Both prior answers are correct, but a couple of amplifications may be in order.
Though it's extremely common to rotate the task of dealing the cards among the players in home/friendly games, it isn't always done that way. Way back in college, I once got recruited to deal a private game being played for somewhat higher stakes than I was comfortable with.
This is important because in casino games, tournaments, and any other game where a designated person is acting as a "house" dealer, there's still a player designated as "dealer" for every hand -- and that designated dealer position rotates around the table the same way the actual deal would. Casino parlance refers to this as "the button", and marks it with a disc with DEALER stamped on it; you'll find a dealer button in all but the cheapest poker-chip sets these days.
The reason for the "button" is that in many poker variants, betting begins with the player to the dealer's immediate left. If the button didn't move, the same players would get to act first and last during every hand all night long, and betting position can confer significant advantages and disadvantages (also, some games call for forced "blind" opening bets by the two players to the dealer's immediate left). So the button rotates as a method of equalizing the effects of position.
I note in passing that 5-card draw/stud has been almost entirely eclipsed among serious players -- including serious home players -- by Texas Hold'Em. But that's the real world....
I note in passing that 5-card draw/stud has been almost entirely eclipsed among serious players -- including serious home players -- by Texas Hold'Em. But that's the real world....
That, and the fact that 5-card is the game the author knows.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2006-06-11 06:36 pm (UTC)Though it's extremely common to rotate the task of dealing the cards among the players in home/friendly games, it isn't always done that way. Way back in college, I once got recruited to deal a private game being played for somewhat higher stakes than I was comfortable with.
This is important because in casino games, tournaments, and any other game where a designated person is acting as a "house" dealer, there's still a player designated as "dealer" for every hand -- and that designated dealer position rotates around the table the same way the actual deal would. Casino parlance refers to this as "the button", and marks it with a disc with DEALER stamped on it; you'll find a dealer button in all but the cheapest poker-chip sets these days.
The reason for the "button" is that in many poker variants, betting begins with the player to the dealer's immediate left. If the button didn't move, the same players would get to act first and last during every hand all night long, and betting position can confer significant advantages and disadvantages (also, some games call for forced "blind" opening bets by the two players to the dealer's immediate left). So the button rotates as a method of equalizing the effects of position.
I note in passing that 5-card draw/stud has been almost entirely eclipsed among serious players -- including serious home players -- by Texas Hold'Em. But that's the real world....
no subject
Date: 2006-06-11 07:49 pm (UTC)That, and the fact that 5-card is the game the author knows.