Poker is a popular card game that has several varieties. The dealer hands out cards to the players and watches their actions at the poker table. To become a good dealer in poker, you need to develop special skills and characteristics. They will help you both when playing poker with friends and when finding a job as a professional poker dealer. The dealer must be able to hand out cards correctly, have special skills and know the intricacies of several types of game.
Handing out Cards
Drag the deck. Masking causes the cards to be mixed to get the most unpredictable distribution of cards in the deck. Without shuffling cards, some players may be able to predict the exact appearance of cards, giving them an unacceptable advantage. There are several shuffling techniques. Shuffling of cards in poker usually consists of a fluted shuffle, boxing and a shuffle cut.
- During a corrugated shuffle, the dealer divides the deck in half, takes each half in one hand and mixes it by placing the card corners of each half against each other and then letting go of the cards to mix them.
- Boxing – the dealer takes the top quarter of the deck and puts it on the table. Then he takes the next quarter and puts it on top of the first one, and then repeats the same thing with the remaining deck.
- Trimming shuffle – the dealer puts the deck on the table and asks another player to divide it into two parts. Then the lower part of the deck is placed on the upper one.
- Watch the shuffle tutorial videos on YouTube if you want to learn different shuffle techniques. Some types of shuffling, like Indian and fluted shuffling on the table, are known to look more elegant than others.
Give cards to players. There are two main styles of handing: American and European. Change your style depending on the mood or types of players.
- In American Style, the dealer holds the deck with one hand, pressing the front right corner of the card with his thumb and index finger, then swinging the cards to the players.
- In European style, the dealer only touches the top card and shifts it to the left, then resets the card to the player, sometimes twisting it.
“Burn” and flip the card. If you play a type of poker such as Texas Hold’em, where players have open cards, the top cards must be “burned” or dropped. The dealer must also flip the fourth of the five cards he has given to the players. Players can then use this card to form their ready hand (a “hand” is a combination of cards of the player).
Keep an eye on the pot. The dealer monitors the size of the player’s bets and rakes, as well as the size of the side banks. Use a special online calculator such as PokerListings to keep track of the size of the side banks. Read out your players’ hands and at the end move the winning pot to the winner.
Dealer characteristics development
Practice a lot. Stuffing a deck, handing out cards to players and monitoring the size of the pot are skills that can be developed by constantly performing them. Practise at home before playing with a deck of cards to improve your accuracy and dexterity.
Be a professional. Players want to have a good time. For the dealer, this means keeping a positive mood, exercising restraint and keeping quiet throughout the game. He must also answer players’ questions and solve problems. The dealer must have good communication and customer service skills (with the players). A good dealer must be able to communicate with players as well as with casino staff.
Familiarize yourself with the varieties of poker. There are many different ways to play poker, so check out the rules of each of them. The most popular varieties of poker are Texas Hold’em, five and seven card stacks and five card drops. Read and watch the tutorial videos on various websites (TruePokerDealer) to learn how to play this or that variety of poker.
Card Distribution in Texas Hold’em
Give each player two shirt top cards. The player on the Small Blind should get the first card. This will be the player to your left. He must bet half of the full bet for this round.
Keep an eye out for bets made on the preflop. Watch how each player makes a Raise (will raise a large blind or more), Call (will confirm the current bet) or Fold (will save and reset cards). Players take action in a clockwise direction. Bets will continue until each player resets his cards, chips or levels his bet against other players’ bets.
Hand out the Flop. After each player has paid a blind or ante as required by the rules you are playing, give three cards with your shirt down. These cards will be shared by all players. After that the second stage of the bidding will begin.
Give away one general map. In Texas Hold’em, combinations are made of hidden cards in the hands of the players and shared open cards. The first three cards are flop cards, and the next one is called a tern card. The third round of bidding will begin. Players will place their bets in a clockwise direction.
Give out the last common card. It’s called a “river”. After that, the fourth round of bidding will begin and the cards will be opened.
Tell the players to open their cards. The winner will be determined by the best hand of five cards: two of the player’s cards and five on the table.
Five-card hand
Give each player five cards. Distribute one card each with your shirt on top, starting on the left. Give one card each until all players have five cards.
- In this game each player is given a full hand, which remains hidden throughout the game. Players can improve cards by replacing them.
Place the remaining cards in the centre of the table. Put a chip or some other item on top of them so that they can be distinguished from other cards.
Get started with the bidding. At this stage players must be very careful not to show their cards to others.
Allow players to replace and discard cards. Each player can drop as many cards as he wants, and replace them with the same number of cards from the deck in the centre of the table. In the end, each player will have five cards.
Resume the bidding. If you have placed blinds (bets that only two players have paid before handing out their cards), the bets must start from the player on your left.
Tell the players to reveal their cards. This part is called a “showdown”. The player with the best five cards wins the pot.
Tip: Try not to reveal your cards while you are stirring them up.