People play poker for two reasons - to earn money and more so to have fun. It is a truly enjoyable and entertaining game and all kinds of people from all across the world play poker because its fun. However, like all other activities, even while playing poker we must follow some rules of etiquette.
- Do not reveal your cards while a hand is going on. An unwritten rule, some casinos may even penalize you for this breach of etiquette. Whether you are folding or not, a show is an absolute no-no. It can give one player an advantage over another and may even ruin a pot for someone.
- If after folding you realize that you could have made a great hand on the flop, there is no need to make a big show and tell everyone how it would have altered your game. In fact, it would be considered well mannered to not react to the cards on the board at all. Again, it can potentially ruin a pot by giving some players the advantage.
- Do not be verbally abusive to anyone or critical of another player’s actions. Do not show off your cards or your talents.
- Don’t blame the dealer. Always try and tip the dealer whenever you can. The dealer truly has no control over what cards are dealt so there is no point in blaming him. He is just doing his job and deserves respect.
- If you are a spectator (even for that one game), keep your mouth shut and refrain from commenting. Giving advice to a live player is against the rules in most places while simply talking about the hand is also in very bad taste.