Poker questions

When does the dealer button move?

One seat clockwise after every completed hand. The button decides who posts the blinds and who acts last, so it moves whether or not the player in that seat was involved in the hand that just finished.

In a home game where one person deals every hand, the button still moves. It is a marker for position, not for who is physically handling the cards, and forgetting that is how a table ends up with one player in the big blind twice in a row.

Acting last is worth more than most casual players think. The player on the button sees what everyone else does before deciding, every betting round after the flop, which is why the same seat feels lucky over an evening.

When a player leaves mid-game the button still advances normally past the empty seat. Skipping it to keep the rotation neat is what actually breaks the rotation.

The full answer

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Poker table positions

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