A dealer at a casino Texas Hold'em table runs a fixed mechanical sequence: shuffle, cut, deal two private cards to each active player, then manage the board and the pot through four betting rounds. The procedure is the same in cash games and most tournaments, but the table rules printed in the room govern details like the number of raises and how the deck is cut.
This article covers the dealing order and the dealer's responsibilities. It does not cover strategy, odds, or how to win. Outcomes are governed by the cards dealt and the fixed house commission or tournament fee, not by any dealing method.
The Dealing Sequence
Dealing Texas Hold'em follows a set order. The dealer's job is to move the cards and the pot through that order without giving any player information about a card that has not been exposed. The sequence below is the standard structure used in card rooms.
- Shuffle the deck and offer it to a player to cut, or use the automatic shuffler if the table has one.
- Deal one card face down to each active player, starting with the player to the left of the dealer button.
- Deal a second card face down to each active player in the same order.
- Run the first betting round.
- Discard one card face down, then deal the flop: three community cards face up together.
- Run the second betting round.
- Discard one card face down, then deal the turn: one community card face up.
- Run the third betting round.
- Discard one card face down, then deal the river: one community card face up.
- Run the final betting round, then oversee the showdown and award the pot.
The discarded card before the flop, turn, and river is called the burn card. It is removed to protect against a marked or exposed card being used to predict the next community card. The burn card is not shown to the table.
Dealer Responsibilities at Each Stage
The dealer's role changes slightly between the deal, the betting rounds, and the showdown. The table below compares what the dealer does at each stage and what the dealer must not do.
| Stage | Dealer action | What the dealer does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-hand | Shuffle, cut, place the dealer button | Comment on a player's stack or style |
| Hole cards | Deal two cards face down to each active player, left to right from the button | Expose a card or vary the dealing order |
| Flop | Burn one, then deal three community cards face up together | Fan the cards one by one in a way that reveals timing |
| Turn and river | Burn one before each, deal one face up | Skip the burn or change the board order |
| Showdown | Read the hands, push the pot to the winner | Advise a player on whether to call or fold |
How the Dealer Button Moves
The dealer button is a round disc that marks the nominal dealer for the hand. It moves one seat to the left after every completed hand. The two players to the left of the button post the small blind and the big blind before any cards are dealt.
The button determines the dealing order and the order of action in every betting round. The player to the left of the button acts first before the flop, and the first active player to the left of the button acts first on all later rounds. The button itself acts last in every post-flop round, which is a structural advantage built into the game's order of play.
What the Dealer Controls and What the Table Rules Control
The dealer controls the mechanics: the shuffle, the cut, the order of cards, the burn cards, the board, and the pot. The table rules control the parameters: the blind amounts, the minimum and maximum buy-in, the number of raises allowed, and whether the game is no-limit, pot-limit, or fixed-limit.
Those parameters are printed on the table or posted in the room. They differ between card rooms and between cash games and tournaments. A dealer does not set them and cannot change them.
What to Confirm Before You Sit Down
Before you play, confirm the table's betting structure and blind amounts. Ask the floor or the dealer to point to the printed table rules. Confirm whether the room uses an automatic shuffler, because that changes how the cut is handled. Confirm the rake or tournament fee structure, since that is the house's charge for running the game. Confirm the minimum and maximum buy-in, because those determine what you must put on the table.
The authoritative current answer for any room is the printed table rules in that room, or the poker room manager. This article describes the standard dealing order, not any specific venue's house rules.
FAQ
Does the dealer always burn a card before the flop?
The standard dealing order burns one card before the flop, one before the turn, and one before the river. The burn card is discarded face down and not shown. A room may have a house rule that changes this, but the standard procedure is to burn one card before each community-card street.
Who acts first after the flop?
The first active player to the left of the dealer button acts first on the flop, turn, and river. Before the flop, the player to the left of the big blind acts first. The dealer button acts last in every post-flop betting round, which is a structural feature of the game's order of play.
Can the dealer give advice on how to play a hand?
No. The dealer runs the mechanics of the game and enforces the table rules. The dealer does not advise players on whether to call, raise, or fold. A dealer who comments on a player's decision is violating the neutrality required of the role.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.