Recommended dealing procedure, for new players, for home games

[Lottery Larry]

I ) Shuffling/dealing procedures:
At least two people should be involved, some prefer 3. Always have 2 decks in your game going, so shuffling of one deck can go on while the other deck is in play

The previous dealer should collect the cards and shuffle them. Shuffling must always be done on the table top, for all to see- cards should never be taken below the table level. Shuffling should including riffling halves of the deck together, as well as stripping or boxing.
Once completed, the shuffler should pass the deck, with the cut card on top of the shuffled deck, to the player who will be dealing the next hand.
The soon-to-be dealer should cut the deck, putting the cut card on the bottom, and then deal when it is his turn.

Some games go one shuffler, player to right of new dealer cuts, and dealer deals with no changes in the deck. That seems a bit cumbersome to me, but makes it harder to set the deck.

II) When you cut the deck (for righties):

Using your right hand, drop off portions of the deck in different sizes, moving to the right as you do so, until you have 3-4 piles.

Now, pick them back up in a mixed order, skipping over piles as needed. This eliminates the top and bottom card from the shuffled deck.

So, it would be- drop left to right 1 2 3 4 (1 has bottom card, 4 has top) and pick up 3,1,2,4

Once you practice it, it's a smooth continuous motion and doesn't take long at all. It will cut off anyone peeking at top or bottom cards when they shuffle. If you vary the sizes of the piles, it should defeat all but the very greatest card magicians.

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
I ) Shuffling/dealing procedures:
At least two people should be involved, some prefer 3. Always have 2 decks in your game going, so shuffling of one deck can go on while the other deck is in play

The previous dealer should collect the cards and shuffle them. Shuffling must always be done on the table top, for all to see- cards should never be taken below the table level. Shuffling should including riffling halves of the deck together, as well as stripping or boxing.
Once completed, the shuffler should pass the deck, with the cut card on top of the shuffled deck, to the player who will be dealing the next hand.
The soon-to-be dealer should cut the deck, putting the cut card on the bottom, and then deal when it is his turn.

Some games go one shuffler, player to right of new dealer cuts, and dealer deals with no changes in the deck. That seems a bit cumbersome to me, but makes it harder to set the deck.

II) When you cut the deck (for righties):

Using your right hand, drop off portions of the deck in different sizes, moving to the right as you do so, until you have 3-4 piles.

Now, pick them back up in a mixed order, skipping over piles as needed. This eliminates the top and bottom card from the shuffled deck.

So, it would be- drop left to right 1 2 3 4 (1 has bottom card, 4 has top) and pick up 3,1,2,4

Once you practice it, it's a smooth continuous motion and doesn't take long at all. It will cut off anyone peeking at top or bottom cards when they shuffle. If you vary the sizes of the piles, it should defeat all but the very greatest card magicians.

[/ QUOTE ]

Too much for me. I mean, really? You're using a cut card in a home game? If I have that big a concern that mechanics and cheaters are penetrating my home game I'm just not gonna go anymore.

And I'm supposed to what, conduct shuffling lectures and demos before we start and then have everybody go home and practice?

I like two decks, the guy in the BB shuffles during the play of the current hand since the guy in the Sb will be dealer next time. He hands the cards to the SB who has become the dealer, the button cuts and the new BB pulls in the used cards to begin shuffling next hand.

That's not that complicated, but even that was too much for the game I'm playing in now, so its all self shuffled and dealt, with the button cutting. Everybody shuffles however they've grown up shuffling.

Not the biggest deal in the world in my book, although I'm sure a mechanic would have a field day with it.


--Zetack

[Lottery Larry]

[ QUOTE ]
Too much for me. I mean, really? You're using a cut card in a home game? If I have that big a concern that mechanics and cheaters are penetrating my home game I'm just not gonna go anymore.

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It's not just cheaters. Inexperienced dealers, as you often find in home games, often flash the bottom of the deck during their deal. A cut card eliminates that problem.

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And I'm supposed to what, conduct shuffling lectures and demos before we start and then have everybody go home and practice?

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Depends on your game. I just do it myself and let others pick up on if they want to.

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I like two decks, the guy in the BB shuffles during the play of the current hand since the guy in the Sb will be dealer next time

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One bad thing about this method- much easier to set the deck to get a card if you hand it to your right (where the card will be coming from)
Having the SB hand to the button to cut, then get it back, does cut down on the possibility of a card mechanic "setting" the cut point.


[ QUOTE ]
and the new BB pulls in the used cards to begin shuffling next hand.

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You have a lot of people reaching over one another- passing the new deck one way, passing the remaining old deck (and pulling cards) in the opposite way.
Whatever works for you.

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Everybody shuffles however they've grown up shuffling.

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Everyone grew up string-raising- should we keep that in as well? Learning the "correct" way can't hurt- it will help them at the casinos and pro card rooms, if nothing else.

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Not the biggest deal in the world in my book, although I'm sure a mechanic would have a field day with it.


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Have you seen the recent posts? It also helps to avoid arguments/accusations when the dealer gets a huge suckout in a big pot.

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]

Too much for me. I mean, really? You're using a cut card in a home game? If I have that big a concern that mechanics and cheaters are penetrating my home game I'm just not gonna go anymore.


[/ QUOTE ]

Larry's procedure is the best. Yes, a cut card in a home game for the same reason there's a cut card in a casino: to keep the bottom card from flashing.

The home game I play in uses the 3-person routine where the guy who just dealt cuts the cards and the next player just deals. It's very fast, efficient and works fine. No one there is a professional dealer, and we all seem to manage it.

If you encourage good habits, you won't have those embarrassing situations where someone does something stupid with the deck during play.

Regards,

T