Good/Bad Dealer Habits?

[IslandHopper]

For any of you guys that play live on a regular/semi-regular basis, what dealer habits do you like to see and/or absolutely hate? I try to pattern my dealing after what I appreciate myself when I'm playing, but I know everybody prefers different things. Any good or bad habits that really stick out for anybody?

[pauld22]

I prefer when they get into the habit of pushing the pot to me.

Other than that I like a dealer who keeps the game moving and keeps the atmosphere light.

There's a dealer at my local casino that is so stiff and robotic, with the personality of a rock, I cringe when he rotates in. On top of it he's slow and he's always looking around the room like the guy who is looking for someone better to talk to. He constantly has to "catch up" to the hand in progress.

[Drock]

Card rooms or casino, just like the above. Keep the game moving and be alert.
Home game trya dn do the same (probably won't be as quick or proficient but that is to be expected). I absolutely hate ealry burn and turn (with cards facing down)... Just irks me...

[Scuba_Dave]

Too much Vitamin B

[Quads]

Speed of game.
No chit chat when play is happening.
Announce the action as it happens.
DON'T count the pot unless asked in a POT LIMIT game.
Don't fuck up the deal
Shuffle properly. riffle riffle, riffle, strip, riffle, cut, deal.
Count the deck down every orbit or so at the end of a hand. With 9 players at the end of the hand (once you deal the river) you should have 29 cards in the stub. When the action is progressing, count the stub down.
Push pots correctly.
In pot limit, don't bury the large chips.
In O8B, start splitting the pot on the flop if there is a low and high hand possible, same on the turn. Don't wait till the action is complete to split it. Two neat stacks to push when the hand is over.
Wash yo hands.
Clean yo fingernails.
Brush yo teef.
Keep the game moving along, but don't rush players when they need time.
Buy beers for your players once an orbit.
When a player is on a cooler, and asks for a deck change, tell them to shut the fuck up.

[Slev]

The thing that drives me crazy and always causes me to rip into the dealer (home or casino) is when you're all in and the dealer slowly rips off the river while looking at it (and some react to it). Turn the river the same way you always would a$$hole!!!!

[Wedge Rock]

I hate just about everything Detroitdad does with a deck of cards in his hand.

[Quads]

The thing that drives me crazy and always causes me to rip into the dealer (home or casino) is when you're all in and the dealer slowly rips off the river while looking at it (and some react to it). Turn the river the same way you always would a$$hole!!!!

Agreed.
Don't slow roll the board.

[Trann]

Something I've seen once or twice: dealers who try to fix a mistake on their own with an argumentative prick at the table.

When the table has reasonable people at it, the dealer's explanation of the mistake that has occurred and the steps taken to rectify it tend to be accepted by anyone who is aware of the rules and standards of fairness. Play resumes.

With That Guy, it just gets drawn out and loud and you end up calling the boss anyway. Call the floor immediately. Feel free to state, "Let's resolve this quickly, shall we?" Be polite but refuse to engage That Guy. Make small talk with the rest of us. We get it.

I'm unsure why, but some dealers really want to solve a situation on their own. My only thought on this is perhaps there is a detriment to calling the floor that occurs behind the scenes?

[Richard Cranium]

kind of dealer related, but not really a dealer action that drives me absolutely crazy - when players make change themselves with chips in play. Leave that to a dealer.

I don't care if its a home game. If they blinds are 20/40, you are in the small blind and all you have is green chips, DO NOT put a green chip in front of you and grab a red from the big blind to return to your stack. Let the DEALER MAKE CHANGE. Just put the green out. Wait patiently for dealer to take care of it.

Sorry. Back to dealer shit.

[A Huge Nerd]

Agreed.
Don't slow roll the board.

^this^

Slow rolling should be punishable by death. If the dealer is the slow roller, slow torture, followed by death.

[xxmorjo]

At a home game, I saw a guy deal the flop, turn, and river (face down with the appropriate burn cards in between) even before the first round of betting was done. Why bother?

[jgoflames24]

At a home game, I saw a guy deal the flop, turn, and river (face down with the appropriate burn cards in between) even before the first round of betting was done. Why bother?

I hate when this happens, kinda defeats the purpose of burning.

I think something more people should do at home games is tap the table before burning and turning the flop/next street. I've seen a lot of community cards shown before the action was complete for the previous round of betting. I would be guilty of it myself if it wasn't for the little tap the table trick, because then someone always points out that there's action to follow.

[Richard Cranium]

I tap the table before dealing the next street. After a few mishaps, some of the other guys in the games I play have started doing it as well. It makes sense.

[tele_pathic]

Why does tapping the table make sense? What does that do?

Yeah, in my old home game, we had a couple guys who deal hole cards, then deal the burn and board cards face down, then turn the cards up at the appropriate time. I don't know why, but this always got on my nerves. Logically, I know it doesn't change the outcome of the cards, but somewhere in me, I feel like this action DOES change what card's are coming.

And then there's the guy that, when there's a big pot, all-in or just a huge pot, but lots of action, he will peel the river card off the deck, look at it, show it to a couple people around him, before placing on the board. MOTHERFUCKER PUT THE CARD DOWN!!!

In my home games, I hate dealers who haven't shuffled by the time the next hand is ready to be dealt. "Oh, it's my deal? I didn't realize. Just give me a minute." So the deck of cards sitting next to wasn't a clue? How about paying the bb then the sb, then you know you deal the next hand? What about that? Cocksucker, the timer's running asshole.

[Irish]

Table tap is a must in my book and has saved many exposed cards over the years - though I have had to explain that I wasn't "checking in the dark" to several knuckleheads. :rolleyes:

Laying out the board cards in advance also drives me nuts - so much so that I have a house rule against it :D

My basic outlook on a dealer is that they are there to keep the game moving, and to help new players if need be. They should know who the action is on and be *gently* prompting the game. I typically steady deal our cash games, and will deal the final table at our tourneys, and that's the approach I take on it. You don't need to say a whole lot and shouldn't be forcing the game along (especially for a home game) - easiest way is your eyes move to each player as action goes around. Then if someone starts dazing out, you can gesture towards them that action is on them to keep things going. Know how to calculate side pots, and know the rules and enforce illegal bets immediately. Keep the chit-chat to a minimum, focus on the game.

[Irish]

Why does tapping the table make sense? What does that do?


It alerts all the players at the table that you're about to turn another card face-up (flop/river/turn). If someone's been day-dreaming and didn't act on a card and no one noticed, it gives them the opportunity to speak up before the next card.

[Wedge Rock]

Why does tapping the table make sense? What does that do?

It alerts the players that a card is coming out. If the dealer is about to prematurely expose a card, it gives the players notice and an opportunity to stop the reveal until action is complete.

Yeah, in my old home game, we had a couple guys who deal hole cards, then deal the burn and board cards face down, then turn the cards up at the appropriate time. I don't know why, but this always got on my nerves. Logically, I know it doesn't change the outcome of the cards, but somewhere in me, I feel like this action DOES change what card's are coming.

The whole point of burning cards is to avoid revealing the backs of the cards that could be marked. By dealing out the board in advance, face-down, you are doing away with the security provided by burning cards.

[A Huge Nerd]

Why does tapping the table make sense? What does that do?

I do this because it's what the casino dealers do. Good enough for them, good enough for me. Plus the reasons already stated by others.

[mike32]

Well Marc I learned something new tonight, I honestly never knew what the tapping was for. I did notice you doing it, but never knew why.

I played in a cash game a while back where a guy pre-burned and turned the flop/river. Then re-flopped and rivered and people acted on them. What a mess!

[Blake]

In my home games, I hate dealers who haven't shuffled by the time the next hand is ready to be dealt. "Oh, it's my deal? I didn't realize. Just give me a minute." So the deck of cards sitting next to wasn't a clue? How about paying the bb then the sb, then you know you deal the next hand? What about that? Cocksucker, the timer's running asshole. This doesn't bother me much mostly because I HATE having two decks on the table. It takes all of 20 seconds to shuffle a deck properly and having a second deck on the table just begs for errors/problems. I semi understand it when playing a home tourney since time is a bit of an issue, but in a cash game two decks just annoys me.

[Slev]

This doesn't bother me much mostly because I HATE having two decks on the table. It takes all of 20 seconds to shuffle a deck properly and having a second deck on the table just begs for errors/problems. I semi understand it when playing a home tourney since time is a bit of an issue, but in a cash game two decks just annoys me.

THIS!

[Simps]

This doesn't bother me much mostly because I HATE having two decks on the table. It takes all of 20 seconds to shuffle a deck properly and having a second deck on the table just begs for errors/problems. I semi understand it when playing a home tourney since time is a bit of an issue, but in a cash game two decks just annoys me.

Agree 100%.

'Cause you know what? If it's my turn to deal next, but I'm in the hand, that deck of cards is sitting there until I'm out of the hand, so you're going to have to wait until I rake that pot before I even think about shuffling for the next hand.