The dealer button is a disc that sits in front of one player and marks who deals. In a home game nobody deals by hand any more, most of us load two decks into a Dealtron MAX6 and let it do the work, but the button still decides two things. It sets which players post the blinds, and it decides who acts last after the flop. The blinds are the two forced bets that get every hand started. Positions are the seats, named by where they sit relative to the button.
Sort those three out and most of the arguing goes away.
What the button does
The button is a puck, usually white with a D on it. It moves one seat clockwise after every hand, no matter who shuffled or who paid for the beer.
Two things follow from where it sits.
The two players on the button's left post the small blind and the big blind. Everyone else bets in clockwise order, but the order changes depending on the round. Before the flop, betting starts with the player to the left of the big blind and finishes with the big blind, who has the option to raise or check. After the flop, betting starts with the small blind and finishes with the player on the button.
Acting last is worth a lot in poker. You have seen what everyone else did before you choose. The button is the best seat at the table, and it is the reason position gets talked about more than anything else in the game.
The blinds
A blind is a bet you have to make before you look at your cards. The small blind is half the big blind, and the two of them sit immediately to the left of the button.
Blinds exist because without a forced bet there is no reason to play a hand. Everyone would fold until they picked up aces, and the game would stop.
Here is what that looks like at common home stakes.
| Stakes | Small blind | Big blind | Typical buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.25 / $0.50 | $0.25 | $0.50 | $20 to $40 |
| $0.50 / $1 | $0.50 | $1 | $40 to $80 |
| $1 / $2 | $1 | $2 | $100 to $200 |
| $2 / $5 | $2 | $5 | $300 to $500 |
The buy-in column is a rough guide, not a rule. What matters is that everyone buys in for roughly the same amount and that the blinds are small enough to see a few dozen hands before the night is over.
If your group plays for a fixed number of hours rather than until someone goes broke, raise the blinds on a schedule. Every 30 minutes works. Say it out loud when you do it, because half the table will not notice otherwise.
Positions, in order
Nine seats is the standard casino table, and the names come from there. Going clockwise from the button, the seats are the small blind, the big blind, under the gun, early position, middle position, the cutoff, and then back to the button.
| Position | Where it sits | Acts pre-flop | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small blind | first seat left of the button | second to last | Cheap flop, worst position after it |
| Big blind | second seat left of the button | last | Cheapest look at a flop, plus the option |
| Under the gun | first seat left of the blinds | first | Play tight, you have no information |
| Early position | next two seats | second, third | Still tight |
| Middle position | seats four to six | middle | Wider range, more hands worth playing |
| Cutoff | right of the button | second to last | Best stealing seat |
| Button | the dealer seat | last after the flop | Best seat at the table |
At a home table with six players you do not need nine names. Small blind, big blind, early, middle, late, done. The behaviour is the same: play fewer hands from the seats that act first, more from the seats that act last.
Six arguments to settle before the first hand
Does the button skip an empty seat? Pick one. The moving button jumps to the next player who is actually there, and the blinds follow. The dead button leaves the puck on the empty seat, and the blinds go to the next two players along, which means somebody skips the small blind. Use the moving button at home. It is easier to explain.
Can someone join mid-game? Let them wait for the big blind, or post a blind and play at once. Do not hand a newcomer the button.
Is a straddle allowed? A straddle is a third blind posted by the player to the left of the big blind, who then acts last pre-flop. It makes hands bigger and more volatile. Fine for a loud home game, and worth a vote rather than a surprise.
Who shuffles? Whoever has a machine on the table, in our case. If you are dealing by hand, the player on the button shuffles. If you are running an automatic card shuffler, the button is just a marker and nobody has to touch the deck.
What happens when someone busts? They rebuy or they sit out. Decide before it happens, mid-hand is the worst possible time to negotiate.
How long is the night? A stop time beats playing until one person has all the chips.
Running the deal
Poker reshuffles constantly, once per hand, and that is where most home games lose their pace. Hand shuffling two decks takes 30 seconds or more if the shuffler is being careful, and considerably longer if they are not, and then somebody complains that the deck was not mixed properly.
The MAX6 shuffles both decks in about 5 to 8 seconds and runs under 50dB, so it does not cut across the table talk. It rotates 360 degrees to place cards at every seat and deals to as many as twelve players, which covers a full table plus a couple of latecomers. Eight wireless remotes come with it, which is how players draw extra cards in games that need them without reaching across the table.
For two or three players, the Dealtron X1 does the same job with one deck and a single button, and it is $31.99.
One practical note. Set the player count before the first hand and leave it alone. Changing it between hands is how cards end up in front of an empty seat.
Heads-up and short-handed
With two players the button posts the small blind and acts first before the flop, then acts last after it. This is the one case where the button does not act last pre-flop, and it catches people out.
Three-handed and four-handed play is normal and fast. The same names apply, you just have fewer of them.
Frequently asked questions
Who deals if there is a dealer button? Nobody, in most home games. The button marks a seat, not a job. Either one person runs the deck all night, or a machine does it. Casinos use a dealer because the house needs a neutral party, and your kitchen table does not.
Does the button act last? After the flop, yes, every time. Before the flop the big blind acts last, because the blinds have the option to check or raise once everyone else has acted.
What happens when a player leaves? The button keeps moving. With the moving button rule it skips the empty seat and the blinds go to the next two players along. Do not pause the rotation to wait for someone to come back from the kitchen.
Can you pass the button? No. It moves one seat clockwise after every hand whether you like your position or not.
How many players can sit at one table? Ten is the practical ceiling for poker, because more than that and the hand takes too long with a full round of betting. Other games go higher. A machine that deals to twelve seats gives you room for the crowd games that follow the poker.
Do blinds have to be money? Chips. Cash on the table is a nightmare to count and nobody enjoys making change at 11pm.
If you are setting up the whole night
Blinds and positions are half of it. The other half is chips, buy-ins, table size and how long you are playing for. We went through all of it in the longer piece on hosting a Texas Hold'em home game.
If poker is a weekly thing at your place, the Dealtron MAX6 takes two decks, shuffles them in 5 to 8 seconds and deals to twelve seats at under 50dB, with eight wireless remotes in the box. Smaller table, the X1 does one deck for $31.99. Free US shipping, 30 day returns and a 6 month replacement guarantee.