Ranch Poker Guide Page 3: General Poker Etiquette

General Poker Etiquette

Etiquette?
Poker is a manly game, you say. You sit around and belch. Your fart. You drink.. You throw your money out there and you get good hands. You don't need to worry about how to act because there aren't any women around. Well, hold it Bub and take it down the road, because poker, as it is played on the Estrada Ranch is a gentleman's game.

Everyone, I will presume, knows the basics of dealing clockwise, offering the person on your right a cut of the cards, betting out of turn and shuffling a maximum of 3 times (with the exception of the Portuguese shuffle of course, which allows time for a nap, pee break and reading of a short novel) but did you know that:

-It's rude to laugh out loud at another player's hand when they've made an honest mistake like throwing in a pair of aces on two-low guts. I mean, if one ace is low, two should be twice as low, right? Remember, to the sensitive gamesman, each hand is like on of his own children, big ears and all, so show a little common courtesy. Just take your money and shut up

-It's also not appropriate to call a player's hand who has made this, or some similar, honest mistake (possibly several times), the very next time he goes in. This shows a lack of respect and could very well lead to some hurt feelings and, eventually, tension at the table.

-It is no longer acceptable for players named Eric to call the hand of players named Don every time players named Don throw their hand in. This may have once been considered a useful tactic during a reckless, bygone era - players named Don have, for all intents and purposes, discarded the bluff strategy in favor of total honesty and I would now strongly discourage the automatic call in these situations… It's, simply, bad form.

-Once should never disrupt the flow of cards by dropping out of a hand inexplicably early. If you're unsure of the timing, it's perfectly acceptable to ask for an immediate ruling, either of the foreman or the person to his right or left. Be confident that counseling will be swift and fair.

-The "dealer's choice" style of play is employed for all games at the Estrada Ranch. Along with the obvious freedom this allows, comes some responsibility. Ti is important to exercise some restraint in the selection of games, especially at the onset of play. A traditional game such as five-card stud or draw should be selected as the opening hand. (See the following chapter for descriptions of individual games.) It is not necessary to play a hand of guts during the opening round. As the evening progresses, it will degenerate soon enough into this stripped-down and addictive form of play. Dealing 'no-peek' or 'acey-deucy' at any point in the opening round is punishable by a fine- Murray will be informed that you're a Mormon.