Sitting at a casino Holdem table for the 1st time |
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Posted Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:39 pm GMT by Junk Pocket
Hi all!
I just found this site and I think it is great!
I am going to a small casino in IA in a couple weeks and I am planning on sitting in at a holdem table. So what am I to expect? Ive always only played BJ at the casinos and have never even stopped to watch a poker table. I play alot with my buddies on the weekends so I know how to play. Can I just walk up and plop my butt in a seat like BJ? Can someone walk me through what happens and what to do/not do so I dont look like a complete idiot! 
Thanks all!
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Posted Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:33 pm GMT by ballbp
I just got back from my first trip to a casino and it's nothing to worry about. Depending on what time you go, you will probably have to sign up on the waiting list. Once your name is called you're directed to a table and you buy in from there. The best advice I can give is while you're waiting watch one of the tables to get a feel for it. I found that everything went as I expected as far as betting. The main thing to watch is when you're raising be sure to say "raise" so it is known you're raising and not just calling. At the casino I was in, there was a circle in the middle of the table that once you put chips past that line, that is all you can put in. I saw a few people break that rule and the dealer and some players were quick to call them on it. Basically, it's no different than any other place you would play. I must admit, it does feel really good when you rake in that first pot in a real casino. After I raked in my first $50 pot with my pocket K's I was shaking. I know that's a bad tell but I couldn't help it. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Posted Thu Mar 18, 2004 6:09 am GMT by Junk Pocket
This is going to be great! Ill be so excited that everyone will probably read me like a book.
Whats a typical bye-in and typ. blinds?
Posted Thu Mar 18, 2004 9:23 am GMT by ballbp
Where I played, they had tables from $4/$8 up to $40/$80. Of course the blinds are like any other place you play. Small blind is half of the small bet and big blind is the small bet. In other words, on a $4/$8 table the small blind is $2 and the big blind is $4. As far as the buy-in, most people say to sit down with at least 50 times the small bet. So on a $4/$8 table you should buy-in for at least $200.
Posted Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:38 pm GMT by Saso8910
I've played at the Isle of Capri in the Quad cities. I noticed a few things there that you may want to becareful of. I have been playing for about 5 years and you get accustomed to "regular" players. But this place was the worst. Hopefully, you are going to be playing a low limit game (3/6 or 5/10) but what you have to understand in lower limit games is that bluffing doesnt work! Your A/K will get beat more regularly than a no limit game and remember that you are not at a final table of a 100k tourney (most players who play tourneys do not play money games- at least they don't play low limit money games) I sat down at this lower limit game and got stuck with all these 20/40 players who were waiting for their regular 10pm game- they raised ever chance the had and laughed about it like the game was beneath them! I have always said that if you can afford a higher limit game (10/20) then play it tight and only play premium hands- if you don't have a monster flop or 15+ outs to make a great hand then be very careful.
Its a lot of fun in a casino- but when I began playing a I was 22 years old and I was the kid by at least 10 years. Now I'm 27 and I seem to be the elder! Experience in a casino will make you money- not home games for 100 bucks.
If you cannot afford a higher limit game- thats ok. If you sit down at a 3/6 or 5/10 you will find that everybody calls your bets (that can be good or bad). A couple of hints on poor player bluffing are:
1) If the flop has 3 cards of the same suit, watch the players who check to see if the have at least 1 of their 2 hole cards being the same suit. Chances are if they need to look, they didn't flop a flush (they would have remembered that) Also, look for players who immediatly look at their chips and not their cards- that usually means that they flopped a flush and wants to know how much money they have to raise with.
2) If a player looks away (to their side) that usually means that they have an outstanding hand. (Mike Caro says that its due to the fight or flight theory. They know they don't need to fight you since they feel their hand is unbeatable, so they act as if they don't care about the cards on the table)
3) Look at the people at the table- its said that a player plays like they look. If you see a person slouched back and their chips perfectly stacked in order = that usually means they wait for good hands and have patience, they are orderly. If a player looks like crap, and is leaned forward anticipating the next card, with chips all over the place(not stacked)= you want to call this person more since they play recklously and feel that they need to win soon.
One other thing that may help you out a little. Lets say you have an open-ended straight draw or 4 cards to a flush. You are last in action (last to bet)- Just about everyone checked but you noticed the guy to your right is pondering to bet or not and has chips in hand. You don't want to pay to see the next card, but you don't want to fold if someone bets. You want a free card! So, when its the guy to your rights turn to bet- Immediatly grab enough chips as if you are going to raise him/her! This person will then think twice in betting if they think you are going to raise him/her. The person will likely check, then you will check to see the free card! Becareful, this will only work once or twice until the table catches on to you, so make try it out when theres a big pot only! Good Luck and have fun in Iowa! --SASO
Posted Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:47 pm GMT by Junk Pocket
Holy crap Im going to get so screwed if the people there are anything like you LOL! Im 27 as well, later blumer. Im going to go to have fun and thanks a bunch for the advise.
What are typical bye in amounts at the casino?
Posted Mon Mar 22, 2004 6:46 pm GMT by mindgame
Here's a good rule of thumb.
Buy in for 50 times the smallest bet ($250 in a 5/10 game).
Once you've lost 40 times the bet, you are DONE. Period. Go read a book. The other $50 bucks is if you are down, say, 190 bucks. You don't want to be sitting there, waiting for the hand of your dreams and have no money to play it with. THAT is the single biggest mistake I see--and I even see very, very experienced players do that. It tells me that they do not trust their own self discipline enough to get up and go home when they've exceeded their limit.
Oh...single biggest tell by casino newbies:
They peak at their hand 3, 4, 5 times during play. Suddenly they aren't peaking. I KNOW they have a pair. That mean if they raise I must beat trips or get out. VERY useful information.
Now think about how you can screw people up with that.....possiblilities are quite intriguing. Use it.
Posted Tue Mar 23, 2004 1:24 pm GMT by Saso8910
Mindgame knows what he's talking about- but in your case I would disagree with some of his suggestions. Sorry Mindgame. If you are still interested in playing Junk Pocket- after I unintentionally scared the hell out of you-LOL. I do not suggest buying in for as much as mindgame suggests. Especially at the Isle of Capri. Having a large stack of chips and being able to call a lot of raises is important to intermediate and seasoned players. If you are new- and you do sit at a 5/10 table (hopefully you can find a 3/6 game) do not buy-in for anything over $100! You are not a JACKHAMMER! (jackhammer is a player who has so much money - they can afford to raise on anything to scare other players)
A lot of player do this at your level. That is, buy-in for $100 and play. Some new players get frustrated when they loose, so they try to win by chasing cards- I'm not saying that you will do that, but why put yourself to the test? So, buy in for a bill, and if you loose it all - then do so. If you want to keep on playing, take out a couple of $20's, or so, and buy back through the dealer. A lot of players do this and it's a great way to learn the fundamentals of money management. I love saying this- but when people say, "I won $500 last night." Does that really mean he/she won $500??? Usually, what that really means is that they bought in for $200 and left with $500. They didn't win $500, only $300! Don't be one of those players! Be a money management player!
DO NOT GET MAD AT YOURSELF if you call a bet by move all-in with the rest of your $100 and then end up winning. You, the dealer, the cards, and other players had nothing to do with you loosing and had nothing to do with you winning that specific hand! Trust me man! If you sit down with a couple of hundred at a 5/10 and players pick up on you being new- you might as well hand your money over to them and go home early!
Don't be intimidated! We all had to learn and have to keep on learning to beat this game. Have Fun and Good Luck!
-SASO
Posted Tue Mar 23, 2004 4:42 pm GMT by mindgame
Wow, this could be an interesting debate.
I'm not sure why you'd advise going in for less than the 200/250 (in, say, $5/10). I see a guy do that (playing shorstacked) and I'm going to attack him. More than one writer advises doing exactly that because it WORKS. I think at the most BASIC level it betrays lack of confidence.
Well, lack of confidence = weakness = opportunity to be exploited by people like me. Are you trying to feed this minnow to the sharks? Not that I'm a shark....just a little bigger fish...but I am sure out there to be sinking my teeth into the smaller ones (Krieger: "Go after the weak players...that's what they're there for..." etc.)
Touche.
(That's supposed to be the fencing term, don't know how to put the accent on it, sorry)
Posted Tue Mar 23, 2004 6:51 pm GMT by JohnnyCache
I do . . .press and hold alt, while holding it type 0233 é . . . incidentally, you can use this method to conjure quite a few weird little things as well as any normal character, just experiment with different #s for the other forigen marks. . . ê,ë,ì,í, etc. . .
I think saso is saying what he's saying because you usually get cleaned out the *first* time you sit down . . .
Posted Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:09 pm GMT by cayouche
That's extremely good advice you have there Junk Pocket.
As for the starting money, I'm between mindgame and Saso8910 on this one. Say for the 5/10 table. If you start with $100 and get involved in a hand with a few calls and raises, and you lose, you're out of the game already.
With $100, you can only afford to lose once, maybe twice. However, with $150-175, it gives you a little more room to breathe. Sure, I wouldn't go with $250-300+, because if I can't win a hand with $150-175 when I play safe, then it's not my night. Again, for less experienced players, more money means they can call more and this is a big no-no.
I'll give you one tip, if/when you win a decent pot, of course you'll be more comfortable chip-wise, but don't start to play any looser because you'll lose that money as fast as you won it. Play tight, and keep playing tight. That's the only other advice I can give you.
I hope you kick a$$ out there.
| JohnnyCache wrote: | | I think saso is saying what he's saying because you usually get cleaned out the *first* time you sit down . . . |
For me, it was the exact opposite. First time, I kicked a$$. Second time, I got cleaned so bad... because I was too confident, I made so many obvious mistakes. Third time, I did better... and so on...
Books can teach you how to play poker... but only experience can teach you how to play at casinos.
Posted Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:51 pm GMT by Saso8910
I just don't want him to loose his bankroll in an hour on the his first visit to a live game. You never know, he may not like the atmosphere and this way he at least has an option. You know as well as I do, it's only easy leaving a table when your either way ahead or dead broke. Plus- He never did disclose what casino he was going to, but- the only smaller casino/poker room that I know in Iowa is the Isle of Capri- and I had a bad experience there with players.
Being a player as I, we all have our own opinions and I wish I had these poker forums prior to my first visit to a casino poker room. My ass got cleaned out in about an hour at a 1-5 stud game!!!-- and I bought in for $100. LOL, looking back, I have no idea how I lost that money in such a low limit game- I must have called everything. -SASO
Posted Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:42 pm GMT by mindgame
I, too, wish I could have found a forum like this when I first plunked my toe in the riverboat water--my dough might have not gone kerplunk! quite so dramatically.
After further review, I'll shift my position. A regular $5/10 player should walk in with about $500. That shouldn't be more than 1/3 of his poker stake. He buys in for $200, 250...and if he loses it he does an honest assessment of his game and the players. Maybe he rebuys, maybe not--most days I'd question my own ability to be a dispassionate observer and I'd head for the car.
But the neophyte...that IS a different story. Probably $150-175 is about right. You lose $140 and you're done. You should be playing supertight, only loosening up around the button, stay in Sklansky's top 5 groups, don't chase with pocket pairs unless you flop the set. Don't slowplay, be staightforward and agressive.
MOSTLY you are there to WATCH. You probably are NOT the fish, even though you will feel like it. Don't try any tricky moves--your stack isn't deep enough. OH...and go on Saturday morning about 4 or 5 am--no kidding--make this as easy as possible.
But if you think you are just there to have fun, go ahead and kiss that money goodbye. Let everyone else be there for the fun. Go in there for the money. Define fun as leaving with more than you came in.
Posted Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:48 pm GMT by jwrussell
| ballbp wrote: | | After I raked in my first $50 pot with my pocket K's I was shaking. I know that's a bad tell but I couldn't help it. |
Don't worry about it! I've never been to a "Casino", but I play at a local poker room at the Horse Track nearby. I STILL shake everytime I rake the first pot! 
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:27 am GMT by JohnnyCache
I just laugh. I mean really laugh at loud in a why that probably isn't appreciated, but it's not at the other players . . . winning just feels so damn good!
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:49 am GMT by BeerWench13
I say buy-in for the amount you were planning on losing in your first casino poker game. If that was $100, buy in for that amount. Almost all of the people sitting down for their first time in a casino poker room are going to lose unless they get an amazing run of cards. Plan on losing and consider it a bonus if you win. Then the next time you play you can gauge your buy-in by your previous experience.
It also helps to look at the stacks of the other players when you first sit at the table. Try to find an equal amount to the average stack in front of your opponents. You don't want to come in as short stack right away, but you don't want to put all of your funds on the table immediately either. This will be nothing but an encouragement to call or raise on hands that you shouldn't. When I played in the casino I sat at a table and asessed (as well as I could due to my inebriated state--which is another no-no by the way) what the average chip count was. Then I bought in for that amount. Just remember that the higher the limit at the table the better the players are (usually, anyway).
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:46 pm GMT by Jonniedough
didnt feel like getting into the debate but my buy in for 3/6 is 150, I can sit 25 times the max buyin for quite awhile. I did have a bit of online experience before I sat so I knew where i stood with my buy in. Not that Junk doesnt ahve any experience but my 2 cents.......
Jonny cache check this site out for holding down the alt key http://members.aol.com/MONT714/tutorial/ALTchrc.html
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:42 pm GMT by Junk Pocket
Thanks for all the great advise lady and gentlemen :D. I still have another week before I go so keep the good advise rollin! By the way its the Misquaki (sp?) Casino in Tama that just re-opened.
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:08 pm GMT by mindgame
Whatever you do, DON'T listen to the BeerWench. My God, she just went to Atlantic City and got TOTALLY cleaned out! Mostly because she didn't listen to a thing we told her.
(Unless it's about betting the horses...she seems to have some kind of knack for the track.)
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:20 pm GMT by BeerWench13
Hey  What's up with that?  I already told you the mental state I was in when I played. I'd been drinking for almost 12 hours when I sat down. Also, it was limit play. I haven't played limit (before AC) in almost 6 months. I forgot how to play no foldem holdem. And, just for the record, I only lost $30. Find someone else who went to a casino, played poker and lost who only lost $30. Good luck.
By the way, I never listen to anything I'm told when it comes to poker. If I did I'd have all these theories in my head and wouldn't be able to play my game. Hell, I won't even read any books by the pros. I am a stubborn wench. :D
Ohhh and I do love those ponies. They've never treated me wrongly. And the excitement! It's like watching an all-in preflop heads up in the last hand of a tourney. What a rush!
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:35 pm GMT by mindgame
Okay...public apology.
Now that she's made her excuses and all...she's fessed up to drinking and playing casino poker! You might as well just go to the john and tell the guy next to you to keep you in!
Anyway, I do respect her as a player. In fact there's a level on which she scares me...and I don't even want to go there.
Posted Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:40 pm GMT by BeerWench13
Awww I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now. 
He's right, though. I broke the cardinal rule. Never get drunk and then sit down at the casino poker table no matter how good you think you are. When there seem to be 8 cards out there after the turn, just give the guy next to you all of your money and go play roulette. That doesn't require any skill.
I am curious about the scary thing, though. Hmmm
Posted Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:48 am GMT by Junk Pocket
Heres my next really dumb question: What if you have to use the restroom while your playing? Do you get up and leave your chips??
Posted Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:00 am GMT by Dave B
Yes-leave your chips.
Also-pick a good time. Either 2 hands after the button has passed so that you are back for your big blind and dont miss late position hands or right before your big blind and skip 10 hands if you "need" some time.
Posted Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:01 am GMT by mindgame
Yes. Just stack youf chips neatly. The tables are all on camera, and it would be extremely rare that anyone take anything, although a friend of mine was called in by security to see if he could ID a guy who was on video stealing a $1000 chip. With face recognition software now becoming available (and, if I'm not mistaken, used to ID BJ card counters) it will be more and more rare for people to do stuff like that.
Also, you will want to leave when you are about 3 seats away from the blind. You would really rather not miss a blind. When that happens you will have to "post" again, as you did when you first sat down, except you will also have to post the small blind as well. The larger post is considered "live." That is, it is bet that can be raised. The smaller blind is "dead"--it is placed in the middle of the pot and no one has to call it.
Posted Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:13 am GMT by Thomadeus
I just had my very first poker experience in any type of cardroom this weekend. I was in Vegas for a wedding and decided to try may hand at some no fold-em hold-em. I ended up playing at the Luxor (we were staying at the Excalibur and for some reason I couldn’t find their poker room. Apparently, I’m blind).
Step 1: Don’t go to Vegas during the NCAA basketball tourney during spring break. I mean 100 million college students. Of course, 10% of these were women and 10% of those were hot, so a million hot women made up for it (a little).
Step 2: Be ready for a long wait. I got on the list at 10:30 and started playing at midnight.
Step 3: Play like it’s your last dollar. With all the college students, the games were looser than, er…something loose. Plus we were playing 2-4. Of course, it was MY first time at a card room too, but at least I’d played before and knew a good hand when I saw it.
Step 4: Stop shaking when you collect your winnings dammit! Stupid hands won’t listen. Luckily, nobody was paying attention.
Had a good run of cards and only played in hands when I had a good chance of winning. Didn’t lose many pots. Played ‘till 5:00AM and ended up plus $80.
Of course I lost $30 the next night.
The only interesting thing that happened that night was that a guy at the entry table was tackled and handcuffed by security. Seems he had reached over the table for either a scrap of paper or a wad of bills. We never did find out which.
Posted Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:25 am GMT by Junk Pocket
| Thomadeus wrote: |
The only interesting thing that happened that night was that a guy at the entry table was tackled and handcuffed by security. Seems he had reached over the table for either a scrap of paper or a wad of bills. We never did find out which. |
Note to self: Keep hands on cards/chips/beer/lady friend only.
Posted Mon Apr 05, 2004 8:01 am GMT by Junk Pocket
Well, I made it to the poker room and what a disaster it was! Actually it was a pretty good learning experience for me. I did everything that I knew I shouldnt have done because I was nervous and excited.
The smallest blind table was a 4/8 so I bought in with $100
First mistake was I played when I was exhausted. I got up at 5:30 that morning to get ready for a job interview and it was non stop go all day. We didnt get to the casino till 9:30 and I was really tired.
I started out ok with not playing any hand that wasnt above average (which I hardly ever got). Then I got excited and played some hands that I shouldnt have
I called when I was on the small blind even when my hand was below marginal just because I already had $$ invested.
I would play a hand when it was obvious I didnt have the nuts
My biggest problem was being too excited about my own hand that I wasnt paying attention to what others could have.
Worst example: I was next to last to act. I was dealt Qh Js. Flop came up 8c 10c 9c. Whoo Hoo! I flopped a straight!!! I played the entire hand calling raises and even reraising. Gee, is it possible someone might have flopped the flush?? That was the last hand I played that put me out. Classic newbie mistake Im sure but I learned from it and even though I was at the table for a whole 90 min  I had a lot of fun.
At least I made a little bit of money back at the BJ table.
Posted Mon Apr 05, 2004 9:35 am GMT by ballbp
Thanks for the update. Better luck next time but at least you had a good time. It's nice to hear someone had good luck at the blackjack tables too. I would have ended up positive my first time if I had stayed clear of those tables. 
Posted Sun Apr 18, 2004 10:36 pm GMT by MasterShake
How's this for tight. Second time in a poker room. I sit down with $100. Played for 5 hours and DID NOT WIN ONE F***ING HAND! I split one pot with AQos. I should have walked when I was down to 20 bucks....but believe it or not....I was having fun! It was good practice reading the other players at the table.
It's a rush though, eh JP?
Posted Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:30 pm GMT by Junk Pocket
| meatwad wrote: | | It's a rush though, eh JP? |
That it was!
Well Im back in the non-gambling state of VA. But Im going to a hold-em tourney tomorrow at someones house who Ive just met. So it kinda will be like sitting at a casino table with a bunch of strangers. I cant do any worse than at the casino...or can I
Posted Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:43 pm GMT by MasterShake
Hey, I'm SLOWLY building up my bank again. I was up to about $300 when I bought a new house and blew it on all the little things you never think you need until you need them 
I'm back up to about a $100 after losing $60 at a couple of my friend's SNG winner take alls. I'm back reading again and playing online a little after a 3 month hiatus. I'm planning a foxwoods run in June, so if you see a goofy guy at the 2/4 holdem table that looks a bit like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo feel free to say hi. If anyone sees me on UB, my nick is MasterShake.
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