Policing the Poker Table
Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and requires some skill to win. It can be played with a variety of chips, but is generally played with white, red and blue chips worth various amounts, such as ten or twenty white chips or five red chips. A round of betting begins after each player receives two cards, known as hole cards. After the initial bets, five community cards are dealt face up in stages, beginning with the flop and later an additional card – called the turn – and then a final card – the river. The highest hand wins the pot.
To be successful at poker, one needs to be able to make decisions under uncertainty. That means being able to make a decision without having all the information available, and then making the best possible estimate of the likelihood that a given outcome will occur. It also means being able to read other players, watching their reactions and looking for tells. This can include nervous body language, fidgeting with a ring or a chip, and more subtle signs like the way a player calls a bet. A good dealer will be able to nudge other players back into line when they get out of control, in the same way that you might lightly slap a puppy during training, not enough to hurt it but enough to send a clear message. This is called policing the table.