Poker Procedures

It's also important to realize that casino rules are vastly different from those that you employ in a friendly family game. If these rules are ignored or violated it may cost you a very valuable pot.

The chief advantage to playing in a casino is that the house provides a dealer. You don't have to worry about Uncle Joe dealing from the bottom of the deck or some card shark dealing "second"-saving the best card on top for himself and dealing the cards underneath to the other players.

It will cost you a little to play in a casino. Because there is no casino advantage in poker, the house charges players for providing the space and the personnel to offer an honest game. In most casinos, the house will take a "rake" from each pot. A rake is a percentage of the pot that is taken out by the dealer after every round of betting. This percentage will vary between five percent and ten percent, and most casinos put a limit on how much money will be withdrawn from each pot.

In some other jurisdictions, the house charges a "seat rental." This is usually an hourly fee that progresses upward with the limits.

Unlike poker played at home, casino poker doesn't necessarily require an "ante," or bet prior to receiving the initial cards. In Texas hold'em, a "blind" is used. A blind in when one or sometimes two players put up a small ante before a round begins. The blind is rotated in clockwise direction around the table.

When betting commences, you must bet in a prescribed sequence depending upon the rules of the specific game. The person with the high hand will make a bet in seven-card stud. The player to his left then must "call" (match that bet), "raise" (increase the bet), or "fold" (throw his cards in and withdraw from the hand). A player who acts out of turn can influence the play of the others, so it is important to take your cue from the dealer as to the correct time to make your bet.

In Texas hold'em, the first "live" player to the left of the "dealer" makes the initial wager. A live player is one who has not folded on a previous round. And while the casino uses a dealer at Texas hold'em, each round, a player is designated as the "dealer" so that the deal will start with a different player to the immediate left of that designated dealer on each round. The "dealer" is indicated by a "button" in hold'em.

It's important never to throw your chips into the pot. The dealer must make certain that each bet contains the correct amount of money, and throwing the money into the pot will require him to root through the pot to find your chips, dramatically slowing down the game. When you bet, simply place your chips in front of you. After the round of betting is complete, the dealer will reach out and sweep all the chips into the middle of the pot. When you are going to raise, tell the dealer. Don't put a partial bet out and return to your chips to complete the bet. Be prepared to make your bet when it's your turn. No one likes a player who slows down the game. Do your thinking when other players are acting.

Although you are permitted to lift your hole cards off the table, the casino insists that you keep your cards over the table. Don't pull them down into your lap to get a better look. The dealer is responsible for all the cards, and must be sure that your are not trying to sneak in different cards.

Maybe the hardest rule to understand in casinos is what is known as "table stakes." This rule limits you to betting the chips in front of you. If you run out of chips, you cannot go back into your pocket for more money to call or raise.

This has implications for those who approach poker with a money management system. Let's say that you have a $100 loss limit. You've entered a seven-card poker game with a $1 minimum and $4 maximum bet. Luck is running against you, and you've reduced your stake to only about $20. Instead of buying in to raise your table stakes to an acceptable level, you decide to keep playing and hope to get moderately lucky to build your bankroll back up. Unfortunately, this is usually the time you get struck by lightning. You draw four-of-a-kind in the first five cards, and other players at the table have decent hands, as well. Everyone is raising and calling, but before long, you're out of money.

At this point, you have to call, "All in." The dealer than separates all future bets from the pot which contains your money. The betting continues furiously and you can only watch. Now, you're not out of the game. You continue to receive cards and have a stake in the pot that contains your bets, but all the bets being made as you watch will be awarded to someone else. Sure, you're going to win the original pot, because the odds that someone will beat your four-of-a-kind are remote, at best.

The money in the side pot will go to the remaining player with the second-best hand.

While you can still approach poker with a money management attitude, you must be prepared to get lucky and to back it up with chips as ammunition.

While there is no "rule" or "procedure," it is considered rude and tactless to talk about your hand, whether live or discarded, while the game is proceeding.

When the time comes to show your hand, turn up all your cards, not just the five cards that make up the hand. You may be missing a better hand, and the other players have a right to see the two cards you are not using to make your hand. If no one calls or raises your final bet, you do not have to show any of your cards, and no experienced player will ask to see them.

And finally, to show your appreciation for the job done by the dealer, you should tip him or her whenever you win an average-sized pot. This is not obligatory, but it's considered a time-honored poker tradition.