Is this legal?

[Leonardo]

In california, is it legal for a game to have no dealer, ie the players deal themselves.

[Dynasty]

I can say that some of the old draw games used to be player dealt. I don't know the current law.

[DiamondDave]

I recently saw a game spread at the Oaks Club in Emeryville (I think it was 20/40 draw lowball, but it could have been something else) in which the deck was just there on the table in a shoe and the players drew from the top when it was their turn.

I'm pretty sure the law says that players have to compete against each other (as opposed to the house). The house provides amenities (usually tables, chips, cards, and a dealer) and typically rakes the pot or collects a time charge.