Playing in a card room or casino (both online poker and land based) is considerably different than playing at home. First, the dealer will be a professional who will deal all the rounds. Everyone gets to be the nominal dealer; though, thanks to the "dealer button," which moves from one player to the next after each hand, establishing who is dealt the first cards in each round and is the first to bet (the person to the "dealer's" immediate left).

How the house makes money:

Normally, you play poker against other players, and whoever wins the pot "takes all." So how does the house make money? Poker games in card rooms and casinos operate differently than your kitchen poker games. There are two ways in which the house makes money. First, the casino or card room charges a fee by the hour, a sort of "seat fee" to pay for the staff and facility (this is not done at online poker rooms).. Every hour, the management collects a set amount form each player, depending on the table limits. Second, the house will charge a fee, or "rake," on every pot that is played (these rake fees are also applicable at online poker rooms). Casinos really don't make a lot from poker; it's more of a "convenience" game for the patrons.

Entering a poker room/casino:

Casino and card room poker is played around an oval table that seats between seven and ten players, depending on the specific game. Unlike other casino table games, you can't just walk into a poker room, pick any seat, sit down, and start to play. Instead, you must first contact a floor man or supervisor who will inform you what games are being played, what limits they have, and whether there's an available seat.

Betting Levels

You will find different betting levels or limits for each poker game. For example, you might play in a $1 to $4 Texas Hold'em game, which means a $1 minimum bet and a maximum bet of $4. Or you might find a higher stakes hold'em game at the very next table, with limits of $5 to to $20. Whenever you play poker, always make sure you know what the betting limits are for the table you are playing.

The Ante

As the dealer shuffles the deck, each player puts up an "ante," which is a small flat fee you pay to purchase the right to play in that round table. If you don't pay the ante, you are "sitting out." Many games have what it called the "blind," which is the ante for a particular round. With blinds, only the first and second players (after the "official" dealer) put up an ante, called the small blind and big blind respectively. The small blind is normally half the minimum bet, and the big blind is the same as the minimum bet. This requires the third player to call the minimum bet, to fold, or to raise.

Betting Order

When you are betting, it's important that you bet in order, or in proper sequence. Betting normally starts from the left of the dealer and goes around the table clockwise from player to player. You must wait your turn before betting in any poker game. All raises and calls must be the correct amount for each player. It's the dealer's job to see that each player puts in the proper amount when it is his or her turn to bet. After all bets are made, the dealer sweeps all bets into the center of the table, making one big pot. In games in which the cards are dealt face up, the highest hand starts the betting.

The Pot

The ante and all other wagering money in the round go into the center of the table, into a pile called the pot. Additional side pots are formed whenever one player runs out of table funds and goes all-in. These additional pots grow from the wagering that is still being done by other players as the round progresses.

Player Options

There are different numbers of betting rounds for different games. During each round, players can choose to "check", "call," "raise," or "fold." When you check, it means that you want to stay in the game, but don't want to bet. After someone makes the initial bet, all other players can call, raise, or fold, but not check. When you call, you wager the same amount of the original bet and remain in the game. When you raise, you match the original bet and increase the wager by a given amount. When you fold, you are declaring that you ware out of the round, and you discard your hand.

Card Speak

The value of your hand is as it lays. This means that regardless of what a player might declare or claim, the cards that are exposed are taken at face value. In fact, a player does not verbally declare his hand at all. The dealer normally determines and declares the highest or lowest hand during a showdown.