Texas Holdem Poker Etiquette Continued

Some more things to keep you popular and polite while playing texas holdem.

  • Keep an eye on the action. Know when its your turn to act and don't act out of turn. Don't get distracted and make other players wait on you and be quick with calls you don't have to think about.
  • Make sure not to splash the pot. The reason that players aren't supposed to is because you could potentially toss in fewer chips. Other players at the table don't want to worry about that. The best way to present a bet is in a neat stack in front of you.
  • If you decide to show your cards even though everyone else folded, make sure to show everybody at the table. If you show just one player your cards, anyone else at the table has the right to see them too. Might as well not give them the satisfaction of invoking this rule anyway.
  • If you are still in a hand, make sure that your cards in front of you are visible to all other players. If they aren't visible, another player may accidentally act out of turn not realizing you are still in the hand.
  • Post your blinds and/or antes promptly and don't make people have to remind you. It slows down the game.
  • In a ring game, don't switch seats too often. Once per session is plenty. Constantly trying to gain some sort of postional advantage over incoming players isn't worth it. Neither is switching seats over and over in an effort to eventually get to your favorite seat at the table.
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  • Tip the dealer. Even very small pots warrant a small tip. The exception is the "no flop, no rake, no tip" rule, which is accepted by dealers
  • You shouldn't use profanity. At certain tables, you know it's okay to cut loose a little bit, but you should never drop the F bomb.
  • If you're at a table that allows smoking, it is still a good idea to ask your neighbors if it would bother them if you smoked.
  • Don't play around with the dealer button. It needs to be visible and clearly in front of a player at all times, so putting your hands on it or moving it is a bad idea.
  • Don't play while drunk. Nothing is worse than sitting next to a drunk player who bumps into you, spills drinks, knocks over chips, forgets when it's his action, etc. It just plain ruins the game.
  • If you have a cough, don't cough into your hand. Cough into your shoulder. Everybody is going to touch the same cards and chips, so coughing into your hand is just as bad as coughing on the other players' hands.
  • Do not string bet.

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