Yeah, sort of. But keep in mind there are players who never chop, so you'll need to learn who does what at some point. Usually the easiest way is just to ask the players to your right and left "Do you chop?"

Do not be shocked at 1) the size of the preflop raises (usually at least 5x and often 10x), and 2) the number of preflop callers of these large raises. Also, don't be surprised if you see a lot more limping than you are used to. The game just plays a lot differently than online for similar stakes.

1. Focus on the action on the table so you are ready to act when it is your turn (harder to do if you are in the 1 seat, for instance).
2. Practice keeping track of the size of the pot in your head. This will help with bet sizing.
3. Pay attention to other's stack sizes and learn to estimate how much they have.
4. Figure out a pose, a physical position you are going assume when you are in a hand, and try to do the same thing every time.
5. Remember the single chip rule - if, for instance the blinds are 2/5 and there hasn't been a raise, putting out a $25 chip with no verbal declaration is considered a call, not a raise.

check your hole cards whenever you feel most comfortable and while it is best to be consistent, you can change it up. it is much more important to be comfortable playing your hand than to worry what the table thinks of you.

And def look at your cards, chop or not. mainly for the bbj possibility but there may also be other promos, like "high hand" where you don't need another hand to qualify.

verbal is no more binding than a physical raise/bet/check but less likely to be confused so i would recommend that if you are unsure, at least at first, always verbalize your action, then put out the appropriate chips. and if you are unsure about previous action, ask the dealer; for example, is that a raise? what is the raise or total bet amt?

+1 Always look straight at the dealer and clearly state what your action is going to be. It sounds stupid but the dealers are there to help you.

The oversized chip rule caught me off guard my first time in a casino. Let's say you're facing a bet of $10 and you intend to raise with a $25 chip. If you do not announce a raise tossing in the single chip it will constitute a call and you'll end up with change.

Also if you're doing 1/2 just buy in in redbirds ($5 chips) instead coming to the table with a stack of $1's. I think this is an easy give away of inexeperienced players. When you post blinds just throw out a $5 when you don't have singles. The dealer will make change for you.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using 2+2 Forums

You have to show both cards to win at showdown. Every time.

If villain shows bottom pair and you have top pair, do not just show your Ace and muck the other card or your hand will be dead.

1) pay attention to the action, so you're ready when its your turn....it's annoying when the same person keeps holding up play, cause they're talking or watching the tv screens

2) If you are chatty and more importantly FUNNY, use it, people dont mind losing a pot to others that are keeping the table laughing... i'm more likely to rebuy if its a fun table than if the mood is too serious or quiet...

This is usually one of the "new player" dead giveaways. Don't clutch your $5 chip like someone is going to steal it before you get your change.

There's very good advice in this thread. I have been playing poker for decades, but I travel a lot for work and so even though I know the mechanics, the different rules in different states (or even casinos) sometimes make me feel like a dumbass novice. It's especially important to me to not look like a newb because I'm a chick and we're already less likely to get respect at the table. So, my advice is usually to spend most of your first couple orbits folding a lot while you just watch. Watch what others are doing, both for mechanics and to pick up on their style.

Finally, my main advice would be to go to Biloxi instead of Pensacola. I spent 11 years in Pensacola and blech. Biloxi's only about 85 minutes away and offers much, much better poker options.

1. Always table your hand (turn BOTH cards face up and put them on the table) at showdown. Cards speak, and you will not run the risk of the pot getting pushed the wrong way if you've misread your hand.

1(a). Do this regardless of whether or not it's your "turn" to show. Either your opponent has something that beats you or he doesn't. Most people playing 1/2 or 2/5 aren't good enough to be able to get any information from it.

2. Always verbalize your action and then make the physical motion. Some rooms have a betting line that is enforced, some have a line that isn't enforced, some have no line at all. If you verablize your action before you do anything, then there is no ambiguity, especially if the house rule isn't apparent.

3. It was mentioned before, but protect your action. Do not rely on the dealer to do it for you. They are there to help, but they make mistakes too. (verbalizing also helps with this as well - there are always tons of posts on here that start with "I was trying to figure out my bet sizing/cutting out chips/staring into space/watching the game and by the time I realized it the dealer was burning and turning...")

4. Play however you want, but definitely avoid talking strategy at the table. It KILLS the mood of the game, especially for the casual players.

5. If Fish says..."did you have [the nuts]/[a bluff]/[two specific cards]?" Always say yes.

6. Don't wear sunglasses inside unless it's medically necessary

if you're unsure of someone's bet across the table or you're otherwise unsure of the action to you when it's your action, feel free to make eye contact with the dealer and politely ask how much it is / ask whatever. it's streets ahead of the old squinting and guessing game a lot of people play cause they're afraid to speak up and just ask. the dealer's attention is already on you, all you have to do is ask him/her for clarification.

conversely, if a player is about to make a bet like $78 using a single $100 chip, i've found that there is sometimes a confusion. but i never have any confusion in this situation because before i bet, i make eye contact with the dealer and i tell him/her in a clear voice at a regular volume "seventy-eight" as i'm tossing in my chip. the dealer then typically announces, louder, the bet amount as it stands. so clear, so elegant, players are aware of what's going on around them, the game is moving along, marvelous.

5. If Fish says..."did you have [the nuts]/[a bluff]/[two specific cards]?" Always say yes.

That's a very entertaining piece of advice.

Overall, everything in this thread (including the sarcasm!) is ridiculously helpful and I'm already making mental notes of many things I didn't even consider about live play.

The single chip thing, for example, would have thrown me off the first few times I saw it and I could see myself folding on what I thought was a raise.

Should I buy chips prior to sitting at the table or is it alright to buy them there? I don't want to impress everyone with the immense amount of cash I'll be throwing down.

Just kidding. No such thing as an immense amount of cash as a college student.

Room dependant. My casino requires us to buy from the cage first.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using 2+2 Forums

Oh, and the Biloxi suggestion -- I'd certainly like to go there as I'm sure it's a bit more exciting, but I think it's a bit further than I'd like to do a round trip to in one day.

I'll eventually make it there, however, and if Pensacola is really horrid it'll be sooner rather than later.

You'll probably have three choices to get your chips.

1) Go to the table directly and buy them from the dealer.
2) Go to the table and buy them from a brush, an employee, who is a chip runner for players and dealers. If you're going to use this option, its probably because the brush has physically led you to your chair.
3) Buy them from the cashier (cage) and bring them to the table yourself. This is probably the preferred method. But if you do so, go to your chair first and mark your chair (with your altoids) and then go to the cashier, buy your chips and come back.

If you arrive early and are seated at a new table being opened, then use option three for sure. But if you arrive in the midst of things, any of the options are okay.

Your reading comprehension is excellent!

LOL...no one is impressed w/ the money in your pocket, or the money you flash, in fact the people who have the most money never show it. Many times, prolly most of the time, I have more money in my pocket than everyone at the table combined...but no ones knows that but me. Someone who flashes a couple thousand bucks wants to impress someone or stoke thier own ego....

Different rooms have different etiqutte about buying chips at the table or cage, although MOST rooms will offer you chips at the table or via chip runner, or buy some chips from the player sitting next to you with cash. Often times only $100 bills play...some rooms cash doesn't play. My preference is to bring chips to the table, I always buy chips from the cage myself, even if I get an offer from a chip runner...I just get them myself. Ask one of the floor people in the room you plan play in "whats normal in this room...you guys bring me chips at the table, or I get them myself from the cage"?....then look at his/her name tag, ..."thank you Mike...I'm a newer player and looking forward to playing in your room, my name is Bill" -you may be surprised at just how much reward you may get from that little honest and forthright conversation.

Some practical advice, when you're fairly newish to the game don't get involved with many conversations when you're involved in a hand, for example a more expereicned player may try to extract some information from you in a tricky and non-aggresive way that they will use to extract money from you later. Without going into a long and detailed explaination suffice to say that you should listen and observe more than you talk, generally speaking.
And for the love of god...do NOT show someone you're cards, ever. From day one get in the habit of NOT showing your cards without a dam good reason -such as to collect a pot. And when some dipchit gives you the line of "will you show me if I fold,..or "I'll give you $10 bucks to see them cards", keep your mouth shut, and if your mouth has been shut most of the game this won't seem out of the oridinary...however if you've been talking up a storm and now all of sudden don't wanna say nuttin you've backyourself into a corner.
Here's a good for you, "will you show me if I fold?"....answer: "I might not show if you call"

welcome to live poker, best wishes sir.....

That some people are naughty

Sent from my Bravo Poker Kiosk using 2+2 Forums

Well now we all know that

I appreciate your insight into how I can defend myself against those who wish to mine me for information. I'm quite a social person so I'll have to be mindful of what I'm saying.

5. do what ever you feel comfortable with but why not just keep your mouth shut? i doubt they would pick up on a tone or inflection change if they end up seeing both when you are truthful and not but you also don't need anyone thinking you are angling...even if its in reply to an attempt to angle/gain info.

6. i am on the side that glasses shouldn't be allowed and it does look a little funny imo, but fact is, they are allowed and people wear them, from WSOP ME to 1/2 tables....again if they make you comfortable, by all means, you are within your right to wear them.

I'm at the Bellagio 5-6 days per week...stop in and say hi anytime, we'll have coffee and swap lies

Thanks for that second part about the reds.

What is so funny about this is that I see a ton of people say the exact same thing..while at the very same time seeing a ton of people actually doing it.

Unfortunately Vegas is a bit further than I can drive on the weekends while still making it back for class on Monday!

I'd like to get out there at some point, however, so I'll keep an eye out for you if I ever find myself in the Bellagio.

I'll just look for a talkative person drinking coffee. Can't be too many of those in the poker room, right?

Two things that I think are good ideas are to standardize your actions preflop, and, as others have said, make sure you protect yourself at showdown..

Preflop: Personally, I look at my cards, and then cap them with a red chip. When it's my turn, I either limp, raise, or uncap my cards and fold.

Some people think that looking at your hand early will give away information, while others argue that looking early speeds up the game. By looking early but doing exactly the same thing every time, we both don't give much (if anything) away, and we keep the game going fast. It's up to you, but I recommend "look, cap, be ready to act in turn" as a good preflop routine. I think it's a nice middle ground.

Another thing that can't be stressed enough is to hold on to your cards until you see a hand that beats you. If someone bets on the river and you call with a pair of queens, he might say something like "straight" or "aces."

You have two choices: you can either flip your hand faceup (flipping your hand faceup at showdown is NEVER a bad idea). OR you can, nice and friendly, say: "That's good" and just wait until he shows his hand. Once he actually shows you the aces or the straight or the whatever, THEN you can throw your cards in facedown, but ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make sure you see a hand that beats yours before you get rid of them.