A poker game starts when the dealer shuffles the cards and hands them out to the participants. In normal ‘house’ poker the right to deal rotates around the table. In poker played at a casino, the dealer is an employee who controls the game.

In house poker the dealer is given a white chip or marker so each player knows he or she is the one in control at that time. The chip is rotated clockwise for two reasons. First it determines who the next dealer is and second it indicates the order of betting.

The dealer first shuffles the cards and the person on his immediate right cuts them. The dealer then deals the appropriate number of cards starting with the person on his left.

Depending on the house rule, cards may be dealt face up or face down.

Once the hands have been dealt the betting begins. Each player places an initial bet called an ante. Incidentally, bets are made by placing a certain amount of chips towards the centre of the table. This is called a pot or kitty.

Occasionally, a player sitting on the left of the dealer may place a bet before the hands are dealt. This is called a blind or blind bet.

What a player bets will be determined by the hand that the player has been dealt. The higher the ranking a player has the more chance he has of winning the round.

At the end of the round, the player with the best hand wins the pot.

Apr 23 2010