congdephacevibto.netlify.com

There are different ways to shuffle, but a poker shuffle will typically consist of two riffles, a box, another riffle, and a cut. A riffle refers to splitting the cards in half and mixing them together by placing the corners of the cards in each half against each other and letting the cards go so they intermix. At a live casino or poker room the maximum and minimum amounts a player can be in for will be in relation to the blinds. For example in a $1/$2 game the table minimum is usually $40 (20x the big blind) and the maximum is $200 (100x the big blind). Related Reading: 14 Essential Tips for Your First Time Playing Poker in a Casino.

If you’ve never dealt in a home poker game before, there are certain rules of etiquette that you should know about beforehand.

The first thing is that, unless you’re using plastic cards (like the expensive Kem cards I recommend buying), you should break out a new deck of cards to deal with. If you’re hosting, that’s up to you. If you’re not, you’re probably not going to deal first.

But either way, the first thing you do with that deck of cards is shuffle it. You need to shuffle it seven times to get it fully randomized.

There’s always a shuffled deck ready. Use one red deck and one blue deck so the cards never get mixed up.

Once you’ve shuffled that first deck of cards, you deal each player a card.

Just one at a time until the dealer is chosen.

This is to determine who gets to be the dealer first.

You get to decide what determines the dealer – you might decide that the first player to get an ace is the dealer. It could be the jack or any other card you like. Just make sure you announce it as you’re dealing the cards one by one, face-up.

Dealing Poker Cards

Dealing continues from here as the game starts. The rest of this post will go into detail on how to be the dealer in your home poker game.

Dealer’s Choice

It used to be common to have dealer’s choice as the presiding rule at a home poker game. This just means that the dealer gets to decide which game is going to be played.

It’s more common now to host a Texas holdem game or an Omaha game, but I still like to host a home game with dealer’s choice.

If you’re the dealer, don’t spend a lot of time agonizing over choosing the game you think will give you an edge over the other players. Just announce something basic and get on with it. The worst thing you can do at a home poker game is to slow down the game for any reason.

You’re in Charge

In most dealer’s choice games, the dealer’s in charge. In fact, for the most part, the dealer’s in charge of most games and makes most of the judgment calls about various things. Recently, I was dealing a game, and someone else decided to step in to tell another player something.

I corrected him plenty quick, by the way.

“I got this,” I told him.

You do need to pay attention to how many players are at the table before announcing the game.

If you have any special rules, you need to announce and explain those, too. You might have been playing baseball (a variant of 7-card stud) since you were ten years old, but you can’t assume the other players know how to play that game.

It’s your job to explain it if they don’t.

That’s one of the reasons I suggest sticking with the basic games. Poker’s plenty of fun without coming up with a dozen variant rules for everyone to keep up with.

When you deal a poker game, you should always offer to let the player to your right (or your left, under some house rules) the opportunity to cut the cards. He should cut the deck toward you, although he can choose not to cut the deck if he wants to.

In the event of a misdeal, the dealer gets to make the judgment call, but you can expect input from the players. A lot of home poker games have specific rules in place for misdeals, too.

Dealing With Style

I suggest keeping it simple and just doing the basics – deal the cards one at a time to each player. Don’t turn them face-up unless they’re supposed to be face-up. Take your time to avoid a misdeal.

Some poker dealers love to spout off patter as they deal, and they have nicknames for all the face-up cards. Other dealers just blandly announce the cards as they’re dealt – ace of spades, queen of hearts, etc. Still, other dealers just keep their mouths shut.

It’s also customary to announce possible hands when you see face-up cards. “Possible flush” might be something you’d announce when dealing.

They’re also supposed to make sure that the players betting put their money in the pot, and they administer side pots when they come up. You also need to make sure that the discards get handled correctly. Remember, they go in the muck.

You can even learn sleight-of-hand tricks to deal with even more style. I know a card player who only uses one hand to deal. He uses the same hand he’s holding the deck with to distribute the cards.

That takes some practice.

The Final Deal

Eventually, someone – usually the host – will announce that you’re only going to play a certain number of more hands before calling it a night.

If you’re dealing the last hand, you should think about dealing a game that’s cool enough to make for a memorable final hand.

Often, this involves coming up with a game where you can get a lot of money into action. You might announce that the ante for the final hand is double, and bet sizes are double, too.

Or you might announce a game that just builds large pots by its very nature.

The Cards Talk

“Cards speak” is the standard rule in any home poker game. This just means that the cards are what determines who has the best hand, NOT what the player announces.

If a player has a straight flush, but he just announces a straight, his straight flush still plays.

It’s your job as the dealer to recognize the hands and point out who the actual winner is if someone is confused about the strength of his hand.

Some Hosting Advice

Poker Dealing Schools

Being the host isn’t the same thing as being the dealer, but here are some tips for the host nonetheless:

You’re looking for five to seven players usually, and you should tell them in advance when the game starts, where you’re playing, and what the stakes are.

Traditionally, at my home game, I serve frozen pizza and little smokies sausages in barbecue sauce. I usually have some cheese cubes and crackers available, too. I’ve played in other games where beer was served and hot sandwiches in a crockpot, like meatballs or barbecue.

I usually tell people to buy in for at least $50 and bring an extra $5 to apply toward snacks. With seven players on hand, that’s $35 to budget for snacks. Heck, with that kind of money, you can even buy soda pop.

Poker Dealing Tips And Tricks

There’s no shame in asking people to bring a dish to share, either.

Blackjack Dealing Tips

When Should Your Game Be?

The best night to host a home poker game is Thursday night. Here’s why:

On Monday, you’re recovering from both the first day of the workweek AND from the weekend. So are the other players.

If you play on Tuesday, you don’t have anything to look forward to later in the week.

Wednesday are reserved for church for some poker players – believe it or not.

Thursday is the best day. It’s late enough in the week for people to be ready to do something fun. Also, most people get paid on Friday. So, even if they lose money, they’ll get more money the next day.

Friday is okay, but a lot of people go out on dates on Friday night. This limits the number of players who will show up.

You should host your game at a regular time and a place every week if you want it to become successful.

Conclusion

Dealing and hosting a home poker game is more involved than some people think. I’ve covered what I think are the most important basics above.

But I also know that a lot of people do it differently.

What changes would you make to this guide to dealing a home poker game based on how you do it in your home game?

Let me know in the comments.

Many people have difficulty shuffling playing cards, and this can be problematic when playing at a table without a professional dealer – such as in home games or self dealt games (where each player takes it in turn to shuffle and deal). The solution to this problem is to get a pack of playing cards and learn how to shuffle – which is the objective of these card shuffling tutorials.

Over the years I’ve sat next to lots of players who say “I can’t shuffle” or “excuse my poor shuffling”. If they’re really bad then someone usually offers to shuffle for them, for which they’re usually grateful. If you fall into this minority of poker players then now is the time to learn. You probably can’t shuffle because you’ve never been taught the correct techniques. While you may think shuffling cards looks hard or complicated, it’s actually fairly easy. It’s similar to when you learn how to play poker, i.e. understanding the correct techniques, and then practicing. Repetition is the key to success!

6 Card Shuffling Tutorials

There are many different ways to shuffle a deck of cards. For these card shuffling tutorials I’ll be covering the following methods:

• The Overhand Shuffle – This is the shuffle used by most people. A good simple, lazy, sloppy shuffle.
• The Hindu Shuffle – A simple, quick and very elegant shuffle. One of my personal favourites.
• The Weave Shuffle – A very simple shuffle to perform and for those yet to master the riffle shuffle.
• The Riffle Shuffle – This is a great way to shuffle cards and not as difficult as it looks.
• The Table Riffle Shuffle – This is easier than the in the hands riffle shuffle, yet just as effective and elegant.
• The Strip Shuffle – Also known as running cuts and is a great finish for the table riffle shuffle.

The Overhand Shuffle

The overhand shuffle is the shuffling technique most employed by beginners so this is where we’ll start. The standard overhand shuffle is a simple way to shuffle cards. It is a very open, casual, somewhat sloppy shuffle, in contrast to the more elegant riffle shuffle and table shuffle which will be explained later.

The Handling

1. Hold the deck by the sides so that the deck is on its edge.
2. The fingers of the right hand rest lightly against the back of the deck, thumb on top.
3. The left hand grips the deck and lifts off as the thumb holds a few cards back
4. The thumb moves out of the way as the left hand comes back down.
5. The thumb then takes a few more cards.
6. As the left hand again moves up
7. This action is repeated several times
8. The deck is finally squared up.

Important Points / Tips

• The important point with this shuffle is to have a light touch.
• You may also like to curl the index finger of the right hand around the deck to offer extra support.
• If you find the thumb is taking too many cards in big groups or it is only taking single cards then don’t worry about this, with further practise you will get the balance right.
• Instead of using the thumb to pull the cards off, you can just use the other hand to throw the cards down. Some people find this easier to do and a more natural action.

Once you have the basic rules of poker understood, it’s time to start building a powerful strategy. See how our friends at Red Chip Poker built the perfect course to give you the perfect playbook…

The Hindu Shuffle

I don’t know why this is called the Hindu shuffle, but my guess is that it originates from India. I have seen lots of Asian people shuffle cards using this technique. There is a similar shuffle called the Arab Shuffle, but I prefer this handling. The shuffle is very simple and quite easy to perform. Once you have the hang of this shuffle I’m sure you’ll use it all the time.

The Handling

1. Hold the deck by the end with the thumb and middle finger. The index finger can rest lightly on top for more support.
2. Here is an image from below.
3. The right hand comes underneath the deck. The thumb, middle and ring finger touch the side of the deck. The index finger stays out in front.
4. The right hand lightly takes packets of cards from the top of the deck.
5. The removed cards fall onto the palm of the right hand. The index finger stops the cards from flying forward.
6. The right hand goes beneath the deck once more and removes another packet.
7. This action is repeated several times until there are only a few cards left. These are placed ontop of the deck, which is then squared.
8. An image from behind to show you the correct technique.

Important Points / Tips

• The key to this shuffle is to form a trap with the fingers so that the cards fall neatly into the palm. The index finger is especially important as it will stop the cards from flying everywhere.
• The index finger of the other hand can go where you like. I usually keep it well out of the way.
• It is up to you about how many packets you glide off the top. I usually drag about ten packets then repeat the shuffle again.
• Don’t go too fast at first, unless you want to perform the 52 card pick up trick!

The Weave Shuffle

To be honest I rarely use this shuffle as I prefer the riffle shuffle, which is much quicker. However this is a very easy shuffle and is ideal for people who have yet to master the riffle shuffle. It’s easy yet it does a good job of mixing the cards.

The Handling

1. Hold the cards by the edge and using the thumb seperate about half the cards.
2. Align the upper pack of cards against the lower pack.
3. Weave the cards together by the edges.
4. Push the cards together by about an inch or so.
5. Bend the cards with the palm of the left hand and then release the pressure.
6. Square the cards up.

Important Points / Tips

• Don’t be too rough with the cards. This shuffle can damage the cards when performed badly. Use a light touch and you will find the cards will weave together more easily.
• It’s also easier if you weave the corners together rather than the whole sides.
• You do not have to perform the cascade finish with this shuffle. The other option is to just push the two packets together and square the deck.

The Riffle Shuffle (in the hands)

This is a great way to shuffle cards. While this shuffle looks impressive, it’s actually far easier than you might think. Yes, I’ll admit it does take some getting used to, but once you have a feel for the cards it’ll be second nature.

The Handling

1. The start position is this. The thumb of the left hand goes on the top edge. The middle and ring fingers support the bottom edge. The little finger can be placed on the back edge and the first finger can either go on the front edge or bent ontop of the deck to lend support.
2. The thumb now riffles have the deck away. The first finger can lend support here by bending in behind (i.e. on top of the deck).
3. The riffled packet can now fall onto the the middle and ring fingers of the right hand. The index finger of the right hand should come to the front edge and the little finger on the other edge.
4. Both packets should now be firmly gripped in the position shown. The use of the index and little fingers should lend support here.
5. As you can see in this picture, the fingers are supporting the deck with the two thumbs on the top edge of the deck.
6. The hands are turned over whilst keeping a good grip of the cards. Because of the solid grip, the cards should not fall.
7. The thumbs now riffle the deck together. The thumbs should just move slowly up the edge of the cards. The cards will riffle together.
8. The solid grip of the cards supports them as they riffle together. Some people are in the habit of using their knee or a table. With a solid grip it isn’t necessary.
9. The cards should now shuffled together an inch or so. You can either push the two packets together and square up….or…
10. You can perform the cascade finish. Simply bend the cards whilst keeping your thumbs on the top. This will stop them from going everywhere.
11. Now just gently release the pressure from your thumbs and the cards should cascade.
12. Square up the deck and shuffle again if necessary.

Important Points / Tips

• Some people are in the habit of doing this against their knee or against the table. It is not really necessary to do that as long as you’ve got a good grip on the cards.
• If you’re having trouble getting the cards to shuffle together then just experiment with the distance between the cards and the position of your hands.
• You do not have to perform the cascade finish with this shuffle. You can just push the two packs together. However the cascade finish looks really nice and it’s the easiest part of the shuffle. It is basically self working.

The Table Riffle Shuffle

This is a simple shuffle which you will see performed at the casinos or poker rooms. The reason this shuffle is used is because it is very effective and it is impossible (depending on the dealer) for the players to see exposed cards. The previous shuffles often give other players a chance to glimpse at the bottom card.

The Handling

1. Start by lifting off about half the deck with the right thumb.
2. Move the packet over to the right and hold each packet with the thumbs placed on the inside edge, index fingers lightly on top, and the remaining fingers at the corners of the front edge.
3. The thumbs now lift up the edges of each packet. This is supported by applying pressure with the index fingers of each hand.
4. The corner edges of the two packets should be nearly touching as the thumbs now riffle up the edges of each packet
5. The cards should now be shuffled neatly into each other.
6. Push the two packets together.
7. Square up the pack and repeat the shuffle if necessary.
8. Here is an image of the closed shuffle, see below for more info.

Important Points / Tips

• This shuffle can be done in several ways. It can be done open or closed. What I mean by open or closed is the way you position your hands. I prefer the open style because it is handled in a more open manner. If you look at dealers in a casino or poker room then you’ll see that they often use the closed method. This method is sometimes called the dovetail shuffle.
• I’d suggest experimenting and see which method you prefer.

The Strip Shuffle (or Running Cuts)

This is a very nice casino type action and an ideal shuffle to combine with the riffle table shuffle. It can be quite tricky to get used to the handling, but definetly worth the effort.

The Handling

1. Place the deck on the table and place the thumbs of each hand on the back edge, fingers at the front.
2. The right thumb grips a small packet from the top of the deck whilst the left hand removes the rest of the packet by moving out and forward.
3. The left hand brings the packet back on top of the smaller packet and the right index finger lifts up out of the way.
4. The packets are not aligned together. The left hand packet should be jogged slightly to the left whilst keeping a grip on these cards.
5. The right index finger then clips another small packet which fall ontop of the previous packet as the left hand moves away again.
6. The left hand packet comes back on top again as before and the right index finger clips more cards from the top.
7. The cards move away again and the small packet drops onto the cards below. This sequence continues.
8. Until all the cards have been stripped and the deck is squared.

Important Points / Tips

• Start by doing this shuffle very slowly. You can then speed it up once you’ve got the hang of it.
• You will often find that cards pop out of the deck when they shouldn’t. Don’t worry about this. Just square the cards up quickly and carry on.
• The key to this shuffle is the clipping of the cards by the index finger.

By Tim Ryerson

Tim is from London, England and has been playing poker since the late 1990’s. He is the ‘Editor-in-Chief’ at Pokerology.com and is responsible for all the content on the website.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.