Dealer: Poker
From the poker tables in Las Vegas to the poker tables in São Paulo, the dealer is always present. Even in online games, this function is necessary. And, contrary to what many people may think, when you play alone online, you are playing against the dealer.
Dealers aren't just there to deal the cards. They influence the course of the poker rounds. Your position at the table in relation to the dealer makes all the difference to your game. In this article we'll explain all this in detail.
The dealer's mission is to lead the action
The dealer deals the cards, gives instructions to the players at the table and also indicates who is who among the players. He's basically there to make sure the game runs smoothly. As a representative of the house, he also has the job of enforcing the casino rules.
Who can be the dealer
In a real or online casino, the dealer is always a house professional. This professional is also called a dealer. He gives instructions to everyone at the table and can even answer a player's questions.
When it's a friendly game between acquaintances, one of the friends is the dealer. In this scenario, one person can either "sacrifice" themselves and play the role of dealer for the entire game, or this role is passed around from player to player, round after round.
When the dealer role is rotated, all the players can join in the fun by playing for real at the table. When one person plays the role of dealer on a fixed basis, they usually just do that and don't play like the other players. But of course, all this can change from one table to another, especially in a friendly setting where people make up the rules as they see fit.
Poker table positions (small blind, big blind and more)
The dealer's position indicates who is who at the table. The poker game is always clockwise, i.e. the first to play is to the left of the dealer while the last to play is to the right of the dealer.
Small blind
The first person to the left of the dealer is called the small blind. It's one of the most important roles at the table, as it's the kick-off to the game. The small blind makes a mandatory bet to start the round. The other players have to pay the small blind.
This position is considered one of the worst at the table. The small blind has to act before everyone else. That is, they haven't yet seen what the bettors have done, there isn't much information, so they have to make decisions "in the dark".
Big blind
The big blind is the person to the left of the small blind. They will have to place a bet that is twice the size of the small blind. Like the small blind, the big blind is considered a bad position for the same reason: the person in the big blind hasn't yet seen what the players are going to do.
Middle positions
The middle positions are the people to the left of the big blind. The number of people in this position changes depending on the type of table. There are 6-person tables, 9-person tables and so on. It's still not seen as an interesting place to be at the table, but it's better than the blinds.
Final positions
The final positions are the people next to the dealer on the right. The last player, who is to the right of the dealer, is seen as the player in the best position. He has basically seen what all the other players have done. Because of this, he can make better decisions.
The variation of positions
It would be rather unfair to leave the players in the same position every round. That way, the same player in the starting position would always have the disadvantage, and the player in the end position would always have the advantage.
Because of this, the positions usually advance. A small blind becomes a big blind and so on. So that players don't get confused, a button is often given to indicate who the dealer is. But in this case, it's just an indication, to show where the small blind starts and so on.
Playing alone against the poker dealer
Playing alone online is possible. It's a version of poker where there are no other players, just you and the dealer. The dealer gets his cards and you get yours. There is no small blind or big blind, but there is a compulsory bet called the "ante".
After paying the mandatory bet, you receive your two cards and decide whether to continue and bet double the ante to continue or fold and lose the ante amount. You can raise, fold or simply call. The dealer, on the other hand, can do nothing but continue.
He can't fold or raise. He just goes along with the player. Otherwise, the casino might as well put in skilled dealers, which wouldn't be fair to the players. In this case, the payout is usually 1:1.
Note that the dealer is not necessarily a person when you play alone, it's just the poker game software. Playing alone is highly recommended for people who are just starting to play poker.
The dealer in live poker
Many people choose to play live poker because they enjoy interacting with other people. Dealers are an important figure in this regard. They appear live on camera and everything is broadcast to online players.
In a country like Brazil, where there are no real casinos, playing at live tables is the closest you can get to a real casino. You'll see a real person working as a dealer and, at some tables, a chat room is set up to allow interaction between dealer and player.
Final thoughts on the poker dealer
The dealer is an essential figure in poker, poker hands wouldn't make much sense without a person playing this role. The flop, turn, river and so on are examples of stages that require a dealer to lead the action, deal the cards and so on. Therefore, this professional is essential and has a huge responsibility. Brazino777 is an example of a casino that offers live games with a real dealer.
Poker dealer FAQ section
Here we'll answer some of the most common questions about the poker dealer.
What's the difference between a casino dealer and a dealer at a table with friends?
The casino dealer is a professional who is paid to conduct the action. The dealer at a table of friends who have gotten together to play poker, on the other hand, is just one of the friends who is playing the role because the game requires it.
In this type of situation, the friends usually take turns so that everyone can play the role of dealer at some point and so that one person isn't stuck in that position forever.
What does it take to become a dealer and work with it?
In Brazil, it is difficult to find clubs or training centers that prepare people to become professionals who work in casinos, such as dealers. Note that Brazil doesn't allow real casinos.
What is more common is for casinos to offer courses for people who want to pursue this career. Being a dealer isn't easy, so it's important to think carefully before trying to pursue this career. If you're an ordinary Brazilian and really want to follow this path, your best chance is to look for opportunities on the internet.
But be prepared to take a course, pay fees and possibly spend some time out of work in the field. Taking a dealer course, just like any other profession, is no guarantee of a job or a career.
How important is the dealer?
To begin with, the dealer is the one who collects the chips and conducts the action at the table. He gives instructions to the players and ensures that the rules of the game are followed. In real casinos, the dealer must be present at poker tables and similar games.
The poker game also depends very much on the dealer's position. Poker games are always clockwise, starting with the small blind to the left of the dealer. Whoever is furthest to the left of the dealer is considered to be in a bad position.
Whoever is furthest to the right of the dealer is considered to be in a better position. Therefore, strategies can be put together based on the player's position at the table in relation to the dealer. In other words, we can say that the dealer is essential.
Can a tournament take place without a dealer?
No, a tournament can't be run without a poker dealer. At least, not serious tournaments. Any self-respecting organization will demand the presence of a dealer at the table when it comes to championship matches.
Can the dealer place bets?
This depends on the type of poker you're playing, but the short answer is yes, the dealer can place bets. In fact, even when you're playing alone online, you're basically up against a dealer.
It doesn't have to be a real person playing against you online, but perhaps the software that plays the role of the dealer. In these cases, the dealer will always keep track of the player, but he can't raise or fold.
Otherwise, the casino could employ a professional with advanced skills to play the role of the dealer or use advanced software to do so. This situation would be very unfair to the player. Therefore, the dealer in an online casino is limited in his actions when playing directly against a player.
This is even the case with some of Brazino777's games. Here on our platform you can play alone against the machine or software, which would be the equivalent of a dealer. You can call, fold, raise and so on, but the dealer can only, at most, follow what you're doing.
That is, if you raise, he will raise, no matter what kind of hand he has. There are also tables that don't have a casino professional to be the dealer, so that role goes to one of the players. He can obviously bet. Note that we are only illustrating some of the possible scenarios. Poker is a complex game and there are many variations of it. But, as we've already mentioned, the dealer can bet, but that depends on the table.
Do dealers exist in other casino games or is it something unique to poker?
Yes, the dealer is not exclusive to poker. In fact, it's a professional who conducts some of the casino games. In addition to poker, blackjack is a good example of a game that always has a dealer at the table.
