The Dealer

Texas Hold'em is a game of cards and it is the dealers job to deal them. In an ordinary home game everyone takes turns in doing the shuffling and dealing. In a casino a professional dealer, employed by the casino, sitting at the middle of the table does that and every other administrative job so that the players can be focused on playing the game. But apart from the hassle of doing the actual dealing then being the dealer is advantageous in a Hold'em game. Not implying that it is an opportunity to deal from the bottom of the deck! No it is the best seat at the table because who ever sits there gets to act last and base that action on what everyone before them has already done.

Therefore the privilege of being the dealer is circulated. In order to keep track of who the dealer is in each hand a button with the text "dealer" or just a big "D" is placed in front of that player. This button is past to left at the end of each hand. It indicates the position of the player who would be dealing the cards if the players were actually dealing the cards themselves. That is where the expression "sitting on the button" comes from and it is an advantage you will enjoy once each round.

- A disc, also known as the "button", serves to indicate who is the nominal dealer for the current game. The button is past to the left at the end of each hand.