Anyone Know How to Deal a Flop Like a Pro

Pocket_Rockets · #1 May 2nd, 2011, 09:12 PM

I'm hosting a home game and everyone involved wants me to create a casino-like atmosphere. On tv, I'm constantly seeing professional dealers deal all three cards on the flop almost simultaneously, as opposed to dealing each card one at a time. I'm interested in learning how to deal a flop like the pro's. I would appreciate step by step instructions on how to do it (kind of like the fantastic card shuffling tutorials hosted here at Pokerology.com).

Thanks! :)

Dave 'Two Chairs' · #2 May 2nd, 2011, 11:50 PM

Different cardrooms have their own rules. Some let the dealers use their own preferred method and not impose a standard.

I am not a pro dealer but (I hope my friends would agree) I am one of the better dealers in the home games I play at. I try to keep it as professional and consistent as possible. This also helps players who are not familiar with real cardrooms when they finally get round to making a visit. So, my 2c worth is...

When I deal I put the burn card below where the flop will go, then deal the three flop cards face down on top of each other, then flip all three over at once and spread them quickly. A few things to note about that:

1. The burn card is identifiably separate from any pile of pre-flop mucked cards. This is important in case a player queries whether a card has been burned before the flop was dealt.

2. By dealing face down, any accidental sticking together of cards does not cause a big issue. If the cards are dealt face up and you deal four by mistake you have a problem.

3. By turning all three cards over simultaneously, there is no time for players to gauge other players' reactions as individual cards are dealt.

I don't (usually) announce the card ranks, but some dealers will do that. I sometimes do it if I'm sat at one end of a long table in a home game just in case a player at the far end has a problem. If you're not playing, just dealing, then you'll be sat in the centre so it's not such a big deal.

A few other things spring to mind, in no particular order:

4. I'm assuming you're playing with a postilion. If not, you should be. Always. That way you can keep hold of the deck while scooping in chips with either hand without any danger of exposing the bottom card of the deck. One hand should always be holding the deck from the moment you deal the players' cards until after the showdown. If you are playing as well as dealing, you may have to put the deck down in order to look at your cards or move your chips around but if you're a dedicated dealer there is no reason to let go of the deck during a hand.

5. When burning before the turn and river, place the burn cards alongside or overlapping the first one, i.e. identifiably in a separate area from the muck, for the same reason as stated earlier. At the end of the hand you should have 5 face up cards on the table, a clearly visible set of three burn cards, and one pile of mucked cards.

6. After dealing the river, many dealers will slightly spread the remainder of the deck either on the muck or over the burn cards while the river betting is played out. I don't like this as if there's an argument it just confuses things. I tend to keep the stub of the deck separate (or even in my hand) until the hand is over.

7. If you are good at it (it takes a bit of practice to be quick enough) then tell the players not to take their own change, i.e. you as the dealer will always make change for them. If you're not so good at this then it can slow things down significantly and it may be easier to let players take their own change from the pot if they don't have the right amount available. It's worth making sure all players are happy with this and trust each other before you allow it. I'm guessing that at a home game with your friends it's not a problem.

8. Whether it's a cash game or a tournament, make sure you know with absolute certainty how to handle 2- 3- or 4-way splits into side pots, and how to award the pots after the showdown. Whenever you get a side pot created, you are bound to get 2 or 3 players all shouting about how much should go into each pot. Politely tell them to shut the f**k up and let the dealer do it

It's always best to let one single person handle side pots. If you're not confident, then at the start of the game assign one player to do it for the whole game. Trust me on this one - it can be a nightmare with people reaching into various pots and moving chips around. You'll lose track instantly, so don't allow it. Also be aware that once side pots are created, you have to be careful that neither you nor the players take change from an inappropriate pot.

9. Depending on how experienced your players are, you need to set an agreed level of 'strictness' regarding rules. I'm thinking of things such as string betting, verbal announcements, single chip rule, splashing the pot, allowing a genuine mistake to be taken back, rabbit hunting, etc. You may have to relax the standard below that of a professional cardroom otherwise your players may get fed up with you being a stickler for the rules and they won't be enjoying things, although the few home games I play at always try to play to the highest rule standards - it certainly makes a move to a genuine cardroom a much less painful experience as everyone will know exactly what to expect and how to behave.

10. Again depending on the players' experience, it can help if you actively indicate the player where the action is by using your free hand, or even announce their name when the action falls on them. It may also help if you announce each action as it happens, e.g. "Fold, Call the 200, Fold, Raise to 800 total, Call the 800, Fold" etc. This just makes it obvious what's going on and keeps the game moving quickly with no misunderstandings.

11. I hope this one's obvious but las week some dealers in a home game were a bit slapdash with this one. From the dealer's viewpoint the turn card is dealt to the right of the flop; the river card is dealt to the right of the turn card. All 5 cards are in a straight row. This is important as a player may be trying to run through the previous betting while deciding whether to make a call on the river. I occasionally see home dealers deal cards into unusual positions and this just makes it difficult to replay the hand in your head if you need to.

12. To speed things up, I usually deal the flop and only then scoop in all the pre-flop bets. Similarly, I deal the turn and then scoop in all the flop bets, and the same for the river. You usually have time to do this while the first player thinks of his action. If you're not quick enough it can be a problem, in which case get all the chips into one pile first, then deal - this will make each hand take longer though.

13. This is a fairly strict rule: You never tell a player how much is in the pot. You can spread the pot to make all chips visible so he can count it himself but the dealer should never give this information to a player, even if asked.

14. A similar rule that applies in professional cardrooms is that if a player goes all-in then unless the player also announces exactly how much the all-in bet is for, the dealer will simply announce "Player is all-in" and not volunteer the amount. If subsequently asked by another player, the dealer will count the bet and announce the amount. I have no idea why this is done (anybody know?) but it is a pretty standard procedure. It's probably a bit over the top for a home game - we don't usually do this in our home games; the dealer normally announces the amount as if it was any other bet.

I'm sure there's plenty more, but that'll do for now. Have a great game!

Pocket_Rockets · #3 May 3rd, 2011, 01:31 AM

Wow, this is great info!!! I'll be sure to apply many of these rules at my home game.

One question, though. You say that you deal the flop by spreading the cards on the table. How exactly do I go about this? (Is finger placement or hand position important?)

Thanks Dave!

Dave 'Two Chairs' · #4 May 3rd, 2011, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocket_Rockets

One question, though. You say that you deal the flop by spreading the cards on the table. How exactly do I go about this? (Is finger placement or hand position important?)

It may be, but I don't know exactly the best way to do it. You'll have the pile of three flop cards face down, so just pick up the pile, turn it over and spread it. You will then usually have to adjust the cards slightly if you want them neatly separated. Pro dealers are so good at this that they can spread them in one action leaving them perfectly aligned without needing further adjustment.

It's a bit like when they spread a fresh deck to check all the cards are present: If I do it then it's mostly OK but a bit messy, whereas some dealers seem to get a perfect spread every time

Tim · #5 May 3rd, 2011, 07:15 AM

Great advice Dave!

When it comes to dealing the flop I turn the cards over one at time in quick succession.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave 'Two Chairs'

It may be, but I don't know exactly the best way to do it. You'll have the pile of three flop cards face down, so just pick up the pile, turn it over and spread it. You will then usually have to adjust the cards slightly if you want them neatly separated. Pro dealers are so good at this that they can spread them in one action leaving them perfectly aligned without needing further adjustment.

One way would be to deal two cards facedown, then deal off the third card and use that card to flip over all three. It's hard to explain; but you put the third card underneath and in one motion use it to flip over the cards and spread them.

But in all honesty I don't think it really matters a great deal (no pun intended). The most important thing is to avoid any mistakes. The other advice Dave gave, such as dealing with split pots, is far more important.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave 'Two Chairs'

It's a bit like when they spread a fresh deck to check all the cards are present: If I do it then it's mostly OK but a bit messy, whereas some dealers seem to get a perfect spread every time

This will depend on the type of cards and the surface of the table (or felt). Cards that are plastic coated are terrible for spreading or fanning, and these types of cards are more often used in home games because of they're more durable (and tend to be cheaper). A paper-based deck, such as Bicycle or Bee cards (often used in casinos) are perfect for spreading/fanning - but I wouldn't recommend them for a home game.

And of course it goes without saying that in a casino the surface of the table is likely to be of superior quality.