Dealing at Poker Is Not as Easy as You Think:

“When I’m right, no one remembers. When I’m wrong, no one forgets.” This is a saying that is particularly apt when applied to professional dealers at live poker games.

Like referees and other sports officials, you know that your dealer has been effective by the fact that you did not even think of him during the game. He or she is simply a (mostly) quiet entity at the table, efficiently dealing out cards, and moving the button smoothly from player to player – and yet firm and definite when questions are raised or when the players start getting loose with their talk.

If you are thinking of trying to be like these professionals during your next game with friends, here are some tips on how to deal like a pro.

Preliminary Moves

Before you even pick up the cards, you must be mentally prepared for play. A poker dealer has a set of rules and etiquette that he must strictly follow during the game. Among these are keeping control of the players and the game, especially when tempers are running high, limiting trash talking both during the game and when the hands are being dealt, straightening out betting issues and concerns, etc.

More importantly, you must be mentally prepared to speed up the game – something that professional dealers learn to do through various tricks of the trade such as dealing out the cards in a row rather than pitching cards to each player and announcing the number of players still in the hand before dealing cards for the flop, as well as for the turn and the river.

The Shuffle

Shuffling the poker deck is not done in your usual manner, which risks exposing the cards to the players. The most common approach is to spread the cards down in front of you. Then, make huge circular motions (as if you’re applying wax on something) for a few seconds. After that, you can bring the cards together.

The Cut

Before you deal, you must have the deck ‘cut’ by the person to your left. The player can just tap the deck as a signal for you to proceed with dealing the cards. Otherwise, he or she will pick several cards off the top and place them face down beside the deck. Once done, your job will be to place the other cards on top of the “cut” cards, and start dealing

The Deal

Dealing the cards is done in the usual manner, except if you feel it is more comfortable (and faster) to deal the cards in a row in front of you before distributing it in ready piles. As always, start with the left-hand player and deal one card at a time until all players have their allotted number of cards.

Once the dealing is done, your primary responsibility is over while the players place their bets or fold. You may be called on to deal again, depending on the game, but your role is technically over until the hand is done and the cycle begins again – or there are disputes or questions that you will have to deal with.

Next time you’re at a poker table, pay a little more attention to your dealer. His job isn’t as easy as you always thought it to be.