Handling the button queston

[Uncle_Billy]

This might seem like a dumb question, but curious given there are dealers here - and never thought to ask the question until now...

Is there anything wrong with playing with the actual button when you have it in a casino setting? Asking because when I've played live (maybe 10-12 trips total), once in a while I'll prop the button up on its edge while the dealer deals.

Generally the dealer seems to try to slide my cards under the button / knock the button over / be a funny screwball (most frequent), ignore what I did (next frequent), or act a little annoyed. One time the dealer seemed genuinely irritated...

[Quadstriker]

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Is there anything wrong with playing with the actual button when you have it in a casino setting?

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Please don't. Let it sit clearly in front of you so that all players and the dealer can easily see which player is on the button. There is no need to pick it up, twirl it, cover it with chips, rest your elbows on it.

[QuadsOverQuads]

Occasionally, a player who "plays with the button" is actually looking for an opportunity to mis-position it (so as to dodge a blind, or get two shots at the button). The end seats are where this most often occurs.

The best practice is to leave the button as the dealer positioned it.


q/q

[youtalkfunny]

I don't care what you do with it--just leave it where I can reach it. People who pull to the rail seem to forget that I need to move it when the hand is over.

One time, a player stood the button on its side, with the outer edge pointing at me. When I pitched his first card to him, I tried to slide it under the button without knocking it down. I pitched a perfect strike.

I tried again with the second card. Another strike, but a surprising thing happened. The second card slid over the back of the first card, under the button, and shot clean through.

I've tried to replicate this feat many times over the years since, and have been unable to do so.

[Leibniz]

Or you can be annoying like people I see who like to use the button as their card protector and then hide it around the side of their stack. KitN

[bav]

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One time, a player stood the button on its side, with the outer edge pointing at me. When I pitched his first card to him, I tried to slide it under the button without knocking it down. I pitched a perfect strike.

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And it's amazing how few people realize there's a mandatory $5 toke required if the dealer can pitch the card and make it stick under the button without knocking it over.

[Howard Burroughs]

One night at the Tuscany, a dealer put the button in a guy's drink (while the dude was in the rest room). Dealer called the floor for an extra "button", and play resumed with the "new" button (while old button was in the guy's cocktail).

Guy returned to table and everyone had a good time with the joke (I was just a witness but it's something I have not seen before or since). YMMV.


Best Wishes

Howard


PS, My buddy Korey (who was also at that Tuscany table) will sometimes take a poker mag and build it into a pirate hat and take two missed blind buttons and put them in his eyes and bet/play in the dark.
At least he's done it a few times (graveyard) at the Suncoast.

[pfapfap]

Please don't hide the button. Prop it up or something if you want, but holding it in your hands or using it as a card protector or doing anything like that just throws me off my rhythm. There are a lot of little things to keep track of as a dealer, and more automated I can make the process, the faster and more accurately it goes for everybody. I want my board to be clean and easy to understand from the very first glance, and a button in plain view where I last put it assists with that greatly. I don't go to where you work and rearrange your desk while you're in the middle of working.

[jasonfish11]

In a related question what about moving it after the hand is over. I have done this for many of the shorter dealers but I usually say "button moved" or something to that extent so the dealer can hear. Does this bother your or is that ok?

[pfapfap]

Eh, I usually appreciate that someone is trying to help, but it throws me out of my rhythm of washing board, moving button, doing drop. I also have an instinct to move the button when it's near me, but I refrain because I don't want to get the dealers out of routine. While the Button Player is often someone who tries too hard to be "cute" and slows down the game down in other ways, the Button Mover is usually trying to be helpful and is a fast and courteous player otherwise. But neither are grave offenses in any way. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]