Set the ground rules first
Before the first hand, agree on a few things as a table. Two minutes now saves a dozen arguments later.
💵Fix the stakes. Settle on the ante and the betting limit up front — small enough that nobody's night is ruined by one bad hand. A $1 ante and a $1 limit is plenty.
📋Agree what's allowed. Decide whether truly wild inventions are fair game or whether you're sticking to the known catalog. Post the list where everyone can see it.
⏱️Set an end time. "Last deal at midnight" keeps the night from drifting and gives everyone a fair shot to win it back.
Pick the right game for the moment
The dealer's real job is reading the table. Match the game to who's playing and how the night's going.
👥Mind the player count. Big table? A community game like Iron Cross or a low-card-count game like Guts deals cleanly to seven or eight. Down to three or four? Stud games shine.
🌡️Warm up, then heat up. Open with something everyone knows — Hold'em or 5-Card Draw — and save the swingy wild-card games for when the table's loosened up.
🎓Teach before you deal. If you're calling a game some players don't know, walk through it first. Every game on this site has a full example hand you can pull up on your phone.
Keep it moving & keep it fair
🔄Rotate the deal every hand. The button moves one seat clockwise so everyone gets to pick a game — that's the whole point of dealer's choice.
🃏Go easy on the wild cards. One wild-card game in a row is fun; three is chaos. Space them out so the classics still get played.
🗣️Announce clearly and stick to it. Name the game, the wild cards, and the stakes before the first card hits the felt — and don't change the rules mid-hand.
😄Remember it's a kitchen table, not a casino. The goal is a great night with friends. Keep it kind, keep it light, and the winning takes care of itself.
Stuck for what to call next? Browse the full catalog for something nobody at your table has played yet.