What is hand-to-hand in poker?

[Julio88]

In poker, "hand to hand" typically refers to a situation that occurs during tournament play when all remaining tables must complete the current hand before any further hands are dealt. This ensures that all tables play the same number of hands, which is important when approaching big jumps in payout or when on the bubble (i.e the point in the tournament where the next player eliminated will receive no payout). The purpose of hand-to-hand play is to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage over others by being able to see the outcome of hands at other tables.

 

[CR7]

Exactly! Hand-to-hand play is important in poker tournaments because it ensures that all players have an equal chance of making it to the next level or continuing in the tournament. Without hand-to-hand play, players at tables that are dealt hands faster than others could potentially have an advantage by having additional information about other players' hands or outcomes.

During hand-to-hand play, dealers at each table must make sure that all players have finished the current hand before dealing the next one. If a player is all-in and the outcome of the hand at another table could affect that player's standing in the tournament, the dealers must wait until that hand is resolved before proceeding with the next one. This can slow down the pace of the tournament, but it ensures that all players are treated fairly and have an equal opportunity to succeed.