How to Follow Poker Etiquette

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Updated: June 5, 2019 | References

Poker is a classic card game that has many rules of etiquette that help to keep the game fair and flowing smoothly. Some of the rules of etiquette are obvious but some may not be familiar to you if you’re a newer player. Generally, keeping a poker game in order is the job of the dealer, but the players can also help keep the game orderly and amicable by following a few simple rules while placing your bets and playing a hand.

Method One of Three:
Being Respectful During a Game

  1. 1
    Avoid talking during other player’s turns. As the action moves from player to player around the table, be courteous and refrain from talking while another player considers their options and makes their play. Talking can also reveal a weakness that another player could exploit.[1]
    • Poker is meant to be fun, too. You don’t have to stay quiet the whole time, but be polite and allow another player to make their decisions without distractions.
  2. 2
    Refrain from trying to influence the actions of other players. Don’t criticize another player’s decisions or tell them what you would have done differently in a round. If you’re playing poker at a casino, that means people’s real money is being won and lost and tempers can flare if you try to tell a player what they should do with their money.[2]
    • Even if you’re not playing at a casino, it’s rude to try to influence another player’s actions.
  3. 3
    Keep your cool if you lose a round. Poker can have many intense and high stakes moments during a game. You may feel confident that you have a winning hand and will place a larger bet only to have another player defeat you with a better hand. If that happens, stay calm and polite. You would want another player to do the same if you were in their position.[3]
    • That also means you should avoid bragging or taunting if you win a hand.
    • Keep a good poker face to avoid revealing anything to the other players at the table.
  4. 4
    Pay attention at all times so you know when it’s your turn. As the action of the game goes around the table in a clockwise direction, pay attention to the bets, calls, and checks. Sometimes, other players will not vocalize their actions, so you need to pay attention to know what’s going on. It’s impolite to keep other players waiting and it makes it look like you don’t know what you’re doing.[4]
    • For example, a player may “check,” which means they will skip their turn and come back to it, by tapping the table.
  5. 5
    Tip the dealer when you win a good pot. If you’re playing at a casino, it’s not mandatory, but it is customary to give the dealer a small tip when you win a decent pot. Tipping a small chip or two is a way to thank the dealer for doing his job well and professionally.[5]

    Tip: Quietly hand the dealer a small chip as a tip, don’t make a large show of it because that’s considered impolite.


Method Two of Three:
Placing Your Bets Properly

  1. 1
    Wait your turn to place a bet or fold your cards. Bets are placed one player at a time, clockwise around the poker table. Make sure you place your bet or fold your cards when it’s your turn to do so. Acting out of turn is disrespectful to the other players at the table and it can give a player an unfair advantage.[6]
    • For example, if a player folds out of turn it can tell another player that it will be easier for them to bluff, which isn’t fair to the other players at the table.
  2. 2
    Sort your chips into easily identifiable piles. It’s both courteous and advantageous for you to keep your stacks chip stack easy to identify for the other players and the dealer because it makes it easier for you and other players to estimate how much you have left on the table, which is important to know when you’re considering your bets.[7]
    • Don’t block your chip stack with your hands and don’t take any chips off of the table to reduce the amount you have in your stack.
    • Keep your chip stack in your area, don’t let them mingle with the chips of the players next to you.
  3. 3
    Say “raise” when you intend to raise the bet. To make the dealer and all of the players at the table aware that you intend to raise, verbally say it so there isn’t any confusion and you can’t be accused of anything improper. You can say something like, “I’ll raise,” or “I’d like to raise.”[8]

    Tip:Don’t say something like, “I’ll call your $20, and I’ll raise you $50,” because those are 2 actions. Instead either call and match the $20 or raise the bet to $50.

  4. 4
    Set your chips in front of you on the table when you place your bet. Tossing or throwing your chips into the pot, or the pile of chips that are being bet that hand, is known as “splashing the pot,” and it makes it harder for the dealer and the other players at the table to tell if you bet the right amount. The correct way to make your bet is to place the stack of chips directly in front of you on the table.[9]
    • At a casino, the dealer may have to stop the game to count all of the chips if you splash the pot and you could be asked to leave the table.
  5. 5
    Move your entire bet amount into the pot in one forward motion. When you bet or raise, place the correct amount of chips in the pot at one time. A “string” bet is an illegal play that happens when a player places less than the full raise amount in the pot and then takes more chips from his stack to add to the pot in another motion. Use 1 motion to move your bet into the pot to avoid being accused of string betting.[10]

Method Three of Three:
Following Etiquette When Playing a Hand

  1. 1
    Refrain from discussing your hand during a round. In addition to being respectful to the dealer and the other players at the table, never discuss or say anything that could influence the action of a hand. That means don’t verbally react to another player’s action, don’t announce things about the current hand, and don’t discuss the hand in any way with another player at the table.[11]
    • Don’t tell or show other players at the table what your cards were if you fold. That could influence the play of that round!
    • Discussing your cards or another player’s cards at the table in a casino could easily get you removed from the table by the dealer.
  2. 2
    Act on your hand quickly. Many starting hands in poker are “folded” or thrown away, which means that a lot of the time you spend at the poker table is spent watching. You want the other players to play quickly so you can get back into the next round, so you need to do the same thing. Whenever it’s your turn, you should act as quickly as you can to keep the play moving.[12]

    Tip: If you need some extra time to consider your options, tell the dealer and other players something like, “Time, please.” This will let everyone know that you just need a moment to weigh your options.

  3. 3
    Keep your cards on the table in front of you. Most casinos prohibit removing cards from the table, but even if you’re playing at home, it’s important to keep your cards in front of you so a player sitting next to you can’t see them and so the dealer knows that you’ve received your cards and are still playing that round.[13]
    • It helps to avoid confusion at the table if everyone who is still actively playing a round keeps their cards in front of them.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left


About This Article

Co-Authored By:
wikiHow Staff Editor
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 5
Updated: June 5, 2019
Views: 4,201
Categories: Poker

Did this article help you?