Poker info IX
A very important part of all poker games is the action of declaration which means that in this way the player makes a formal announcement of his intention regarding how he wishes to act in course of the game. So, if a player makes a verbal declaration that he wishes to fold or call or raise it becomes binding on him to act accordingly. In draw poker games, a player can also declare the number of cards he is to draw, a decision which however he is not obliged to follow strictly whereas many other poker variants have room for some sort of declaration other than the common ones of folding, calling and raising.
The commonest use of declaration in a poker game is in the high/low split games whereby the player is required to verbally declare if he wants his hands to be assessed as a high or a low or both hands when showdown takes place. While this is a part of home games, the same games in casinos do not use declaration but the card speak method where the players need not make any announcement but simply reveal their cards at showdown.
It is important to remember that declaration in poker games has to be made so that other players are fully aware to its nature. While either simultaneous or in turn declaration are possible, in games where positional play is crucial, in turn declaration is not allowed a the last player to declare will then get an undue advantage. The chips in hand method comes into play in simultaneous declarations. So, all players take two chips in hand and taking them below the table transfer them to a closed hand containing one, two or no chips. When all the players bring up their closed hands up on the table, they reveal their choices, with a hand containing no chips means playing for low, one chip means playing for high and two chips mean playing for both high and low hands.
