Poker Etiquette

When it comes to playing poker games online, there’s not much you can do in terms of improper conduct, since every technical detail is already taken care of. You can’t act out of turn and you will follow the rules automatically. The main thing to keep in mind is to be respectful, polite and try not to slow the game down. In a live game, there are a few more things to consider, and knowing proper etiquette is often as important as knowing the rules. If you play in a friendly homegame, you probably won’t follow every etiquette rule there is, but in a casino you will quickly run into trouble and may even be asked to leave if you repeatedly ignore the proper procedures.

1. Don’t act out of turn: Pay attention to the game so that you know when it’s your turn to act. One of the worst errors you can make in a live game is to fold, call or raise before it’s your turn to act. This also means that you should make no indication of how you intend to act when it’s your turn. It may happen by mistake from time to time, but it will never be tolerated if it’s done repeatedly or deliberately.
   
2. Don’t “splash the pot”: When you make a bet, call or raise, just place the chips in front of you in a neat fashion. If you just toss your chips into the pot, no one will know how much you put in there and the chips may have to be re-counted, which is irritating for everyone involved.
   
3. Don ’t hand out unwanted advice: Your insightful commentary on someone’s actions or the play in general might not be appreciated. Also, quoting poker strategy like odds and outs will make inexperienced players feel uncomfortable, and the experienced ones will just think you’re annoying.
   
4. Don’t remove chips from the table: If you’ve been winning it might be tempting to pocket some of your chips to make sure it stays that way, but this is not allowed. The chips stay as long as you do.
   
5. If, for some reason, you feel the need to show down your hand even if you don’t have to, make sure to show them to everyone at the table and not just to your opponent. This is considered polite and may even be required by the house rules.
   

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