Poker is a game of chance, but it also involves a lot of psychology and skill. In order to play the game properly, you must be able to keep your emotions in check and make rational decisions at all times. The worst thing you can do is lose control of your emotions when it matters most, and this will only hurt you in the long run.

All chips must be in plain sight at all times, and only the amount a player has in front of them at the start of a deal plays for that hand (excepting chips not yet received that a player has purchased). A player may not use more than the amount that they have in play during a given deal; any additional amount pushed into a pot is called “playing behind”.

A player cannot reveal information about their hand to anyone not playing in the current round. This includes telling someone that their hand is a good one or bad, and it also includes reading a folded hand in a showdown when the cards are not revealed.

If a player wishes to leave the table, they must notify the list-person and can only leave an amount equal to the minimum buy-in for that particular game. The list-person will then seat the player in a game that has room for him, but he may not transfer to a different game with fewer players than the game being moved to.