Poker dealers are responsible to provide cards to the players and manage the play at the poker table. For excelling as a poker dealer, one must hone a variety of skills and characteristics. In this article, we will walk you through different steps of dealing with and running a poker game.
Who is a poker dealer?
The job of a poker dealer is to keep track of the cards, poker chips and other components. Dealing with the cards, shuffling the cards, handling harsh or abusive players, keeping an eye out for fraud and ensuring that the game’s regulations are being followed correctly are all responsibilities of the poker dealer.
As poker dealers must maintain the game running smoothly and correctly, they must perform these practices flawlessly. A dealer needs to shuffle the cards at least three times before cutting the deck, but this usually varies from casino to casino.
Responsibilities of a poker dealer?
A poker dealer is a person to whom the poker dealer button is handed. He must deliver the correct number of cards to each player at the table. When determining how many cards need to be dealt, it all comes down to the type of poker played.
The dealer must make sure that the cards are dealt in an appropriate way (face down) so that other players cannot see the cards sold to him. To avoid delivering away any of the deck’s secrets, the dealer needs to deal fast and accurately without disclosing any of the cards that have been dealt till time.
Dealers usually deal by taking one card at a time from the top of the deck while grabbing the deck in one hand. Later, the card is hurled at a player sitting across the table.
How to deal professionally in poker?
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The Button
A dealer button is used in a poker game to recognise the player who is being designated as the dealer. With respect to casino games, the dealer button is given to the person who is the last to act in a particular deal.
The dealer button moves to the left after each finished hand or round. This resembles that in a home game, the poker cards must be dealt out by a single person. The movement of the button is used to mark who will play first and last during the rotation at a casino or during home poker games. The person with the dealer button is the last to act.
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The Deal
The most basic rule is the dealer delivers the opening card to the person to their immediate left. The cards are dealt one by one to each player face down. Cards are delivered in a clockwise manner and the procedure is continued until each participant gets the correct amount of cards. Depending on the poker game that is being played, the players receive anywhere from two to five cards after the completion of each hand,
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Betting Rounds
In a pre-dealt betting round, the players are most active. In such rounds, antes and blinds are the two most common “forced” bets. All players are required to place an ante before the hand is dealt.
On the other hand, blinds are also forced bets but only for the two players who are seated on the left of the dealer. The person seated closest to the dealer is obliged to make a small blind, whereas, the player sitting on their left is forced to make the big blind. It is necessary for all other players to either match or exceed the large blind for that hand to proceed.
It must also be kept in mind that not all varieties of poker need both antes and blinds, but players are usually forced to pay at least one of these bets before each hand in most cases. There is no calibrated quality for these bets and varies according to the game and poker room. It is more commonly visible during a poker tournament.
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Unoccupied Seats
The number of players at a poker table decreases over time. The dealer has the responsibility to exclude the players who leave the table from the betting round. Players who do not withdraw their chips before leaving are regarded as active. Although, those cards will be considered rejected if that player does not return in the allotted time. They will still be forced to make bets (antes, blinds) if they were at the table the whole time, as they are considered active participants.
Wrapping Up
Poker dealing can certainly be a high-income career path. Keeping the poker game moving fast and effectively while juggling several decks is critical to winning. While everyone is prone to mistakes, with time and effort, you develop a good reputation among the regular players and earn larger tips as well.
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