Dealing poker is one of those occupations that look easy when performed by a top quality dealer. You too can achieve this status with practice and effort. In fact, the best dealers not only perform their job in a seemingly effortless manner, they enjoy what they are doing. Distributing the Cards Shuffle the deck. Shuffling randomizes the deck in order to introduce chance. DEALING PROCEDURE To begin the game, players must make equal bets on the Ante and Blind. They may also make a Trips bet. The shuffler will first dispense the five community cards. Betting procedure In each deal there are one or more betting intervals according to the specific poker variant. In each betting interval, one player, as designated by the rules of the variant being played, has the privilege or obligation of making the first bet.

When I hear the word “showdown,” I tend to think of two bad hombres with their hands twitching just over their holstered six-shooters in the streets of Laredo.

Fortunately, that sort of thing happens very rarely in your better casino poker rooms these days. If that’s where you are when you hear “showdown,” there’s no need to take cover, as you might have done in the Old West — it’s just a reference to two or more players who are in a poker hand all the way to the end, at which time a winner must be determined.

At first it may seem ludicrous that there are rules and procedures to such a simple process. Can’t everybody just turn their cards face up and be done with it?

Well, yes, they could — but they don’t. Unfortunately, a substantial percentage of poker players possess a pathological aversion to showing their hands unnecessarily. They’d sooner reveal the nation’s nuclear launch codes than their down cards. You can only get these stubborn players to show by making bamboo shoots grow under their fingernails.

The showdown rules and procedures were developed to keep the game from grinding to a halt whenever you’ve got two such people in the same hand, since in poker we try to avoid actual physical torture. (Psychological torture is just part of the game, of course.)

Showdown Rules

There are two different procedures, depending on whether or not there was betting on the last street.

If there was no betting on the last street, the procedure is blessedly simple. The showdown goes in the same order as all other actions, starting left of the button and proceeding clockwise to the button. The first player still holding live cards turns them face up. Then each subsequent player can, in turn, put his own cards face up, or, if he sees that he is not the winner, just pass them back to the dealer face down.

However, if there was betting on the last street, this all changes. In that situation, the last player to take an aggressive action — defined as either betting or raising — is obligated to reveal his cards first. Then the showdown proceeds around the table clockwise from his position, without regard to where the button is. As in the previous paragraph, each player in turn can choose to show his cards or just muck them.

That’s the basics, right there. However, I think it’s worth knowing some additional nuances and etiquette.

The Showdown Needn’t Be a Standoff

As I said earlier, there are some players who just won’t go along with the program. They like to gain an edge by playing a waiting game. If they delay long enough, they figure, everybody else will get nervous or impatient and show first. Then they can keep their cards secret unless they see that they have the winner.

This especially happens when a player has had a bluff called. He’s embarrassed to show it, but also doesn’t want to just throw his hand away, in case it turns out that he was bluffing with the best hand. (It does happen.) So he just sits there, hoping that you or one of the other players will take the pressure off of him by showing first.

This is terribly rude, as it unnecessarily slows down the game, and makes a tactical advantage out of being willing to be a jerk. Never be one of those guys, and don’t let them intimidate you into letting them skip their proper turn to show. The dealer should enforce the standard procedure, but in reality, many dealers care more about getting the hand finished quickly than niceties of procedure. You can, and should, politely ask the dealer to require the players to either show or muck when it’s their turn. Don’t let the bullies take advantage.

There’s No Rule Against Showing Early

There is no prohibition on showing before it’s officially your turn. In fact, it’s usually best for everybody if all the players still holding live hands when it’s time for the showdown just flip them face up immediately — no fuss, no muss. The procedures described above were developed to resolve that potential standoff when nobody volunteers to show first.

Don’t Slow Roll at Showdown

If you have the stone-cold nuts, or a very strong hand, and yet you make everybody else show first just because that’s what the procedure dictates, you may well come under criticism for “slow rolling.” That is a social faux pas, even when you’re just doing what the rules require. It’s considered polite to show your cards quickly — even if it’s not yet your turn — when you’re holding a hand that you have good reason to believe will be the winner. You can hope that other players will show you the same courtesy when they have the monster.

Where There’s a Side Pot

Sometimes there will be a side pot. This happens when one player is all in, but two or more others have more chips and keep betting and raising. The all-in player is eligible to win from each other player only the amount that he put into the pot, so when others keep putting in more chips beyond that, they get kept physically separate — a “side pot,” because it’s literally off to one side of the table.

When that has happened, the dealer will always request to first see the hands that are eligible for the side pot. The reason is to get that pot awarded to whoever has won it before turning to the main pot. If it isn’t done in that order, and the all-in player has the best hand, it’s too easy for the dealer to make a mistake and push all the chips to the all-in player, including those that aren’t rightfully his.

(Fun homework assignment: Watch the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale again and spot the moment when a poker dealer does this procedure incorrectly.)

If in Doubt, Just Show

Finally, until your derriere has logged a whole lot of hours in a poker chair, it’s probably wisest to just always show your cards. Even highly experienced players will occasionally misread the situation and muck the winning hand, and novice players make this mistake a lot. (I’ve done it at least half a dozen times, realizing soon after my cards were in the muck — and probably a few more that I never realized.)

If you always elect to turn your cards face up at showdown, even if you’re sure you hand is a loser, you may give away a little information that you didn’t have to, but you’ll never risk losing a pot because you misread either your own hand or that of an opponent. This is especially true with two-pair hands, which tend to be really tricky and throw people off.

Keep these pointers in mind, cowboy. And leave the six-shooters at home.

Robert Woolley lives in Asheville, NC. He spent several years in Las Vegas and chronicled his life in poker on the “Poker Grump” blog.

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We believe in tailoring and modifying our instructional techniques to best suit each individual. We strive to keep the learning environment fun and entertaining, as well as offer methodical and concise instruction, in order to guarantee a successful learning experience.

Our facilities are new, modern and retro fitted. Featuring 4 custom built poker tables, 2 assigned to tournament and 2 fully equipped as cash tables. West Coast Dealing School has the very best when it comes to your learning environment. We use casino quality poker chips, all plastic playing cards and we even have real looking replica bank notes. We believe that creating an authentic learning experience is crucial to your success.

West Coast Dealing School is fully licensed by the Commission on Post-Secondary Education in the state of Nevada. We are registered as an LLC with the Secretary of State in Nevada and our Comprehensive Poker Dealer Program is fully approved by the Commission and verified by officials at the WSOP.

I cannot praise Chris and The West Coast Dealing School enough. From world class equipment, to the attention given to every detail in teaching the various styles of poker in order to be a success as a true professional Poker Dealer. Thank you Chris, for giving me all the tools needed for success, and for going so far as to even assist in applying for auditions. It's obvious that you truly care, and it shows in the success of your students. The fact that your door stays open to brush up and stay sharp are key as well. The only place to learn the game properly in Las Vegas!!

After looking over several choices I chose West Coast Dealing School and what an outstanding choice. The owner/instructor Chris Tidmarsh knows the game of poker inside and out. Instruction was given on all games of poker currently being played as well as betting structures, rules, and etiquette of the game. Chris is a hands on teacher making certain your skills and understanding of the game is complete. I have played poker for decades and never appreciated the skills of poker dealers. If you're looking for a quality poker dealing school this is the absolute best choice you can make.

Chris is one of the best instructors I have had the pleasure of working with, in any capacity. He was very accommodating to our needs and revised his curriculum to suite our timeline. Each day he met us with great enthusiasm, had a detailed plan of what to accomplish, and stayed as long as needed to complete. The location and room set up was perfect. He has 4 tables, plenty of room to stretch out, comfy chairs, high quality chips/cards, a small break area and its located in a nice part of town. Chris has tremendous patience with all students but maintains a high level of requisition to ensure you are ready for the 'real world' once you complete the course. I could not be happier with the training myself and team received, it was the best investment we could make in ourselves. Well worth the money, the experience and education vastly exceeded all of my expectations heading in.

I wanted to deal at the World Series of Poker as a 'life experience' rather than pursue a full time job as a dealer. Nonetheless, I was determined to pick the school that would best prepare me for the WSOP. I visited three other poker dealer schools in Vegas and quickly came to the conclusion that West Coast had the most comprehensive program of instruction and truly superior physical facilities. Chris Tidmarsh, the owner/operator of West Coast is an excellent mentor and teacher...he has an in depth understanding of poker, what is required to succeed as a dealer at the highest levels of the profession, and is able to imbue students with the skills needed to rise above the rest of the pack. At my World Series audition, I was pitted against nine other dealers who had years of experience, yet I received the second highest score at the table. West Coast Dealing School may charge a bit more than other schools, but I consider the cost to be an amazing bargain compared to the alternatives.

By FAR the best poker dealing school in Vegas, if not the entire US. An easy-going, yet very informative program designed to be completed at one's own pace. Very realistic to the real world of poker dealing and uses the highest quality materials. Chris Tidmarsh, the owner and instructor, is incredibly gifted at his teaching capabilities and knowledge on all games of poker. If you are debating on other Dealing Schools, know that this one IS the best. Look no further. -- a sincere Thank you Chris for your patience, kind heart and help building the foundation of my own dealing career, I am forever thankful.

The instructor, Chris Tidmarsh, knows poker inside and out. He teaches all the games you need to know to be a professional dealer. He has a great feel for people, and knows when to push the throttle or slow things down for you. There are dozens of little details and nuances that he'll teach you to make your job as a dealer easier, as well as impress when you audition for work.

I dedicated an entire month to come out to Vegas from the east coast to undertake Chris's training. I thoroughly enjoyed the instruction, the overarching philosophy, and the student/alum community he has catalyzed. I heartily recommend Chris's course to anyone wanting to learn and to pass the WSOP audition, which in turn, will qualify one for any other major poker room and tournament series.

West Coast Dealing School is by far the best Poker dealing school out there.
The owner/instructor Chris Tidmarsh is an expert in every aspect of the game, from dealing and protection, to etiquette and anything you can name, and he takes pride in making his students top notch professionals. You will learn how to deal all the various WSOP tournament and cash games by one on one personal training to dealing in live mock poker tournament and cash games. The course comes with a comprehensive easy to read poker dealing manual written by the owner that is probably the best in the business and should become your lifelong poker dealing bible. I suggest that you go visit the school and see for yourself. By the way, I am currently attending West Coast Dealing School and I believe the course is Priceless!

100% recommend West Coast Dealing School.
Yes, you will spend a little extra upfront but this investment in your future is well worth it! Chris (owner-instructor) is very competent and experienced in all aspects of poker and will have you prepared for a new career in poker. This course is detailed and prepares you to deal both cash and tournament style in 25+ games. (I couldn't believe there were that many poker games either). Chris has a first class set up and classroom with both cash and tournament poker tables. Since my graduation, I have participated in auditions and seen first-hand the great preparation of West Coast Dealing vs. bare minimum of other dealer schools. West Coast will give you, just like it did me, a head start in poker.
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The instruction here is fantastic. Walking in the first day I was thinking, 'What could possibly take 100 hours to teach?' Walking out that same day, I understood. I play poker but there was so much I didn't know.
Chris explains things very well so everything is easy to understand. The learning process is well structured so you build on what you have learned. This was a great experience and I looked forward to going to school every day. I can't think of anyway he could make this class better. I've never had a better teacher/instructor!
I learned 25 games to be able to deal at the 2017 WSOP.

The owner Chris is an aficionado of poker dealing! He spent countless hours beyond the requirements to train and fine tune my skills to allow me to gain the confidence to attend any poker audition. His knowledge, expertise, and most of all patience, make this course well worth the cost. I would recommend this school to anyone looking to be a GREAT poker dealer!

Chris Tidmarsh, the instructor at West Coast Dealing School, is a very knowledgeable man when it comes to the myriad of details & intricacies of the varieties of poker games that exist. He is very patient and continuously pushes you in the right direction to understand the nuances behind why every rule or technique is valid and important.
The overall facility is extremely clean, the training environment is quite expansive, there are always complimentary refreshments available on hand, but most importantly, you will get an abundance of time 'in the box' (i.e., the dealer's seat) which, in of itself, in my opinion earns West Coast Dealing School this five-star rating.
I highly recommend WCDS to all future poker dealing professionals who are dead set on learning to deal these fun games of cards the right way, the first time. It was truly an amazing experience learning there.

Supreme education in dealing all variants and learning every rule of poker.

What We Teach

At WCDS we teach dealing techniques, procedures and rules for 30+ poker games. You will be given detailed instruction in both tournament and cash formats and on completion of the course you will have knowledge of Limit, No-Limit, Pot Limit & Spread limit betting structures. The WSOP and most major poker rooms & casinos require dealers who have a thorough knowledge of the skills you will attain on this course. For more information about our curriculum please refer to our Courses Page.

Board Games

Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha split Hi-Low 8 or better, Big O, Double Board Omaha, Drawmaha, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple.

Stud Poker

7 Card Stud High, 7 Card Razz (Low), 7 Card Stud Hi-Low split 8 or better, 7 Card Stud Split Hi-Low Regular, Razzdugi, Razzduci.

Draw Poker

Poker Dealing Rules

5 Card Draw (High), 2-7 (Deuce to Seven) single/triple draw, A-5 (Ace to Five) single/triple draw, Badugi, Baduci, Badaci, Archie.

How To Deal Poker Professionally

Other Poker Games

Chinese Poker, Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC), Pineapple Open Face Chinese Poker, Taiwanese Poker.

Betting Structures

Limit, No-Limit, Pot Limit, Spread Limit.

Poker Dealing School

Poker Formats

We teach all the procedures to deal both tournament poker and cash poker. We will explain, in detail, procedures and rule differences between the two formats.

Three Card Poker Dealing Procedures

Cash & Cheque handling

To deal poker professionally you will need to understand how to deal with cash and players cheques and the necessary procedures expected of a dealer when working in a professional card room or casino. This course will provide you with all the information needed and there will be ample time to practice these important skills.

More than just dealing procedures

Poker Dealing Procedures

Dealing cards is obviously a crucial part of being a poker dealer, but there are many more procedures you will need to understand in order to deal a professional tournament or cash game. Some of the common situations a dealer needs to be able to address are attending to the 'Chip Race' in a tournament, dealing a high card to break a table or simply setting up a deck of cards during a player break. This course will address each of those issues and more... When do we use an 'All In' button or apply a 'Kill' pot? When to issue a missed 'Big' or 'Small' blind button? How are 'Straddles' incorporated into the game, or what is an 'Absent' button used for or when is a '3rd Man Walking' lammer applied? Our course will take you through every nuance and detail to make you the most desirable poker dealer available.