Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
The bottom dealer, like the second dealer, uses the mechanic's grip.
The bottom dealer, like the second dealer, uses the mechanic's grip. His left thumb pushes the top card over as the right hand comes up to take it, but the right hand has other instructions. Instead, its forefinger moves in under the deck at the outer right corner and pulls out the bottom card while the left thumb is engaged in pulling back the top card. The index finger of the left hand in the mechanic's grip position covers much of the front edge of the deck, making it difficult for an observer to see whether the card comes from top or bottom. The movement, naturally, must be fast and smooth and must follow the same rhythm as when the top card is taken legitimately.
The subway dealer saves time because he doesn't have to fuss
The subway dealer saves time because he doesn't have to fuss around stacking cards. He or his confederate usually picks up the cards after the previous hand and places the previous deal's winning hand or some useful discards on the bottom of the deck. He retains them there during a phony shuffle and deals them off the bottom as needed.