Table Manners
Its almost inevitable; a new player plops down at a table of a poker game he has never taken part of before and immediately begins to anger the table with his erratic and unacceptable behavior. You have probably seen someone make a fool of themselves on television in a poker game. You may sit at home and laugh, but if you’re not careful the table troll could end up being you.
Having proper manners is an important part of every game and poker is no exception. There are unspoken, and spoken, rules which must be followed at all costs. If you don’t think you can follow these rules, you would be better off not playing poker in casinos and sticking to home games. Big venues take poker seriously and will escort you outside if you show signs of causing trouble.
For starters, you must never act out of turn. If you look at your hand and decide immediately it is fold-worthy, DO NOT throw the cards into the muck unless it is your turn to act. How people play hands is an important part of strategy in the game, and folding out of turn can cause a player who would have folded to stay in a hand. This rule applies to betting and checking as well. Wait until the dealer looks at you or until the person ahead of you acts. It is not a very complicated rule.
Another guideline to always follow is to avoid talking about your hand. Say you fold a seven and a king. Don’t announce to the table what your hand was and why you folded it before the hand is over. A player still in the hand may be looking for a seven or a king, and the knowledge you give him may change his game plan. Keep your mouth shut about folded hands, it is never good to give free information like what hands you fold anyways, and you’ll do fine.
As a final recommendation, try not to insult or personally attack any fellow poker player. You’ve seen how big of fools the arrogant players look on television. Don’t be that guy. Play the game like a gentlemen, or a gentlewomen.
Follow these simple standards and you should be fine on most poker tables. We’ll go into advanced table manners in the future at some point.
Filed under: Beginners
