Lucky Dog Poker by Russ Scott

This week, readers in Florida and Texas ask about the dealer's "tap" and how to handle a maniac at the table. Let's try to help.

Q: The poker room where I play does not require that dealers tap the table before dealing burn cards in flop games. This has caused premature turn and river cards, which then must be reshuffled back into the deck. They say the tap slows play. Is there a rule on this for dealers? — Paul A. near Daytona Beach, Fla.

A: Not all card rooms train their dealers to tap the table before dealing the flop, turn and river — but they should, Paul.

There are two important reasons for the tap:

— To signify a betting round is over.

When the dealer taps the table, players know that's the signal for the flop, turn or river cards to be dealt. If there's any reason to halt the action before the dealer proceeds, the tap is the trigger for a player to speak up. A common reason to stop the action is when one or more players have yet to act in a betting round.

The staff where you play is wrong to say the tap slows the game. It takes just a second to confirm a round of betting is complete and tap the table twice. Reshuffling a prematurely exposed board card back into the deck takes a minute or so because a floor person usually oversees the process.

— To ingrain proper dealing procedure.

The tap is a reminder to the dealer of what she must do next: burn a card, then deal a flop, turn or river. It's like a pre-shot routine for golfers — they first grip the club, then set their feet, then swing. Dealers who use the tap are less likely to err.

You also said some dealers "do not pay attention and are either watching TV or talking to players. I have spoken up about this many times, but all the dealers want to do is get out as many hands as possible."

That's a shame, Paul.

Dealers must control the table and make sure that players bet correctly. Players, meanwhile, must stay alert, act in turn and do nothing to tarnish the game.

Because you don't have other nearby card room choices, you need to stay focused at the table and continue to politely — but firmly — report anything that threatens the integrity of your game.

Q: I was playing a no-limit hold 'em cash game recently in Shreveport, La., and had this crazy aggressive guy to my left who constantly raised pre-flop to $25 on virtually every hand. He kept forcing people out, including me. Finally, I got pocket queens, went all-in for $160 even though a king was on the board and doubled up against the guy, who didn't even have a pair. Any thoughts? — Paul M. in Forney, Texas.

A: Sounds as if you handled the maniac OK, Paul, waiting for a hand you could play against him. That's what I would have done, perhaps with hands as weak as A-10, K-Q and medium pairs down to 8-8 — but only if I knew we'd be heads-up.

The best way to handle a bully is to trap him with your premium pairs and play back at him with your reasonable hands, figuring you're ahead of whatever trash he's betting. 

You still must be careful, however, and only fight back with hands that can stand a re-raise from the aggressor because, as you noted, he sometimes will have a good hand, as well.

You also wrote about being dealt pocket aces the day before and flopping quads, then getting pocket aces two of the next three hands. "What are the odds of that?" you asked.

Yikes, Paul. What a rush! 

The odds of being dealt pocket aces in hold 'em are 220 to one, flopping quads holding a pocket pair is a 407-to-one long shot, and getting pocket aces three out of four hands is something like 10,000,000to one, if my math is correct!

E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 RUSS SCOTT

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