There is a growing interest in creating an international set of poker rules that can be applied to all tournaments. This would avoid the need for players to adapt to different local rules and thus reduce the risk of misunderstandings and disputes that are sometimes seen at live tournaments. Spearheaded by Marcel Luske of the Netherlands, The International Poker Federation (FIDPA) has taken up this challenge. Their 81 poker rules, freely downloadable from their website, are designed to eliminate the vast majority of disputes that can occur between players in casinos and tournaments.

Once a player has received their two hole cards, betting begins with the player sitting immediately to their left. They may fold, call the amount of the highest bet made by any player before them, or raise (or re-raise). Once all players have either folded their hand or matched the highest bet, the betting round is over and all remaining chips are placed in the pot.

As the game of poker has become increasingly popular, there are many instances of players breaking poker rules. From Ali Imsirovic being accused of using Real Time Assistance to play high-stakes online poker, to Mike Postle being accused of accessing the stones live $5/$10 game every weekend for his hole card information, this is a problem that seems to be increasing in severity. The dealer must always be vigilant and be aware of players who are cheating, otherwise they could find themselves in a difficult position.