Live Poker Etiquette

Table manners
Moving from the online poker rooms to the casinos and home games might be trickier than you imagine. There are the basic things, like putting on a shirt and not dancing around too frenetically when you win. But there are also some unspoken rules you might not have heard of before. Here are a few things to consider when playing live.

Acting before your turn
Never fold your hand or bet until it’s really your turn. It’s not really bad manners; it just gives the other players very valuable advice. Not a good idea.

Playing too slowly
Poker is a game played over time, and the slower you are, the fewer the hands are dealt. This is going to annoy people. Some people include playing slow (no, we don’t mean slow playing) in their poker strategy, but that’s not a very good idea. Ever noticed how the fastest players, who judge the different hands instantly, usually win?

Abusing the dealer or the other players
Don’t do this. It’s a sure sign of losing. And you’re going to win

Hitting on the other players
There’s a time for hitting on someone, and there’s a time for winning their money; don’t mix these up. Plus, you’re going to have much better odds afterwards. Unless you lost.

String betting
You might have heard someone say “I call your bet… and raise you $2.” and thought it sounded cool. Well, it doesn’t. It’s called string betting, and it confuses the other players. If you’re either calling or raising, say so.

Splashing
”Splashing the pot”, or throwing your chips on the table, is considered bad poker manners. And it might also attract accusations of cheating. Stacking your chips makes it easier for everyone to check your bet.

Cursing
Keep your head cool. And your language clean.

Commenting hands during play
Any comments on your hole cards, on the flop, on possible hands or on the pot odds? Wait until after the hand. You don’t want to give away valuable advice to more inexperienced players. And it’s also rather disturbing.

Skipping blinds
Since the small and the big blinds rotate among the players at the table, regularly sitting out when it’s your time to cash up, is considered bad poker manners. You might save a few cents in the very short run, but it will get you thrown out of the casinos.