Poker Etiquette
Pleasant environment in the card room when you come to play poker is very important and the land and online casinos staff makes all possible to provide it but much depends on the players themselves. That’s why every time you visit the casino keep to some rules. These rules are not just like boundaries, but more like etiquette rules for making the game pleasant.
Politeness.Poker may not be a simple game and losses happen. In case of any misfortune try not to get angry and don’t lose your temper. It is very impolite to hold verbal battles, moreover, if you demonstrate frustration it means that you are vulnerable and other players start leading tight game against you. Try to escape collusions with other players and never resort to threatening. And when you win be as modest as possible.
Table presence. Always keep your cards and chips on the table and don’t touch other’s. Moreover, it is forbidden to take the cards out of the players’ and dealer’s view. Never stack your chips in the manner that prevents dealer from dealing the cards or making other actions. At last, when you want to leave the table you must announce it verbally (as well as about any other actions related to the game play).
Cards protection. Always protect your cards from being seen and in case you consistently have the opportunity to see other player’s cards you must let the dealer know. Cheating is not acceptable among well-mannered people. Note that at some poker rooms it is forbidden to smoke cigar or pipe and in general two seats next to the dealer (one on the left and one on the right) are considered to be nonsmoking.
Play managing. Try not to be too slow. Of course, sometimes you may need some time to think over your decision but remember that long time for taking any action will make the play less enjoyable for the other players. Always play at reasonable speed. In case you play poker online make sure that you will have enough time for making decisions and only then choose to play at more than one table simultaneously.
Wait for your turn to act. It is impolite to take any action out of turn even if you simply want to fold. Rush can also reveal some information about your hand to other players.
At the card room it is also not acceptable to:
- Use profanity language.
- Throw and tear the cards.
- Argue, shout and make noise without any reason.
- Comment your and other’s actions.
- Splash the pot.
- Declare the wrong value of your hand.
- Play into someone’s hand.
- Discuss strategic methods with other players.
- Carry a weapon.
It's easy to be a tough competitor and still be the kind of person with whom people love to compete.
Chuck Thompson