Mechanics of the Game: Dealing
Sometimes even the simpliest of actions needs some explaining; consider the deal. Each (Hold’em) hand begins with the dealer giving each player two down cards, one at a time. The deal starts to the left of the button with the small blind and ends after two rounds with the dealer button.
Should a card be exposed during the deal, it is left on the table and replaced by the dealer after the final card has been dealt to the button. The dealer will then announced the exposed card as the “burn card.”
After all betting is done after the initial deal the dealer will burn a card (meaning the top card of the deck is placed facedown on the table) and the next three cards are flopped. Only in the case of an exposed card would the players know what the burn card was. Another round of betting, another burn and the turn card comes out. Same process: bet, burn and the river card.
The house dealer is responsible for the same dealing procedure to be followed each and every hand. Should any deviation happen for any reason then either the floor is called for a decision or the hand is dead.
The hand is declared dead and redealt if:
-Two cards are exposed by the dealer on the initial deal around the table;
-One of the first two cards to the blinds are exposed by the dealer;
-A player is missed in the deal or dealt a third card or only one card;
-The button was not moved or moved improperly and that action is noticed before any betting has taken place.
One final tip on dealing. Different rooms have different procedures for the dealer to follow, it is worthwhile when a playing a new room to watch the dealer the first round of play and familiarize yourself with the “house way.” Deviations from the proscribed procedure can result in a misdeal, which can be used to your advantage, if you notice it.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #33
