What is a dead hand in poker?

Have you ever been ruled out of a round of poker due to a dead hand? Find out when it happens and how you can avoid it.

Most versions of poker have a term for a situation when a player no longer gets to play a particular round or make any bet. This scenario is known as dead hand. The exact scenario may vary depending on the type of poker and the house rules. The concept of dead hand is applicable at land based casinos and online at Pokerace99.

What is a dead hand?

Technically, a dead hand follows some kind of infraction that effectively makes a player incapable of continuing the game, for one particular round. This infraction could be a mistake or deliberate. There are usually two types of infractions that happen in most versions of poker. Again, the exact nature of the infraction and whether or not a dead hand is applicable in a game depends on the house rules and also the version of poker being played at Pokerace99.

Common examples of a dead hand!

Let us consider a poker tournament, any level of competition where there is a clock at play. All players are expected to make bets within a certain timeframe. Now, if most players have folded and some have called or raised and one remains to go all-in or make a bet, then the clock is observed closely and the dealer or a timekeeper is responsible to keep up the pace of the game. The game cannot wait forever. The player who is supposed to fold, call, raise or go all-in must make a decision. If the player fails to make a decision by the end of the stipulated timeframe, his or hers becomes a dead hand. The player cannot use that hand for any further betting in that round. This effectively means the player has to fold and let the chips in the pot go on for further play or be claimed by the winner for the round.

There is another type of situation wherein a dead hand may occur. If a player says fold and then calls or tries to raise the bet, then it is a dead hand. The player may have very well wanted to call or raise the bet but the verbal declaration of fold becomes the publicly taken stand for that round. The action or real intention is not taken into account. The player has to fold. The same rule applies in cases of call, raise and re-raise too. This is why verbal declarations should be precisely what a player intends to do. Play by the rules and avoid a dead hand at Pokerace99.