Yeah, don't forget to tip the dealer. Whether or not you should/how much is up for debate but generally a dollar per pot is standard. First time I played I forgot to tip after my first 3 pots then gave the guy 2 reds (!!!) on my 4th pot when I won a 150bb pot.

Don't tip 10 dollars, ever.

Well if you are just playing recreationally I don't see any problems tipping $10 or even more if you feel so inclined.

Tipping comments belong in the Containment Thread (read it and you'll see why).
(To save you time, the underlying message of the entire tipping discussion is:
1) Tipping is a 100% personal decision;
2) But if you disagree with me, you're a jerk.)

Sounds like every argument I've ever read on an internet forum.

Be nice, don't get into ego war, that's really biggest thing....being nice is underrated

Don't underestimate your image (literally). Because I'm always the youngest at the table I get NO respect when I first sit down. Raises get 6 callers, get raised all the time, etc. once I take a few big pots I start getting respect but people think they can run you over because of physical appearance (as stupid as it sounds).

^ don't worry I've been working out a lot lately so I look very big for my age

The $1-$2 donks sitting around me in headphones are not high rolling sharks.

It may or may not work for you, does for me. Have a couple drinks before you go to help take away some of the nervousness.

Don't listen to this.

The best thing to know is when to get up and leave. I obey the S.H.I.T. Principle (forgot which pro wrote about it). Never play when you're:

Sick,
Hungry,
Intoxicated, or
Tired.

I've seen multiple references to this so I'll go ahead and pose a question:

Is this "feeling" you get which tells you to get up and leave or call it a night something that you feel at some point in every session? Or is it something that, though not always encountered, should always be heeded?

I'd say it's not a feeling it's time to leave. Rather, it's learning to recognize subtle (or sometimes big) changes in the way you're playing, and then knowing to leave because of those changes.

For example, you start off paying attention to every hand, even the ones you fold preflop. But after a few hours, someone comes back from the restroom, sees a guy stacking a big stack, and asks you "what happened?". Then you realize that you have no clue. You folded and completely zoned out, and have no idea what happened. Or you see a guy bet, look up, and realize there is a new player in seat 3, and you can't recall the previous guy leaving.

You may suddenly realize that you limped into the last 15 or so hands, when you may normally only play 2 of them, with raises. Or you folded a flush draw getting great odds so you don't risk losing your profits.

Those don't tell you to leave. Rather they are signs that you should probably leave. You have to connect the dots, and get up, instead of just telling yourself to keep playing and pay more attention, because you probably will for a couple of hands, and then drift into the same bad play.

Here's my #1 "I wish I knew before I played my first live session" (and I'm still struggling to wrap my head around it):

Other people don't play the same way I do!

They all have (very) different opening ranges, different calling standards, different raising standards, different understandings of relative hand-strenghts - and different goals with their actions at the table.

So when you during a hand say to yourself "Well, I would never [cold-call a pf 3-bet for 25% of my stack with a suited one-gapper, check-raise a dry flop with a set, call a turn PSB HU with only a 4-flush, etc.] ... just try to remember, that "sense" is not a big factor in your opponents decisions.

A good, safe way to apply this principle as a newb is to give yourself certain tasks, and sit out or leave when you're not fulfilling them. For example, you need to count the pot and watch the action after you're out of the hand, so consciously note the pot size at the end of each hand. If you have 2-3 hands in a row where you can't tell yourself the pot size (silently!), it's time to sit out. Regardless of the reason, you're not ready to play your best.

I like this, can't wait to use it

Browser I appreciate the insight and the follow up commentary from AK is also very helpful.

I'll make sure to be well rested / enthusiastic for the trip so as to hopefully keep myself playing solid poker.

I follow it already but that's a far better name than the one I had

^ the name is so catchy it's impossible NOT to follow!

Action to your right yields an all-in for 21 dollars and it folded to you on the bb, you feel like getting cute for a call of $20 with a KJs since the normal raise is to $14-16 at your table? Ask how much. This person may be "playing behind" and trying to angle here. Where I play, if the chip runner is in transit with the player's money, he still has the right to act with this money. You see $21 but he's actually shoving $121 and probably knows this angle. Never hurts to ask, (especially if you're thinking about calling with KJs in the first place!) My rule: Asking a question doesn't signal to everybody that you're new. It just means you want clarification; don't feel bad about asking questions!

To that point -- the single most useful question at the poker table is "What is the action?" Not, "Did he check?" (which sounds like you're checking) or "Did he say, 'All in'?" (no, but I just heard you say "All in"!). "What is the action?"

That and "Time." Use them both together, a lot. "Time, I don't understand. What is the action?"

When in doubt CLARIFY! To the savvy, it makes you look less like a noob and more like someone smart enough to not get burned.

This made me lol. Funniest thing I've read here in a long time. Is the Containment Thread still going? I stopped contributing to it over a year ago

Alright everybody.

I made the drive down to Pensacola last night (280 miles both ways) with my buddy.

I played decently well but was admittedly distracted by the surroundings/excitement and ended the night down $100.

My buddy, on the other hand, got felted twice (initial buy-ins of $80 and $40) before re-buying with $40 plus an additional $60 of mine.

He doubled up on a straight-happy board with a set of kings against someone who ended up having a pair of 6s or 7s. Oddly enough, the biggest bet of the round came after the river (i.e. villain had already missed his straight draw) so I assume he was trying to rep that straight (lucky for my buddy!).

Then, at about 10:45 p.m. (I told him we'd leave at 11 p.m.), my buddy played three straight hands of Q + low kicker (3, 4, 8 in that order) and went from a $400 stack to $620.

He won the first hand with a pair of queens. The second hand flopped two pair. The third hand was another pair of queens.

Funny thing -- after the first Q + low kicker hand a woman at the table asked if he was playing Q low kicker again and proceeded to lose another pot to it.

By the third time it was just ridiculous.

Alas, it was a fun adventure and at least one of us came out very much on top!

Thanks for all of the advice everyone.

I'll add one... bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer. In every poker room I've ever played in the chips are pretty nasty and grimy.

I washed my hands multiple times throughout the night.

It's horrible because I like playing with the chips but I feel so dirty doing so.

What limits were these that your friend was buying in for 80 and 40?