Poker: What to expect when you go into a
cardroom for the first time...
 Entering into a casino or a cardroom for the first time is more then a little intimidating. Knowing what
to expect can take away some of the anxiety and hopefully will let you make
that first transition into playing live texas hold'em go more smoothly.
First of all what can you expect to see? You'll see many poker tables with
players seated, chip runners, waitresses, and the management dressed in
suits that will welcome you in. Most card rooms aren't very quiet and I
would say they are more on the lines of a circus then a library. Most people
are middle age or older and at the limits you'll learn at, they will be
there to have fun.
How do you sit down and play? When you enter the card room near the front
you will see what is called the "board". This is what they use to keep names
of who is waiting to sit down at tables. The person will ask you what games
you would like to play. If they have a seat available you can go right over,
if not they will ask you for your name or initials to place on the board.
When you seat is open, they will call your name at which time you should go
to where they direct you and sit down.
So now you are at your texas holdem table at the limit you felt comfortable
starting at. The dealer will usually call "chips". A chip runner will come
over and ask you how much you would like. Usually this is the way things are
done but sometimes you can go to the cashier and get your chips before hand.
The dealer will ask you if you want to come in now, or come in behind.
Coming in behind means coming behind the button. There is debate as to
whether you should just join the game or come in behind. If I don't have to
post right then (meaning put up a big blind), then I usually just come in.
Some people like to come in behind the button just because they don't have
to pay the blind quite as fast. I really doubt three hands makes that much
of a difference though. It's up to you.
Now the chip runner will bring you back your chips. Depending on the card
room, it may or may not be legal to have the chip rack on the poker table.
Sometimes this will void a jackpot if you hit it. I would look around the
table at other players and see how they have their chips. If people have
racks on the table and you like racking your chips then keep it that way.
Otherwise remove them from the rack, place your chips in a way that you find
attractive and then put the rack under your seat for later.
For advice on what limit to start out with and how much to bring when you
are learning, click here.
So now you are seated, with your chips and ready to dive into some texas
holdem. The dealer will deal the cards face down to everyone and then the
"action" begins. Notice how everyone at the table keeps their cards
concealed. You won't see anyone picking up their cards off the table and
looking at them like you see on TV. Instead you will see people covering
them with one hand and then peeking under with the other. There is a rule in
most casinos called "protect your hand at all time". The meaning of this
rule is that if you aren't touching or giving the dealer some sign that you
don't want to fold and he does fold your hand, you can't do anything about
it. Also when the cards you have touch the muck pile (the discarded cards),
no matter what happens you have to fold. So my advice is to just get in the
habit of putting a chip on your cards after you look at them. Some people
have a silver dollar or other small item to place on. As far as that item
goes, the rule is that you can't have anything larger then a card on the
table.
Let's say you did the unthinkable and won a pot, it is customary to tip the
dealer. Depending on the amount of the pot and the limit you'll tip
differently. Most people just tip one dollar per pot one. It isn't uncommon
to see more tipped when the pot is very large. You can tip whatever you feel
fair. One thing to also note here is that while you may be inclined to tip
one dealer a lot for a hand, that doesn't mean that they get all that tip.
Some cardrooms pool the tips and split them equally. Another thing to keep
in mind is that if you often tip more then a dollar per hand then it really
adds up. If you win 10 pots and tip two dollars, that's 20 at the end of the
day.
Another thing you may run into when you play in casinos is the "kill game".
A kill game is when someone wins two hands in a row, then the betting
doubles for the next hand and continues until they lose. So for example you
are playing a little $2/4 texas hold'em game with a kill and you win two
pots in a row... The dealer will announce that it is a kill game. You will
be forced to post $4. The next hand will be played exactly like regular
holdem except this is now $4/8 and regardless of where you are before the
flop, you'll be the last person to act (even after the dealer button and
blinds). If you win the game again, then it is killed again. It continues to
be killed until you lose. If you are knew to the kill game, just mention
that to the dealer. They will be more then happy to explain it to you while
you play.
In closing I'll mention a few more things that you'll want to avoid to be a
welcomed player at the new cardroom. Some of these things will get you
kicked out even. The first thing is cursing at other people. Everyone gets
annoyed when someone beats them in an idiotic way but keep your cool. There
are many reasons not to lose your top, but you'll find that an even
temperament is essential to progressing up through the levels. The next
thing to definitely avoid is yelling at or saying anything offensive to the
dealers. They are their for your service but you will get booted if you step
way out of line. Using cell phones at the table is usually banned so don't
bring them in. The last thing to avoid is slowing down the game. You can do
that by eating or reading, or even just chatting too much. If you are
reminded more then once by the dealer that it is your turn then you need to
pay attention a bit more. This isn't something you would get kicked out for
but it is common courtesy to not slow things down.
That concludes "what to expect when entering a texas hold'em cardroom for
the first time". Playing hold'em live, winning pots, stacking chips and
getting that incomparable feeling of holding an unbeatable hand is more then
worth the stress of entering the unknown. I hope this has been something
that will ease that anxiety.
How Much Money do you need?
This article isn't an indepth
look at poker bankrolls but just some general guide lines for beginners and
how much you should bring with you when playing.
The smallest limit in most card rooms for texas hold'em is $2/4 but
occasionally you'll see $1/2. Most people sit down and buy a rack of chips
($100). One hundred dollars in a $2/4 game is a typical buy-in.
How far does $100 go in a $2/4 game? There is no set answer to this. It
depends on your skill level, the skill level of the other players, and also
the kind of day you are having. Even if you are a pro it isn't uncommon to
lose a couple of racks at a game (or more) . That doesn't mean you played
poor poker, it could be that you just were getting nailed by other people
(bad beats, them getting lucky). That's normal. I would say though, if you
learn a bit about texas hold'em first and go in there with a couple hundred
bucks you can definitely play all day (win or lose). Hopefully you'll leave
with more then what you came with but look at it as a lesson period too.
Your education will cost something. When learning, and you lose a couple
racks in a day, I would say get up and leave as opposed to investing more
that session. If you played correctly then it may have been a bad day or you
may actually be at a tough table.
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