How does the online dealing work?

[Foldarama_City]

Hi, Just wondering how the deal works in the online poker rooms. Are the flop cards all decided before the cards are dealt to the players? Or, are the cards like in a continuous shuffle and only decided the instant before they are dealt?

Sometimes I'm thinking - I really should have played that hand when a flop is dealt that fitted my folded pocket cards beautifully. But if they cards are decided the moment before the flop is dealt- if I'd played it would have been a completely different flop.

[lorinda]

It's surprising how often this gets asked, and for this reason.

As I understand it, when the dealing begins, the deck is 'set' in place.

However I have never been able to confirm this 100%, and so you can still believe that possibly, just possibly, that flush wouldn't have come /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Lori

[Rainbow Warrior]

This was the question that was bugging me when I first started playing on-line 3 years ago. I posted a similar, but more long-winded, question last November with no meaningful answers (including yours Lorinda, heheh).

Now I've taken the puzzle to a higher level of thinking - the answer is WHO CARES!!!

Not knowing (OR CARING) if the board cards would have been the same, if I had stayed in, has allowed me to get past the agonizing of having folded a winner. I am satisfied that I made the right play based on the situation.

Now, usually playing 2-3 tables, when I fold I carry on to another table and don't even bother checking back to see the final board(tho I may check to see what hands others played). I don't sweat it.

This has made me a better player.

[Foldarama_City]

That's a very good point Rainbow. No point being a "what if?" player I guess.

However, i'm still curious to know. but you know what they say about curiosity don't you?

[lorinda]

I haven't checked back, but I suspect my reply was pretty similar then too /images/graemlins/blush.gif

Lori

[David Ottosen]

On Stars at least, the deck is shuffled and set just like in a B&M casino, then hands dealt. There is no continuous shuffle. The only difference is that there is no burn cards since it would serve no purpose.

[Cyndie]

Unless you remember at True Poker, when they used to have the fireworks each hand when the dealer "burn" the card each deal.

Think they might have eliminated that when they sped things up a while ago.

[Prickly Pete]

I believe a better a question may be "Who is doing the dealing?" For instance, that guy at Party who sits in the dealer seat, never seems to do any acutal dealing. I think he's just a beefcake that's there to attract more ladies.

[DaNoob]

what is the purpose of the burn card anyway?

sorry if this is a dumb question, but I've always wondered. does it have something to do with imperfect shuffling?

[rusty JEDI]

My guess is it hides a possible marked card underneath it from being seen. If the top card was the next one out and it was marked, knowing that card would certainly be an advantage in the current round of betting.

[DaNoob]

Makes sense... unless, of course, you marked the side.. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

yes, i just bumped this post up to the top again with this worthless contribution... /images/graemlins/cool.gif