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Advice for casino first-timer (1 Viewer)

PapaWheelie

PapaWheelie

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I'm new to poker and have only played a dozen home games and nothing online. I'd like to visit my local casino for some $1-$2 NLH but I've never set foot in a casino before. What do I need to know as far as rules, etiquette and other general advice ?
 
I think the main things are to always protect your hole cards to ensure they’re not mucked accidentally, remember the single chip rule and I like to verbally announce my actions before I move any chips to center and amounts so there is no misinterpretation or cause for someone to claim misinterpretation. Also keep your big chips on top or out front.
 
Don’t trust the other players. Dont talk. Dont answer their questions. Don’t believe them when they say they have something. People will try to angle you. Dont muck until winners are tabled. Table your hand if in doubt. Ask the dealer or floor if you are unsure what’s going on. The dealer or floor can answer your questions about rules and protocol. If a dealers decision is unclear, ask a floor to explain it. Ask right away when the issue happens to protect yourself.
 
You are new, so don't expect to win - mathematically, you won't because casino poker is -EV as the house is taking their share, and you are tipping the dealer a couple bucks every time you win a good pot (use other player's tipping habits as a guide). You have to be better than average to turn a profit.

Since you said "casino" instead of "card room", you are probably are heading to a tourist destination. Sure, there can be regulars, but most of the better regs should be sitting at $2-$5 where they can beat the rake. $1-$2 is home game territory. In Vegas, they will either be Old Man Coffee types trying to earn their comps, or drinking yahoos looking to have some fun. Therefore, I disagree with the "don't talk" concept. Have fun. Laugh, get to know people, acknowledge the dealer. Think of your losses as the cost of entertainment.

Who knows, being relaxed may be the key to success.
 
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Poker Zombie said:
You are new, so don't expect to win - mathematically, you won't because casino poker is -EV as the house is taking their share, and you are tipping the dealer a couple bucks every tine you win a good pot (use other player's tipping habits as a guide). You have to be better than average to turn a profit.

Since you said "casino" instead of "card room", you are probably are heading to a tourist destination. Sure, there can be regulars, but most of the better regs should be sitting at $2-$5 where they can beat the rake. $1-$2 is home game territory. In Vegas, they will either be Old Man Coffee types trying to earn their comps, or drinking yahoos looking to have some fun. Therefore, I disagree with the "don't talk" concept. Have fun. Laugh, get to know people, acknowledge the dealer. Think of your losses as the cost of entertainment.

Who knows, being relaxed may be the key to success.
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Zombie nails it. Don't expect to win, and have fun. Chat with the peeps around you.

My 2¢: don't tell anyone what you folded.
 
I’ve played a decent amount of $1/2 or $1/3 in AC (an hour and a half from my house) and sometimes in Boston and Vegas when on business trips over the last 20+ years. You are getting some ominous sounding commentary here and I don’t want you to be intimidated

Here is my experience….the average 1/3 or 1/2 player at the casino is absolutely horrible! There will likely not be any “pros” playing those stakes. You will be playing with a bunch of people that want to see as many flops as they can cheap and will not be paying attention to anyone’s cards but their own.

Again…you shouldn’t be nervous or intimidated!

Here is my advice…most of it standard low stakes poker advice -

  • Don’t limp unless you are on the blind in an unraised pot with a crappy hand.
  • Play most of your hands from highjack or after.
  • Only play premium hands in early and mid positions and come in with a raise
  • Three bet all your premium hands if raised before. You want to limit the amount of players in a pot with those hand.
  • People rarely bluff at these stakes. If you are betting and a guy is calling…then suddenly raises you on the river he has it! Just fold
  • If you are in late position and there are a bunch of limpers make a standard raise plus the limpers bets. If the standard opening raise at your table seems to be $10 and there are 3 limpers for $2 each make it $16
  • When you make a big hand DONT SLOW PLAY OR GET FANCY. Bet the pot and if you have two pair or a set and you think another player may have top pair get your entire stack in. They will often call as most low stakes players simply can’t get away from top pair with a big kicker.
  • The ONLY time you should very slow play is when you have an absolute monster nutted hand (like the nut straight or better) and there is no obvious interest in the pot from others. You may need them to catch up
There is sometimes…rarely… a semi pro regular type at a $1/3 table. If you start playing in the way I described they will often reveal themselves by suddenly asking for a table change. They want to be the ONLY player at the table playing well! You are cutting into their profits!😉

IMG_4557.webp


“Old State Club” is my home $1/1 $120 max game…the players at my home game are WAY better than what I see at the casino.

My win rate at Borgata was higher before my last session where I didn’t win a single hand for 6 hours! Managed to only lose $400. Unusual but it happens 🤷🏻‍♂️

This guy is painfully nerdy sometimes but it’s probably the best low stakes poker vlog on YouTube. I suggest you watch his videos. I like this one because he shows all the hands he folds rather than just the ones he plays. Take note of the time to get an idea of how many hands per hour he is playing.

I play like this and have done very well at $1/3 for a long time. I started tracking my results about two years ago. I post this as encouragement.

 
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I’d suggest finding an experienced friend to take you first.

Do you know what you’re going to do when you find the poker room? The procedure can vary. First thing to do is get your name on a list for a game. Usually there’s a desk/window with a screen showing what games are active, so you go there and give them your name and your game. But if there’s a long wait, you can sometimes get your name on the list beforehand remotely, either through an app or a phone call.

Then you probably have to go find a chip window to get your chips. (This may or may not be in the poker room.). Sometimes you can buy your chips at the table, but most places want you to show up at the table with your first buy-in. And you have to tell the cashier how you want your chips. You probably want to get $20 in ones and the rest in fives, but that’s up to you. My first time I got a full rack of ones (because that’s what I was used to a lot my home game) and so when I got to the table, everybody knew I was an idiot.

Then you need to wait until your name is called, at which point you go find your table. When you sit down, depending on where the button is, the dealer might ask if you want to buy the button, which means you pay extra in blinds that you’ve missed, but you get a hand immediately.

It can be confusing and intimidating and I don’t say this to discourage you, but to warn you about the stuff that nobody ever thinks of.

Oh. If you’re in the big blind and it folds around to the blinds, the small blind might ask if you want to chop. That means you both just take back your blinds and move on to the next hand. Similarly, when you’re in the small blind, you might want to offer the big blind a chop, if it folds around. The etiquette in these situations is to either do it or don’t do it, but do the same thing every time, without looking at your cards.

Good luck and have fun. Don’t take yourself or the game too seriously.
 
Old State said:
Here is my experience….the average 1/3 or 1/2 player at the casino is absolutely horrible!
  • People rarely bluff at these stakes. If you are betting and a guy is calling…then suddenly raises you on the river he has it! Just fold
  • When you make a big hand DONT SLOW PLAY OR GET FANCY. Bet the pot and if you have two pair or a set and you think another player may have top pair get your entire stack in. They will often call as most low stakes players simply can’t get away from top pair with a big kicker.
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This has been my experience as well. Seen too many times where players will open rip their entire stack with garbage and table the hand because they think it’s funny🤣.

Another thing I’d add is that people at these stakes tend to call and bet with any draw they have (flush, straight, etc.) Being sure to charge any of those holdings a lot when you have a made hand is how you win big.
 
ChuckZ55 said:
This has been my experience as well. Seen too many times where players will open rip their entire stack with garbage and table the hand because they think it’s funny🤣.

Another thing I’d add is that people at these stakes tend to call and bet with any draw they have (flush, straight, etc.) Being sure to charge any of those holdings a lot when you have a made hand is how you win big.
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100%. Your money is made at the low stakes charging the weak players for limping, their draws, and their inability to fold top pair or any hand they like.

To the OP @PapaWheelie

Don’t let yourself get nervous about the procedures either.

Most casinos in the US no longer allow you to buy in at the table. Just go get chips at the cage. It’s probably better to have your chips before you get on the list, but it doesn’t really matter. When they call you, they will scan your card and they’ll lock up your seat. If you have to go get chips, you could, but it’s better to have them .

Don’t worry about the denominations when you get your chips. The dealer will make change for you when you make a bet or post your blinds. The cage will usually give you all your chips and five dollars. You will notice there will be surprisingly few $1 chips in play on the table compared to $5

Good poker strategy is to have at least two full buyins and buyin for the table max as long as it’s not some crazy high amount. I don’t know what casinos in Canada are like, but most buyins are 100 to 200 big blinds max in AC and Vegas. $500 is typically the highest you will see for $1/3 in Vegas and AC. There are card rooms and places like in Texas that allow for more, but that’s unusual. So say $400 for $1/2. $300 is fine if you are worried. The idea is that you want the most chips in your stack you can so you can get the most value when one of the suckers at the table, calls your “all in” when you have the nuts.


If the cage is far away from the Poker room, I recommend keeping your re-buy money as a few hundred dollar chips in your pocket. That way if you need to top off or rebuy, you don’t have to go far. While you can’t buy in at many casinos at the table, the dealers will often make change for big chips.

When there was a showdown, flip your cards up and let the dealer determine the hand. If it’s your first time playing, and you’re nervous, you might misread your hand and fold the winner.

If I have a big night and the cage is really far from poker room I’ll ask the dealer if I can “sell my chips” to him. All that means is trading in your $5s for $25s and or $100s. Saves you from having to carry a lot of chips across the casino floor.

You will start to feel more comfortable after the first hour or so and soon realize how crazy it was to be nervous to play low stakes poker in a casino.😉. You will likely be playing with some of the worst players you’ve ever played with.🤣. Relax and have fun!!!
 
One more piece of advice: slip some crisp, clean chips into your pocket when you can. Ask the dealer if he/she will sell you a snapper. I usually offer to buy it for more than face value. For example, if the snapper is $2.50, I'll offer $5 for it.

Most importantly, relax and have fun.
 
In case no one said it, get a players card first thing. If going with a friend, there may be a promotion where you and they get freeplay for new players. Usually some other perks like free tshirt or half off buffet, but that should always be first at a new casino, unless you already have a shared card like caesars or mlife.
 
Ask questions about concepts you don’t know to those around you or the dealer, ask the dealer for the count on all in, know your limit before you start - tournaments are fixed loss floor for example, so that is good. Have an appreciative attitude if someone gives you advice about something you did wrong, Apologize if you did something out of order or incorrect. Be aware of mannerisms or habits in others when they play, See the other players as humans and be respectful and have fun with them.
 
Agree with the above comments.

I also like BlackRain poker, check out some of his videos for relatively simple and straightforward tips:


Also recommend you scan my first post here (I posted about approach for my local cardroom and ChatGPT summarized a logical play style approach):

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/2-3-400-buy-in-cardroom-strategy.136406/

Recommend you buy in and plan to observe for the first hour. Don’t put headphones on and just listen/absorb. It’s not a friendly limpfest homegame, so tighten up your range and only play premiums pre-flop until you’re comfortable knowing who you’re playing against, then you can flex and exploit.

If there’s a rake you don’t want to be limping and winning small pots. Usually you want to be raising or folding pre-flop.

Once you get a little more comfortable get involved in more pots and be conscious of your seat position vs action and how that affects your opening range/bet sizing.

Other than that, I found it a mixed bag of player types. It’s also frustrating because I sometimes play too tight and fold out top pair when someone goes all in and gets called and you then see 2nd or 3rd pair wins it… so pick your spots and be prepared to get called down by trash.
 
You need to buy a rack of chips at the casino cage before walking to the table and you should get a players card in case you get a high hand. My preferred method of sitting into a game is ask the front desk you want to play 1/2 or 1/3 and they will tell you which seat is open > go to the table and drop you players card on your seat > go to the cage and get your chips and go back to your seat. Tip the dealer $1-2 dollars per small to medium pots and dont give action to players who dont give action.
 
Don’t be in a rush and call ahead to get on the list. If you’re still waiting when you get there scope out as much as you can. Table and floor operations, players at the table, which tables are having fun/ full of chips.

Only go and play if you are in optimal mental state. ie, good mood, no problems, etc.

Keep your chips in proper stacks. Keep em in neat stacks, and keep them 20 high (while you have them at least.😍).

Nothing screams fish more than a player with $260 in $5’s spread out into 8 different chip stacks. Oh and keep em tight to the rail. Newbs like to keep them out front sometimes. Khow much money ya got in front of ya. You’ll have plenty of time to count cuz you aren’t gonna be in a lot of hands.

I repeat you’re not gonna be in that many hands.

And my final note as far as protecting your cards. I am a righty, so I keep my left hand on my cards if I am in the hand and do my betting with my right hand, my hand doesn’t come off the cards until I get pushed the pot or I muck. I think it’s a good habit I’ve developed and it keeps me from wanting to do stuff with my left hand like pick my nose or ear while in the hand. Outta the hand Ill pick away with both hands.

Look at your cards right away when you get them once you get the second card take the peak. I like to do that cause that’s when other players are looking at their cards. And you’re not gonna get that much good info from studying the players while they first look at their hands. The guys at the casino aren’t gonna give a dumb tell away when they look down at Kings.

The first time I went to a casino I waited until it was my turn to act and looked at my hand. When I looked up, everybody at the table was looking at me. You can avoid that by looking right away.

Good luck!
 
there's a lot to digest here, but my advice is honestly just show up and play. you'll figure the rest out at the table.
 
This post inspired to finally go check out a small card room about 40 mins away. Hollywood Casino in Pa

It sucked and the players did to. $1/3 $500 max buyin. It was the lowest game I’ve ever played in. 10 handed game with 4-8 people seeing every single flop regardless of any raises.

How loose? One hand I was dealt KK on the button. Every player limped until the hijack raised to $15. Everyone called after until it got to me and I reraised to $50. Five people called to see the flop! Flop came out 9 2 5 with two clubs. Checks around to me and I bet $150 and one guy calls. Checks around check on the turn which was s 5 Guy bets $50 on the river after hitting a flush with 10-4 clubs!

These are types of player YOU WANT in a game. Stick around long enough and you will take all their chips.

I was down most of the night after that and being card dead. Right before we left I got AQ and 3 bet it to $60. Only one guy called! Flop came Q J 3. I pushed my entire stack in. The guy tanked for about 2 mins then falls with AJ! I double up and end up even for the night.

This is how bad $1/3 players are. Usually not as loose or anything close to this loose, but the decision-making is just as poor anywhere I play. I hadn’t played a hand in very long time, but my table image should’ve indicated to this player that I had exactly AQ or QQ. It doesn’t matter because he’s not paying attention.

In that type of game you really are stuck waiting for cards ….but if you catch some you can triple or quadruple up pretty quickly
 
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Just have fun and enjoy your time. If you are playing 1/2 NLH it's not like you are running into any pros. Just trust your instincts and study up a little on pre flop sizings and if you get 3bet or 4bet they always have it.
 

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