The Dealer Button
The dealer button is a graphical representation ("D") of which
player is the "dealer." Although our dealer will be dealing the
game, the player who has the button placed in front of his seat
gets to play his cards as if he were the actual dealer. When the
cards are dealt to players, they are dealt in a manner as if the
player was actually dealing in a live environment.
Blinds
Because we have a player "on the button" we now ask two players
to post the large and small blinds. The purpose of the blinds is to
put forced money into the pot that gives players an incentive to
enter the hand. However, only two players will post the blinds.
The first blind is called the "small blind". This bet is usually
half the minimum bet of the game, although in some games, the
fraction is slightly different. So, in a $2-4 game the small blind
will be $1.
The second blind is called the "big blind" and is always the
same size as the game's minimum bet, e.g., in a $2-4 game, the big
blind is $2.
The player directly to the left of the button will have the
"small blind". The player directly to the left of the small blind
will have the "large blind" of the full amount or the lowest game
limit.
Opening Deal
Now that we have a Button and small and big blinds, we are ready
to deal. The dealer always deals from the player closest to the
dealer's left. Moving clockwise around the table, the game will
"deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt five cards face
down. A round of betting will occur starting with the player seated
to the left of the big blind.
Betting on Opening Deal
The player seated to the left of the big blind will always have
the action on the opening deal. This player may not check, but
rather can only fold, call, or raise.
The game will now advance to each player seated asking to fold,
call, or raise until we reach the big blind for an action decision.
If no one has raised by the time the play comes back around to the
big blind, the big blind has the option to "check" his own BLIND
wager or raise.
Once all players have completed the first round of wagering,
they will proceed to discarding cards and drawing new cards.
Discarding Cards
After the first betting round each player is asked to discard
and draw from zero to five cards. This is done by clicking the
cards that the player wants to discard. These cards will be shaded
and slightly raised to indicate that they have been selected. Once
the player is satisfied with the selections made, cards are
discarded and drawn by clicking the DISCARD button.
A player may chose not to discard any cards. This is done by
clicking the STAND PAT button. Standing pat means no cards will be
discarded and drawn.
When all players have discarded and drawn cards, the second
betting round starts.
Second Round Betting
The second betting round starts with the first player seated to
the left of the dealer button. The options available to this player
is to fold, check or bet. Should the player fold or check, the next
player in turn will have the same options as the first player. If
the first player bets, the next player to act will have the option
of folding, calling or raising. Before a player acts, the number of
discarded cards for that player is displayed to everyone. The rules
state that this information should be available until there has
been action after the draw.
In fixed limit games there is a maximum of four bets allowed in
each betting round. A bet, a raise, a re-raise and a cap. A cap is
the third raise in a betting round, after which no more betting is
allowed. Pot limit and No limit games allow for an unlimited number
of bets and raises.
After the second betting round is finished, the showdown
follows.
Who shows first?
The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown
first will lie with the player who had initiated the action or with
the person who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This
simply means that whoever had the last action must show his/her
cards first.
Suppose a Player wins by default?
A player who has a winning hand does not have to show his/her
cards if his/her bet was not called. Do Players have to show their
Cards if they call a bet on the Last Betting Round?
Players are not required to show their cards if, and only if,
they are not the player who had the last action. If a player calls
a bet and sees that he/she cannot win, he/she may fold his/her
cards.
Who wins?
In our poker room, as with all, "cards speak." The winner will
be decided based on the universal poker hand rankings.
Five Card Draw Blind Rules
All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are
allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the
small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next
deal of any game. If in the event we have a new player to the game,
then three (3) actions will occur.
Missed Blinds - Rules and Procedures
Missed big blind. If a player misses the big blind for any
reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the sum of
all blinds are made up. The game will place an "ML" button in that
seat to declare the missed big blind. The game will ask the next
active player to the left to post the big blind for the hand. If
the missed player returns to the game before the big blind comes
back to his/her seat, the player is required to make up the sum of
all blinds, "Post all." The small blind portion is dead and must be
put into the pot before the hand is dealt. However, a player may
avoid posting dead by waiting for the big blind to arrive at
his/her seat naturally.
Missed small blind. If a player misses the small blind for any
reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the small
blind is made up. The game will place an "MS" button in that seat
to declare the missed small blind. The game will ask the next
active player to the left of the big blind to post a big blind for
the hand as well. The original big blind player will "catch a
break" and get the button on the next hand. The player who had
missed the small blind cannot return until after the button has
passed. If the missed player returns to the game before the big
blind comes back to his/her seat, the player is required make up
the small blind. The small blind is dead and must be put into the
pot before the hand is dealt. However, a player may avoid posting
dead by waiting for the big blind to arrive at his/her seat
naturally.