777JILI Poker Table Layout: Dealer Button, Blinds and Wagers
A poker table is read from the dealer seat clockwise: the blinds sit immediately to its left, the first round of betting starts left of the big blind, and the dealer button moves one place each hand.
Key facts and contents
- 777JILI Domino Game Rules
- A domino game deals tiles from a set (28 in the double-six set), players add tiles to either end of one line, and the round ends when one player plays out or nobody can move.
- 777JILI Flush Meaning in Poker
- A flush is five cards of the same suit.
- 777JILI How to Shuffle Cards
- To shuffle cards by hand, cut the deck about in half, riffle the halves together, square the deck and repeat.
- 777JILI Poker Chips
- A chip is worth the number printed on it or the value the table sets.
- 777JILI Push Meaning in Blackjack, Baccarat and Casino War
- A push is a tie between your hand and the dealer's: the wager is returned, neither lost nor paid. pagat.com uses the word for blackjack and baccarat ties; the Massachusetts rules call a returned Casino War initial wager a push.
- 777JILI Split in Blackjack
- A split in blackjack turns a starting pair of equal value into two hands, each needing a wager equal to the original.
- 777JILI Straight Poker Explained
- A straight is five cards of mixed suits in sequence.
- 777JILI War Card Game
- In the war card game each side turns a card and the higher rank wins; equal ranks make a war.
A poker table is read from the dealer seat outward, and everything else about the layout follows from that one position. This 777JILI page explains the button, the blinds and the seats, and then shows how a casino table game rearranges the same felt. It sits under poker games and the rules they share.
Poker table basics: the dealer seat and the button
pagat.com places the players who post blinds immediately to the left of the dealer seat. The dealer button marks that seat, and it moves on after each hand.
The Poker TDA’s rules add three details about the button:
- The button does not belong to a seat, so when a player is eliminated the button can advance to keep the blind order fair.
- Heads-up, the small blind is the button, is dealt the last card and acts first before the flop.
- In mixed games such as HORSE, the button moves to where it would be for hold’em when play shifts to stud, and stays frozen there.
In a Five Card Draw hand where everyone passes, pagat.com says the cards are thrown in, the dealer button is passed to the left and a new ante is added.
Blinds around the table
Blinds are forced bets posted before the cards are dealt, and they count as bets. pagat.com’s example is a $2-$4 fixed-limit game.
| Position | Posts | Acts in the first round |
|---|---|---|
| Left of the dealer seat | $1 small blind | Just before the big blind |
| Left of the small blind | $2 big blind | Last, and may raise even if others only called |
| Left of the big blind | Nothing | First |
The player to the left of the big blind may be allowed to straddle, a voluntary blind of twice the big blind placed before the deal. pagat.com says a straddle usually raises the betting limits in proportion, and the straddler gains the chance to act last in the first round.
Seats and who sits where
The Poker TDA’s rules treat seat assignment as part of the event. Three of its rules cover where a player ends up:
- Tournament and satellite seats are assigned randomly.
- A player who starts in the wrong seat with the correct chip stack moves to the correct seat.
- A new player may be seated in the small blind, big blind or button position and dealt in, except between the small blind and the button.
How many seats a table has depends on the game and the room, so open the table’s own info or rules screen before you sit.
A casino table game layout
A house-banked game keeps the dealer in one place and puts the wagers in marked areas. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Three Card Poker rules define the pieces: an ante wager made before any cards are dealt, a play wager equal to the ante if you stay in, and a pair plus wager against a posted payout ledger.
| Feature | Poker table | House-banked layout |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Other players | The dealer’s hand or a payout ledger |
| Forced bet | Blinds or antes | Ante wager, then play wager |
| Position that moves | The button, each hand | None in the rules above |
The same Massachusetts rule set says wagers are made by placing chips or plaques on the appropriate betting areas of the table layout, and a verbal wager accompanied by cash is not accepted. Another jurisdiction may word its layout rules differently.
Other table games, compared
Poker is one of several games played around a table, and each handles position its own way. Two sibling pages show the contrast.
- how the war card game handles ties: Massachusetts rules play it with six, seven or eight decks, and a war deal begins with the dealer discarding three burn cards.
- the domino game from draw to last tile: pagat.com describes players drawing from a boneyard when they cannot play, with no blinds at all.
Reading a table before you sit
A table tells you its rules if you read three items first. 21+ applies, and set your limit before the first hand.
- The game name and whether it is played against other players or the dealer.
- The forced bets, either blind sizes or an ante.
- The minimum and maximum stake, shown on the table’s own screen.
FAQ
What does the dealer button do at a poker table?
It marks the dealer seat, which fixes where the blinds are posted. pagat.com places the blinds immediately to the left of the dealer seat, and the Poker TDA's rules say the button does not belong to a seat.
Who posts the blinds?
pagat.com says the players immediately left of the dealer seat post them. In its fixed-limit example, the first player posts a $1 small blind and the next posts a $2 big blind.
How is a casino table game layout different from a poker table?
On a house-banked game such as Three Card Poker, Massachusetts rules have the player place an ante wager before any cards are dealt and compete against the dealer's hand, not against the other players.
How many seats does a poker table have?
It depends on the table. Open the table's own info screen or rules page, which states the seats for that game.