books on cardroom ettiquette?

Having never been to a cardroom, I Was wondering if there were any books that had a section on the many aspects of card room ettiquette. While I suppose everyone is bound to have their emberassing moments, I would like to keep mine to a minimum. Thanks.

I don't know if this helps you any, but I just started going to card rooms myself. I started by going to the local tournaments. They only cost $20, have been a lot of fun, and has helped a lot on learning poker room ettiquette. Plus there are usually several people new to the poker room there as well. That is the locals seemed to be used to us newbies.


Don't worry too much about the ettiquette as the other players (and the dealer) will point out when you make a mistake and their pretty nice about it as long as you don't keep repeating the same mistake.


Most importantly just go and have some fun. I'm 36 years old, have played in home games, and a some when I was in the Army. However, I never made it into a Casino poker room until a couple of weeks ago. The only thing I regret is not doing this 15 years ago.

The FAQ section of Rec.Gambling.Poker. You go there through www.dejanews.com (http://www.dejanews.com), recreation, gambling, rec.poker. Then u can look around for the FAQs, they cover EVERYTHING u need to know about ur first trip to a cardroom and helped me a lot when I first started going.


Jeff

Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold 'em has a few useful tips in it about how to behave. Stuff (like leaving your cards on the table) that must people wouldn't know.


The other thing that seems to get mentioned alot is simply paying attention. Don't act before your turn, and act when it's your turn in a prompt manner.

In our book the Fundamentals of Poker there is a short ettiquette section which I'll repeat here.


 POKER ETIQUETTE


Although poker is a pleasurable pastime, it is enjoyable only when the game runs smoothly and quickly. Most of the responsibility for ensuring this rests with the house dealer, but players can do their part to keep the game moving in an orderly fashion. So you will know what is expected of you at the poker table, we are providing the following “rules” of poker etiquette.


Rule No. 1: Act in turn. In poker, the action proceeds clockwise around the table, one player at a time. Acting out of turn not only shows a basic disregard of propriety, but also may

give a player an unfair advantage over his remaining opponents. As an example, discarding your hand before the action gets to you may tell a player who should have acted ahead of you that

it is now easier for him to get away with a bluff. This obviously is not fair to those players who already have chosen not to bet.


Rule No. 2: Don't throw your chips into the pot. Throwing your chips directly into the pot, also known as “splashing the pot,” makes it difficult for the dealer and other players to determine whether you have bet the correct amount. In fact,

when a player splashes the pot, it sometimes may be necessary for the dealer to interrupt play and count down the pot to make sure it is correct. The proper way to make your bet is to place it

directly in front of you on the table. The dealer will inspect your bet for accuracy and then will add it to the other chips in the center of the table.


Rule No. 3: Avoid making a “string bet” or “string raise.” When you bet or raise, you should place the proper amount of chips in the pot at one time. A string bet/raise is an illegal play and occurs when a player places less than the full raise in the pot and, without verbally announcing a raise, returns to his stack to

get more chips. This play is prohibited, as an unscrupulous player can use it to his advantage. As a precaution, always say, “Raise,” when you intend to raise.


Rule No. 4: Make decisions in a timely manner. Most starting hands in poker are thrown away, which means that a great deal of your time is spent watching, not playing. Thus you want your opponents to play as fast as possible, and you should do the same. This doesn't mean that when you're faced with a tough decision, you can't take some time to figure it out. In fact, if you need a moment, say, “Time, please.” But whenever

possible, act on your hand quickly.


Rule No. 5: Keep your cards on the table. Most cardrooms prohibit you from taking your cards off the table. However, it's important to keep your cards in front of you for two additional reasons. First, when you pick up your hand, it may be seen by a player sitting next to you, which gives him an unfair advantage. Second, the dealer usually looks down and in front of you. If he doesn't see your hand, he may deal your next card to someone

else on a later round, causing confusion.


Rule No. 6: Turn all of your cards face up at the

showdown. This is necessary so the dealer can read your hand to determine whether you've won the pot. In addition, the other players will see that you have a legitimate hand made up of seven different cards. If you turn up only the five cards that you think make the best hand, not only will the other players object, but also you may have missed seeing the winning hand. Needless to say, if no one calls your final bet or raise, it's not necessary to show your cards.


Rule No. 7: Don't discuss your hand during play.

Providing information about your hand to other players, even if you have thrown your cards away, may give someone an unfair advantage. For example, if you abandon your hand and then

remark, “I just threw away an ace and a king,” a player holding one of these cards now may choose not to enter the pot with a hand he otherwise would have played.


Rule No. 8: The games are played “table stakes.” This means that only the money and chips you have in front of you on the table are in play. If you run out of money during the play of a hand, you are said to be “all in” and can contest only the part of the pot that your bets cover. You are not allowed to reach into your pocket and produce more money during that hand. (Notice that you will not lose the pot because someone has bet more

money than you currently have on the table.) In addition, you are not permitted to remove money from the table until you are ready to leave the game.


Rule No. 9: Tipping is appreciated. Though not obligatory, it's customary to give the dealer a tip when you win an average-sized pot. Tipping is an accepted way of thanking the dealer for performing his job in a professional and courteous manner.

and don't play out of a rack; keep enough chips stacked in front of you to keep play running quickly. You can reload between hands if your stacks are shrinking.