How To Deal Poker

If you know how to deal poker, you know how to have an evening filled with friends, beer (most likely) and a cigar or two. Poker parties are a great way to unwind after a hard week at school or at work and learning how to deal poker will put you in demand for those parties. Dealing poker is actually pretty easy if you know just a few basic concepts.

1. A good poker dealer will control the play at the table. Dealing poker is not just about sending cards flying around the table but a good poker dealer will direct the action and keep the money flowing.
2. Learn how to call the card hands. You can't deal poker if you don't know the basic card hands as it's your job as dealer to announce the possible hands. For example, if you're playing seven card stud and a player has four diamonds up, you need to call 'possible flush' to the table. You also need to know who has the high hand at the moment as that's the poker play who will start the bid.
3. You can't deal poker if you can't shuffle and cut the cards. It is vitally important that the cards are adequately shuffled in between hands so that hands are not repeated. Learn to shuffle by holding half of the deck in each hand, put the knuckle of your index finger in the middle of each pack, and flex your thumb. The cards should intertwine. Shuffle at least five or six times between each hand. Offer the cut to the player to your right. After they cut the deck, place the bottom section on the top and start your deal.
4. Start dealing poker by first dealing a card to the player to your left. Poker deals always go in a clockwise fashion. Deal one card to each player at a time. Depending on the game, you might stop at one or two cards before betting starts or you could deal five cards to each player before bets start, as is the case with five card draw.

Tip: Another important job of the poker dealer is to monitor the pot and make sure that all bets are right. Go easy on the beer as it will be much easier to follow the action (and catch cheaters) if you're sober.