Typically, when you go to a brick-and-mortar or online poker room, there are seats for 9 poker players at a table.
Texas Hold’em table set up for 9 players
Sometimes, a poker room will seat 10 players at a table. In that case, the tenth player’s seat is placed between seat 9 and the dealer’s seat. Tournament final tables sometimes start with 6 players. In that case, seats 7 – 9 are removed, and seats 1 -6 are spread out so that there is comfortable space between the players.
Points to remember:
- Seats have imaginary numbers that control the order of play.
- Seat 1 is always the seat to the dealer’s left, and the other seats follow in sequential order moving clockwise around the table. The dealer’s seat is not included in the count.
- Seat order is important to know because unlike other poker games in a casino, you can not just walk up to a Texas Hold’em table and sit down. You must register with the Board Person at the Poker Room desk. Once you select the level of game and pay, you are assigned a table and a seat number.