cheques visable. Keep higher denomination cheques in front of the rest of your stack or on top. If you have towers of white a player may bet on the assumption you only have 40$ left when you actually have 300$ in green. That's an extreme scenario.. but you get the point.
Avoid cell phone usage. Most Houses do not all cell phones. I would recommend NEVER talking on a cell phone (even if the House permits it).. and very rarely text while at the table. If you have to send the wife a quick text, sure... but don't hold conversation texting.
Never ask to borrow money / do not lend money to other players
Do not slow roll. All it does is cause hostility at the table.
Never read the board aloud.
ex1. In Texas Hold'em if the board is AKQJ-10 with no flush possibilities.. Whether in the hand or not, one should not say, "It's a chop". There are players that would fold to bets without realizing it.
ex2. There are four spades on board. At showdown it goes check-check. Don't say, "Who has the spade".. A player may table Two pair.. and a person with one pair but backed into a spade may be preparing to throw hand into the muck then realize he or she has the winning hand with a flush. Players are to be responsable for their own hand.
One to a hand. Do not allow people to "sweat" ur hand. Poker is individual game.
When not in the hand, do not show emotion. NEVER say things like, "I would've flopped the nut flush" "I folded Q-J" "I woulda turned a straight".. or if the board is QQ7.. don't show emotion that telegraphs you folded a Queen.
If you believe that a dealer short changed you (ex. in a 1-2NL game you were small blind and had a 5$ cheque then folded and dealer only threw you 3$ change instead of 4$) say so as soon as you spot the error. The longer you go, the less the dealer/House can help you. A player once accused me of shorting him 1$ literally 5 hands later.
After a reasonable amount of time has passed, it is a player's right to call "clock" on another... however in a non-time raked cash game it is polite to give the player with the decision as much time as needed. Conversly, one should play at a reasonable pace.
Do not make change amongst yourself. The dealers get paid to do that... and if the dealer does not see the change occur, it will just cause confusion. In particular, if there is a raise, and the small blind and big blind made change already (this happens more in tournaments) the game doesn't run smooth.
Somebody raises to 13$ and a player that puts out three 5$ cheques grabs two white from another player... if you've dealt before you'll know what I'm getting at.
Don't splash the pot.
