Poker is a great way to pass the time. Whether you are playing for fun with your friends, or for the thrill of winning big at the casinos, it is important to understand proper poker table etiquette. We will go over some important poker table etiquette guidelines that everyone should know.
Don’t Try to Play Out of Turn
There will be times when you are dealt a great hand at the poker tables and you are practically jumping out of your chair waiting for your turn. While it’s great that you have a winning hand, that does not mean you are entitled to go out of turn. The order of turns in poker is important for the betting to be carried out properly. If you mistakenly declare your intentions before it is your turn, you may tip off the players that are going before you, causing you to lose money that you would otherwise have been able to win.
Keep Your Hand to Yourself
When you play poker, you will be folding often. When you fold, you are eliminated from the round. Just because you are done with the round, doesn’t mean everyone else is. You should never mention your hand, even if you fold before the round is completely finished. By doing this, you will give the active players information that could lead to a different outcome. For example, if you mention that you had certain playing cards that another player might have been waiting on this may then cause them to exit the round when they would have otherwise placed more bets with the other active players.
Avoid String Bets
A string bet occurs when you re-raise a bet in two segments. The most common way to string bet is when the turn gets to you and you are faced with a raise. You can make a string bet by saying that you call the bet, followed by telling the table that you are raising the bet.
Example of a string bet: “I call your 100, and raise you 100 more.”
String bets are treated differently in different settings. In official games, string bets are not allowed. They can be used to get a read on opposing players as they react to your “fake” call. To avoid this, casinos and poker tournaments will not recognize a re-raise at the end of a string bet. You may be able to get away with a string bet in a more relaxed environment, but it is thought of as poor sportsmanship and for the respect of the people that you are playing with, you should refrain from doing it.
Show Everyone or No One
You have no obligation to show your cards at any time during or after the hand. The only exception is to show the person who won the hand. If you want to show your cards after the hand is over, that is perfectly okay, but if you do, you should make sure the entire table sees them. By showing only one person, it can be looked at as collusion by the other players. While it is not against the rules, it is something that is heavily frowned upon and should be avoided. If you accidentally expose your hand during the round, you should make sure all of the players see the cards so you are not giving any player an unfair advantage.