'Sopranos' Star Silvio Dante's Poker Etiquette

I am a big stickler when it comes to proper card game etiquette. The slightest breach, as it were, can destroy my concentration and create dissent among the players. Just follow these don'ts, okay?

1. DON'T PLAY SLOWLY. Nothing ruins a game faster than one moron who thinks this is quantum physics and needs 20 minutes to do the math. It's not quantum anything. Make a decision and get on with it.

2. DON'T CLEAN. I have been known to lose my temper at the sight of some lackey cleaning cheese off the floor around my feet in the middle of a game. Don't sweep, vacuum, empty ashtrays or Lemon Pledge during a game. If that's your job, be very careful.

3. DON'T FORGET WHAT'S GOING ON. "Hey, is it my turn?" "What did he just do?" "What are we playing again?" One too many of those, and you're back on the street. If you act out of turn because you don't know what's happening or simply because you're an idiot, like tossing your cards as soon as they're dealt -- don't do that, either.

4. DON'T TALK TOO MUCH, especially about the cards. Something like, "Hey, that's a diamond, he could have a flush," or "I'm not in but I'd get out if I were you," could get you in real trouble.

5. DON'T 'SPLASH' THE POT WITH YOUR CHIPS like you're throwing sunflower seeds to a pigeon. And don't take your chips off the table at any time during a game. Both practices are obnoxious and won't be tolerated.

6. DON'T EVER ASK FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER PLAYER. This is a mark of a rank amateur but, unfortunately, goes on more than you think. It usually comes from a newcomer, as in, "You know these guys, Sil, do you think this hand can beat them?" If confronted with such a person, always give them explicit money-losing advice. They'll learn fast.

7. DON'T BE A POOR WINNER. Tip the dealer, for sure, and don't keep stacking and restacking your big load of chips like you were Donald Trump building a skyscraper. Lose any way you want, as long as you pay up, but win with class.

Adapted from the book "Entertaining With the Sopranos" written by Allen Rucker, recipes by Michele Scicolone, series created by David Chase. Copyright 2006 by Warner Books Inc. and Home Box Office. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Warner Books Inc, New York. $29.95.

Silvio and the rest of Tony's crew return as the final season of "The Sopranos" begins today at 9 p.m. on HBO.