It is important to exercise etiquette while playing a game with friends, acquaintances and people that you are not familiar with. Poker is a game where etiquette is important and order is crucial to the event. While playing poker, there are certain aspects of etiquette which should be adhered to while playing to ensure that all players within the tournament or game are being respected through each of the hands and through each of the betting rounds. Learning this poker etiquette is essential at learning to fit into a high class game with ease. Here are some of the aspects of poker etiquette that every poker player should be aware of.

Be aware of your space. There are often crowded amounts of people at poker tables and therefore being aware of your space could mean something as simple as allowing the individuals at the table to have space for their chips. Remove all drinks from the table and ensure that your chips are stacked to take up as little room as possible from those sitting next to you. This being said, the player should also refrain from having the chips too close to the pot.

Splashing the pot should be avoided. This occurs when the player sloppily throws their chips into the pot. The dealer may have to re-count the pot, stopping the game to ensure that all chips have been placed into the pot. While playing, stack chips neatly and push them into the center of the table for the dealer to collect and add to the pot that is being created.

Respect other players at the table, as well as the dealer, regardless of the hand outcome that has come about. In the case that you have lost, be graceful with the loss and realize that another person has won fairly. Don’t speak to the dealer or other players in a malicious tone and expect to be respected at the poker table.