Poker is a relatively simple game when it comes to hard set “rules,” but the rules of conduct for a respectful poker player are many and complicated. Certain behaviors and practices simply aren’t considered polite in poker and should be avoided if you don’t want to be disliked by your fellow players. Here are some of those rules:
This could almost be considered an actual rule of the game more than an etiquette rule. Once you’ve placed money in the pot, it is no longer yours. Leave the pot alone until the end of the hand. This rule stems from the fact that many players have learned clever slights of hand that they use to extract money from the pot without being noticed.
When betting, it is polite not to change your bet. Once you’ve decided, lowering or raising your bet is considered bad manners. For this reason it is wise to carefully consider your bet before placing it so that you don’t have to change it.
In poker, the responses to a bet (folding, calling, raising, etc) are done in a circle, starting with the person to the betters left and continuing around the circle. For example, if someone plays a high bet and you immediately drop your cards and fold, you’ve acted out of turn and that is not respectful.
Generally, each poker-room or house will have its own rules of conduct, but these three rules are generally accepted no matter where you go. Following these rules without being reminded makes a good impression on the other players and creates for you an image of a more experienced and polished player.