Buttons In Poker

The meaning and use of buttons in poker

The use of buttons is a way of relaying to players, dealers or floor personnel different kinds of information.

In poker, when using the word "button" independently, it really means the dealer button.

These buttons are colored differently. Each casino poker room may uses its own different set of colors.

Here are some of the buttons in poker.

Absent Button

A button placed at a player's chips when a new poker dealer comes in and the player is not present at the table. Several of these buttons at the same seat means the player has been gone for certain amount of time, and might be picked up by the floor person.

Picked up means the player's chips, cash too, will be put into an envelope by a floor person. There are certain procedures that the floor person and casino dealer have to go through in order to do this.

Dead Button

The dealer button is being moved to a seat that has no player, a vacant seat. The player before the button gets to act last after the first round of betting.

Different poker rooms use a different button rule (advance) to avoid this situation.

Dealer Button

A button placed in front of a player who is supposed to be dealing out the cards for that deal instead of the casino poker dealer.

Kill Button

In some poker games the pot (game) is killed. A kill button placed in the pot means that the betting limits are doubled for that hand.

In some poker games there are instances where a pot is killed. There are requirements for this.
In some poker games, a player may be required to kill the next pot after she wins two hands in sequence.
In some other poker games, a player may be required to kill the next pot when she is scooping or hogging the pot.

Note:
Scooping or hogging the pot means winning both halves of the pot in a split-pot poker game.

In some other poker games, any player after receiving and looking at her first two cards is permitted to kill the pot.

There are more variations of this.

In some poker rooms you can kill the pot for half (half kill). This means the betting limits go up to fifty percent.

Examples:

In a $100-$200 game:
Double (full) kill means the betting limits go up to $200-$400.
Half kill means the betting limits go up to $150-$300.

Missed Blind Button

A button placed at the player's chips when it is the player's turn and she does not post a blind. Generally the reason the player is away from the table.

Reserved Button

A button placed at a certain seat, which is being held for a special player, or a player who is coming back, or to restrict any more players from joining.

Universal (Generic) Button

Some poker rooms do not put a name on any of the buttons to relay information except the dealer button. This can cause confusion.