13 Poker Etiquette Tips You Should Follow To Have a Great Game

• Poker etiquette is the unofficial rules of how to act and interact with other players at the poker table.
• There’s poker etiquette for live poker and online poker, though some etiquette tips apply to both types of poker play.
• Poker etiquette really boils down to being kind and courteous to other players, though it can also prevent cheating and keep the game running smoothly.

Every casino game has unspoken rules, known as etiquette, that dictate how players should act and interact with each other. In poker, the unspoken rules generally revolve around being courteous to others.

Poker etiquette transcends land-based casinos and online casinos or poker rooms. In many cases, poker etiquette tips apply to all types of poker games, from online poker to live poker at the casino to a home game with friends.

General Do’s and Don’ts for Poker

Many poker etiquette tips apply to all forms of poker, whether you’re playing in person at a casino, in a home game, or online. Here are some of the most important poker etiquette tips overall:

1. Pay Attention to the Game

Poker requires a lot of focus. You’re watching other players make decisions, following every step of the game, and determining the strength of your hand — all at the same time! So paying attention and keeping your head in the game is crucial.

Even if you’re just playing for fun and not taking it too seriously, you should still pay attention so you don’t disturb other players in the zone. Paying attention is especially important if you’re trying to improve your poker skills. That way, you can better adapt to your opponents’ play styles so you can outwit them, make the best calls, and avoid wasting your bankroll.

Do’s:

• Put away your phone; though, you may not be allowed to use your phone at a table anyhow.
• Limit your distractions at home, including phone and TV.
• Keep chit-chat to a minimum or stay quiet.

Don’ts:

• Avoid the TV, and don’t let your eyes and mind wander.
• Don’t people-watch, unless you’re watching the other people at the table play poker.

2. Make Decisions in a Timely Manner

Part of what makes poker fun is getting into an exciting pace of play. But when someone doesn’t realize it’s their turn or they stall the game by taking a long time to decide their next move, it can throw off the whole pace. No one wants to be that person, especially not you.

Do’s:

• Be considerate of other players’ time.
• Try to match the table’s pace.

Don’ts: 

• Don’t take too long, or other players or the dealer may pressure you to make a move.
• Don’t do other things when it’s your turn.
• Don’t let the timer catch you in online poker because if you take too long, the computer will play for you or you’ll get booted from the game.

3. Be Respectful at All Times

It’s normal to feel frustrated or angry when you lose a hand, but you have to keep your cool. Be respectful, be kind, and be courteous. This makes for a much more fun atmosphere at the table.

Do’s: 

• Respond to people when they talk to you.
• Engage in a little conversation to build a rapport.
• Always treat your dealer and the waitstaff with respect.
• Have a small celebration by thanking the other players for a good hand and the dealer for managing the game when you win.
• Congratulate the winner if you lose.
• Be aware of your volume when you speak.

Don’ts:

• Don’t swear, win or lose — unless, of course, it’s your home game and swearing is allowed.
• Don’t be rude or ice people out.
• Don’t critique other players, share how you’d have done it differently, or approach players after a game to offer unsolicited advice.

4. Wait Your Turn

Make sure it’s actually your turn before you make any decision, whether that be folding, calling, raising, or revealing your cards after the river. This keeps the game running smoothly and prevents any players from accidentally getting an edge on others. For example, if you try to bet or fold before the player on your right has finished their turn, other players may read into this and find your tells. It happens from time to time that people, especially beginners, don’t realize it’s not yet their turn, but that’s where paying attention really comes into play.

Luckily in online poker, you can’t act out of turn because the computer won’t let you. But this tip is still crucial for not making a decision on what to do in an online poker game before all the other players before you have finished their turns. All it takes is the move of one player to make you rethink what you thought you were going to do.

Do’s:

• Wait until the person on your right is completely done.
• Know when the hand is over and when it’s appropriate to reveal your cards to see who wins.
• Wait for the dealer’s signal or prompt if you’re not sure.

Don’ts:

• Don’t start stacking chips until it’s your turn.
• Don’t fold until it’s your turn.
• Don’t fidget, sigh, or otherwise pressure other players to move faster.

5. Stay Quiet When You’re Out of the Hand

Once you fold, don’t try to influence the game. Keep your conversation to regular chit-chat, or, better yet, just sit back and watch, taking mental notes of what goes on. In online poker, avoid talking in the chat about the current hand at all, but certainly don’t talk about your cards.

Do’s:

• Talk about any other subject, like family, work, or anything other than the current hand.
• Consider not talking at all until the hand is over.
• Pick up other conversation once the hand is complete.

Don’ts:

• Don’t talk to players in the current hand.
• Don’t react to the gameplay, including community cards as their dealt or player decisions.
• Don’t tell anyone what your hole cards were, not even a player who’s out of the game or a spectator.

6. Try Not To “Hit and Run”

“Hit and run” is when someone wins a large pot from another player and they immediately leave that table or online poker room. It’s a bad look, especially if you take that tall stack over to another table.

In general, people consider it a hit and run if you win early in your play (like in the first few hands) and then leave. Others consider it a bad look if you leave after wiping a table out in a single hand, no matter how long you’ve been playing (unless, of course, you’ve just won a tournament).

Do’s:

• Stay a few more hands after winning a large pot, just to save face.
• Be kind to the player or players who you bested to keep the atmosphere as friendly as possible.

Don’ts:

• Don’t gloat if you stay at the table.
• Don’t color up after you win the pot (more on that later).
• Don’t go to a table right next to the one you’re leaving.
• Don’t boast about a big win or hit and run in another online poker room’s chat.

Do’s and Don’ts for Live Poker

Let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts for live poker, whether you’re playing at a casino or in a home game.

7. Be Clear With Your Bets

Communication is key in poker. You have to be very clear when announcing what your move is. You can use hand signals for most silent decisions, like folding (pushing your cards, face-down, forward to the dealer) or checking (tapping your knuckles on the felt). Being clear when you bet, either calling, raising, or paying the blind, is important for keeping the game honest.

Everyone needs to see your chips, whether you’re betting them or they’re just stacked up in front of you.

Do’s: 

• Tell the dealer and the table what you intend to do when you call or raise.
• Announce how much you plan to raise.
• Make sure you put in the right amount of chips.
• Make sure all chips in your wager are clearly visible so the dealer can verify your bet.
• Display your high value chips in the front of your stacks so the dealer and the table know your position in the game.

Don’ts:

• Don’t hide larger value chips behind stacks of small value chips in an effort to hide your position.
• Don’t misrepresent your bet by sneaking in extra chips or shorting the pot.
• Don’t misrepresent your wager by saying you raise but only putting enough chips in to call.
• Don’t “string bet,” which is when someone uses multiple motions to present their wager — instead, gather your entire wager before betting and then present it in one motion.

8. Leave the Drama to the Movies

In casino movies, it’s common for characters to withhold their hand and then dramatically reveal it. This is known as a “slow roll” in real life, and it’s considered very rude. It’s sort of like gloating since you trick the other player into thinking maybe they’ve won. But there’s nothing more awkward than a player slow rolling to reveal a hand they thought they won, but really they were the loser all along.

Another dramatic poker moment is monologuing, which is stalling a decision by giving a long speech and then revealing the winning hand or making a big move, like going all-in with a huge stack.

Do’s:

• Do your part to keep the game at a good pace.
• Be mindful of players’ emotions and the potential stakes for each hand.

Dont’s:

• Don’t make a scene when you win or lose.
• Don’t give a long speech, have a dramatic staring contest, or otherwise act like a character in a movie — it’s not a good look.

9. Don’t Color Up During the Game

Coloring up is when you cash in smaller value chips for fewer large value chips. If someone isn’t cashing out of the game, coloring up can be grating to the dealer and other players. That’s because most players who color up too early find themselves cashing those big chips in for more small value chips so they can actually pay the pot. And they may do this over and over again, depending on how cocky — not confident — they are.

Do’s:

• Color up when you’re leaving the table or ready to cash out at the cage.
• Keep your bankroll split between large value and small value chips, depending on the blind.

Don’ts:

• Don’t keep coloring up as soon as you win a decent pot.

10. Handle Your Cards and Chips With Care

Cards, chips, and the table are all casino property. Or, if you’re at a home game, these things belong to someone, maybe you or one of your friends. You should always treat these items with care, especially if they’re casino property or the property of your friends. If you ruin casino property, you could get kicked out. If you ruin your friend’s poker set, they may not want to play with you anymore.

Do’s:

• Be gentle with the cards when you handle them.
• Keep your chip stack tidy.
• Keep drinks and food away from the chips and cards.
• Use hand sanitizer at the table to do your part in not spreading germs.

Don’ts:

• Don’t bend the cards.
• Avoid fidgeting with the cards or chips as they can get worn easily.

11. Be Kind to Your Dealer

Dealers, waiters, and other front-of-house casino staff are customer service professionals. And in the U.S., it’s customary to tip them. You should always thank them for running a great game by tipping as well as by following the rules and minding your manners.

Do’s:

• When folding, push your cards as close to the dealer as you can without struggling.
• Tip them $5 for every hour you play with them as a general rule of thumb.
• Tip them generously if you’ve won a big hand at a regular table game or a tournament.
• Tip 15% to 25%, or more, to wait staff who provided you drinks.

Don’ts:

• Don’t throw your cards or chips at the dealer.
• Don’t yell or swear at the dealer; that could get you kicked out.
• Don’t be mean to the dealer in your home game as they may not invite you to another one.

Do’s and Don’ts of Online Poker

Online poker is obviously different from in-person poker games. You don’t typically have to worry about making a lot of noise, handling chips and cards with care, or tipping dealers. But here are some poker etiquette tips for online poker:

12. Be Respectful in the Chat

Even though you’re not talking in person, you should always be nice and friendly to players you encounter in the chat. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to, but if you use the chat, keep these tips in mind.

Do’s:

• Congratulate the winner of each hand, if you’re active in the chat.
• Be mindful of how your messages could be perceived since tone is hard to read over instant message.
• Remember that these rooms have moderators who make sure conversation isn’t distracting, offensive, or getting into cheating territory.

Don’ts:

• Don’t use all caps.
• Don’t swear.
• Don’t complain about the game, especially if you’ve just lost a hand or aren’t having a great game.
• Don’t critique or offer advice to other players.
• Don’t give away personal information.

13. Limit Your Use of the Chat

Chat can get distracting and pull you from the game, which is why many players don’t even use this feature. But using the chat can be a great way to meet other poker players and pass the time as you wait between turns.

Do’s:

• Send short and sweet messages, just one at a time.
• Remember that you don’t have to respond to every message or even be in on the conversation.
• Mute the chat completely.
• Mute distracting players in the chat.

Don’ts:

• Don’t send multiple messages back to back.
• Don’t chat when it’s your turn and people are waiting for you to play — not a good look.