1. Casino Poker Room Etiquette Rules
2. Casino Poker Room Etiquette Games
3. Casino Poker Room Etiquette Party

Poker Etiquette When you are playing in a poker room, there is an entirely different set of rules of etiquette. Now, that doesn’t mean you can be a drunken fool, so at the very least, you should be using your head when thinking about how to act. However, we have a full page dedicated to the way you should behave at a poker table. POKER ETIQUETTE Wait your turn: Never bet, fold or raise before it’s your turn. This seems like a simple rule, but many players fold prematurely, most often because they’re disgusted with their cards. And sometimes players raise before their turn because they have a strong hand. If you are sitting down at a poker game in a casino or card room for the first time, tell the dealer that it is your first time and ask them to please keep an eye on you to make sure you aren't doing anything incorrectly. You may be amazed at how helpful and useful someone can be when you show them a little respect and ask for their help.

1. Leaving a Poker Room to Go Eat Dinner, or Go to the Bathroom Like most new players, during my first game, I wasn’t sure if it was OK to leave the poker table to use the restroom. So if you are new to the game, please know that it is perfectly fine to get up and go to the bathroom, or get some fresh air, or whatever.
2. Most casino poker rooms have a ‘‘seat change’’ button. Just ask for it to reserve your right to change seats once your desired position becomes available. You have to speak up before the seat you want is vacated, and the button exists to avoid arguments on who claimed which seat first.

POKER ETIQUETTE

Wait your turn: Never bet, fold or raise before it’s your turn. This seems like a simple rule, but many players fold prematurely, most often because they’re disgusted with their cards. And sometimes players raise before their turn because they have a strong hand. Remember, every time you act early it gives the players behind you information they would otherwise not have.

Don’t show your cards early; when you fold, don’t accidentally flash or flip over your cards. You’re giving information to other players still in the hand and revealing those cards may determine the outcome of the hand. The only reason to flip over cards before a showdown is in heads-up situations when one player is all in.

Don’t talk about your cards while a hand is still in play: How many times have you heard a player say “I would have had a full house” when rag cards hit the board? Too many. Letting other players know what you folded again gives them information that will affect a hand’s outcome.

Don’t make string bets; never say, “I call your 50 and raise you 100” like they did in cowboy and western movies. That’s known as a string bet, and won’t be allowed a table. Say “I raise 100” instead. Make sure you don’t put your chips in a pot in more than one motion; it won’t be allowed.

Pay attention; don’t be that guy/gal who keeps checking their fantasy team’s stats or stock prices on their cell phone and has to be constantly reminded it’s their turn to act. Keep the pace of play flowing by not making other players wait. As a bonus, if you pay attention to the game instead of your cell phone or any other distraction, you might learn something about your fellow players.

Don’t splash the pot; it might look good in Rounders or other movies, but splashing the pot is bad form and makes it hard to tell how much you’ve bet. Just move your chips into the pot in neat stacks. The dealer and other players will thank you.

Casino Poker Room Etiquette Rules

Speaking of dealers, don’t blame the dealer for the river card that gives your opponent a flush or inside straight. Yes, the dealer shuffled the cards, but the randomness of poker (and shuffling) ensures that he or she was not personally opposed to your winning the hand. Don’t yell, scream, or berate the dealer because of a bad beat.

Speaking of bad beats, this might sound counter-intuitive, but embrace them. In Annie Duke’s book, Decide to Play Great Poker, she writes about accepting and even liking the occasional bad beat because it indicates an opportunity: If a player is willing to go to the river to draw out on you, more often than not, he or she is going to lose. Yes, it’s hard to lose a huge pot when someone hits trip deuces on the river. But the odds ensure you’ll win against this type of player in the long run.

GENERAL CONDUCT

Be sociable — One of the best things about playing poker is that you can sit down at a table of strangers and walk away a few hours later with friends for life. Poker can be the most sociable of games, a great way to relieve boredom or loneliness if you have the right mindset. Be open to conversation. Smile. You don’t have to gab like Dr. Phil, but a pleasant, upbeat attitude will go a long way to making your experience at a poker table more enjoyable.

However, do watch what you talk about. Poker tables can be great incubators for discussion, but it’s not the best idea to stridently advocate for one political candidate and demean another. Be aware that your fellow players might have varying viewpoints on social issues, religion, politics, and even sports. If you talk about these subjects, be respectful of others. And never use profanity, racial slurs, or sexist language, which will justifiably get you ejected from any decent poker room.

With regard to cell phones — not so long ago, most casinos banned cell-phone conversation at poker tables. But now that everyone has a cell phone — and with casinos cognizant they can‘t make money with players away from tables — cellular conversations are usually permitted as long as they don’t interrupt play. But here’s the rub. Cell phone conversations are still annoying during the course of a poker game. No one wants to hear about your plans for dinner, complaints about a spouse or boss, or incessant chattering about, well, anything. If you’re going to be on your phone for more than 30 seconds, do the right thing and walk away from the table and converse in private.

Don’t play drunk. This should be obvious and most poker players adhere to sobriety for the simple reason playing drunk leads to bad decisions. But if you are new to playing at an event or casino, be advised that a few drinks are okay; being plastered is not.

Casino Poker Room Etiquette Games

New to poker? Please check out my blog for beginning poker players.

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