Thanks so much for joining me back here for the second article about poker etiquette. These are the remaining five of the top ten rules that novice players should be mindful of at the poker table.
Rule No. 6-Act in Turn. Poker is a game based on position. Poker should be played clockwise after the blinds. The game's basic premise is that position is paramount.
Acting out-of-turn provides other players at the table with an unfair advantage. Players are more likely to contemplate making a move when they know they have fewer opponents left to act behind them.
My daddy taught me a good way to circumvent this problem. Only look at your cards when it is your turn to act. Doing this guards against your giving off any hints or tells about your hand, and forces you to act in turn.
Rule No. 7-All Money on the Table is in Play. The other night while playing at the Bellagio, a man at the table had about $400 in bills on the table, along with $150 in chips. He opened the pot for $50 in an aggressive $2-$5 no-limit hold 'em game and was faced with a raise of $150.
When it came time to make his decision he casually slipped the remaining bills into his pocket and proceeded to call with the remainder of his chips. The other players informed him that what he did was unacceptable.
Poker is played at table stakes, meaning that money always plays and cannot be removed from the table. Small items like cocktails, food, and massages can be purchased with chips or cash, but for the most part this rule is concrete.
Rule No. 8 -Splashing the Pot. This is a rule that novice players frequently disregard. When you are calling or placing a bet you should leave the money or checks directly in front of you.
Do not put the money into the communal pot. Slashing the pot makes it difficult for the dealer and other players to see if the pot is correct or to make any valuable calculations based on the relationship of the bet to the size of the pot. The dealer will make any adjustments necessary as long as you announce your action.
Rule No. 9-Keep Hollywooding in Hollywood. Sometimes while playing poker you are faced with decisions that may take more than your average allotment of time and it is perfectly acceptable to courteously inform the table that you may need a bit more time to come to your decision. But for normal, mundane decisions, please act as quickly as possible.
The only exception to this rule is in a tournament when you are down to the final few tables. In this situation if you are seated at the short handed table the blinds will hit you faster then is fair. This is the only time I recommend playing slower than average.
Rule No. 10-Don't Educate a Player. No matter how bad you feel when someone sucks out on you, do not educate or berate novice or poor players.
The real winning player will smile, knock the table, and wait for a time to extract sweet revenge.
We all made our mistakes in the school of hard knocks, so why pass on valuable knowledge to someone who maybe has gotten lucky a time or two but has the capability to fund our bankroll? If you educate a novice, guess what? He will no longer be a novice!
Thanks again for joining me this time. I am Oklahoma Sarah and I always Stay Lucky!
You may contact Sarah and OK-J at Oklajohnny@aol.com. Visit Oklahoma Sarah and Oklahoma Johnny at their website-www.ok-j.com.
