Ranch Poker Guide Page 2: Seating Arrangement

Seating Arrangement

Let's begin at the beginning. First you have to sit down at the table. You think, "It doesn't matter where I sit. It's all the luck of the cards." HAH! Selecting a position at the table could be your best move of the evening or the worst decision you've ever made in your life. The choice is ultimately the individual player's of course, but if you just contemplate the simple guidelines that follow, you might avoid a disaster.

-Always position yourself facing the center of the table. Never have your back to the pot, otherwise everyone can see your cards. I know this sounds painfully obvious to most, but believe me, I just helped someone.

-Never sit to the left of a known bushwhacker. (This topic is covered in more detail in the chapter on Bushwhacking) He'll never go in until you do, just when you think you've got a nice little cleanup hand. IF you want to screw him up, sit on his right. When you deal and everyone checks (including him, of course) around to you, sigh and fold winners. On second thought, maybe it's best to not sit on either side of him.

-Never sit closest to the door or you'll be getting John a Budweiser every eight minutes

-Never sit between Billy III and Kevin. One of them always wins big and then doesn't come back until closing weekend. Of course that's irritating wherever you sit, but there's no reason giving them both the pleasure of your company.

-Never sit behind Chris

-Don't sit at the end of the table closest to the stove. That's where the foreman sits.

-Don't sit to the right of the foreman. That area is reserved for Portuguese Nationals.

-Don't sit to the left of the foreman. That's where I sit.

I know this doesn't seem to leave a lot of options, but if it was easy, well then, everyone would be doing it. Let's move on to cover some of the social graces.