what is it with all the douche nozzles in this thread saying they were glasses because the lights hurt their eyes? Are you freakin kidding me?

Are you sensitive bastards on the verge of melting when you step out in the sunlight?

A few items that I think have yet to be listed:

1. If there are no chip runners, get your chips at the cage before reaching the table. It's needless to waste the table's time.

2. Place your bet so that it's easily reachable by the dealer.

3. Post your blinds without being told.

I disagree with sunglasses, who cares if you wear them at the table. Or a wig or a hoodie. I don't think anyone gives a ****. Certainly nobody at a 1/2 table.

If you're going to wear headphones, pay attention. I wear headphones because most poker players in casino's, specifically AC, are about as interesting to talk to as an elementary school gym coach. Here's a typical conversation:

sports team sports team sports team sports team
bad beat story
sports sports sports
what did you have that hand? I folded the second nuts, the third nuts, whatever nuts
made up bad beat story

Yeah, enlightening.

I think the most important thing, in general, is to just pay attention to what is going on.

No he was just angry at losing. What you might consider though is that if he's pissed and taking it out on you he's not looking to fold to you. Tighten up considerably.

I got my start playing poker many moons ago playing live. Then the internet poker scene came on and I gave live poker up mostly and played online. Now it's live again. I much prefer online but that's neither here nor there. Here's my $0.02:

1. Like everyone said know the rules and customs of the card room. It will be helpful.

2. Yeah tip, I always do. I actually am quite friendly with most of the dealers.

3. Like others said don't give up your winning hand until the dealer pushes the pot to you. You'll always run into inexperienced dealers so just do it no matter what they do. Protect your hand at all times of course.

4. One big advantage to live poker in my view is that for me anyway, I can remember a face much better than I can remember a screen name. If I see a guy play a hand a certain way and get an insight into his game, when I see him on another day I'm going to recall that info much easier.

5. The big disadvantage of course is that there's much fewer hands per hour for those that are used to multitabling online. It can get boring sometimes for sure. I know it's trite and often repeated but I'll say it anyhow. Pay attention to every hand and how people play them. Really focus on that. It will help you in many ways.

6. Generally speaking in my view online players that have been successful are quite a bit stronger in strategic play than their almost exclusively live opponents assuming similar stakes. This should provide you with a big advantage and somewhat compensate you for playing less hands with a higher win rate.

7. There are folks in the card room who just hang on by borrowing money from players that have no intention of ever paying it back. True they eventually have to quit going because they owe folks so much money but they're out there. Be careful who you lend money to and preferably not to anyone.

8. Most players are there for a good time. Don't spoil it for them. Just be a sociable pleasant person.

9. Obviously going to the cardroom takes a little bit more (at the very least) of a committment to play. You have to get yourself there, often have to get on a list, and do a little waiting for a table.

10. Which brings me to another point. If you play a lot of 6 max online games (which most regular players do I think) you're in a really good position to clean up when the casino trys to start a game short handed or maybe even a must move game that plays short handed. Most live players play at full tables and aren't real comfy playing short handed. You might consider playing live at a time like in the wee hours of the morning when a lot of people playing are stuck and the games tend to be short handed. My wife and I used to go to the casino at 4:00 Am because she like to play 21 heads up and I'd find my way to a poker table that was invariably short handed. Your 6 max experience should show you a nice profit in my view.

Pay attention to what other players are saying, you hear 3 players whom know each other, talk'n about baseball/ crabs/sails/wheelchairs/computer, etc. They're telling their buddie who's still in the hand what they folded........ 9/3/4/5/10 etc...... Just like you did with IM, or your cell phone with your online buddies..

on #7, you have to collect $5 on every $20 you lend out, due weekly @ midnite Fri, that way they borrowing their own $$$$ sooner than later

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet.

Keep your hands off of the table while the cards are being dealt, especially if you are seated next to the dealer. I really don't like having my cards flipped over while being dealt to me because you can't stop playing with your chips. I had one guy to my right in the 1 seat that flipped over 3 cards in one down because he was constantly puting his hand in the dealers way. Believe me, the dealer was getting pissed. (You really don't want the dealer pissed at you.)

Also, as mentioned above, you can ask the dealer to spread the pot. But you shouldn't be doing it every time you are in a hand. Pay attention to the pot size. If you can figure odds, you should be able to add and subtract. I had one kid at my table that asked for the pot to be spread every time he was in a hand. He actually asked the dealer to spread the pot twice in a single hand on several occasions.

I think the advice re potential violence from bad people etc is actually good, and something to be considered.

I don't know anything about playing poker with mob bosses or criminals. However I think it's important to be aware of where you are. ie. In an alcohol serving establishment playing games for real money against other members of the general public.

As a rule I specifically steer clear of getting involved in any angle-shooting, dealer error discussions, misread hands etc. at a table that don't directly affect me. This is mainly after witnessing a guy copping a punch in the face in one of the casino bars several hours after being involved in such an incident. He'd done nothing wrong but had made the mistake of getting involved in a situation that turned out detrimental to the chipstack of a very large, very drunk thuggish jerk that was playing at our table.

You were wrong in justifying your actions to him. He is going to believe whatever he wants regardless of what you tell him. Play however you want to, but don't ever tell someone at a table, "I play to win money, not for fun." Fish will realize what they are up against and perhaps walk away or play better against you. In that situation I would have just shrugged my shoulders and said nothing. But I guess that is easier for me since I don't typically have long conversations with people I don't know at the table.

I often wear a hoodie because it is like Antarctica where I play, but I don't zip it all up like Phil Laak when I'm in a hand.

I might have an adrush when I have a big hand, when I'm bluffing, or have a big draw; about any time I'm putting or contemplate putting sizable bets in the pot. How does my opponent know if I have a made hand, a big draw, or am attempting a bluff when my heart races in all those situations?

Its might not be the smoke but a combanation of all the allergens brought in by various casino guest. Combinre that with the enourmous amount of dust thats in the hvac system all blowing around in a closed system and you have an allergis nightmare on your hands. I can only take the Rio pokerapoulous for a few hours and i my throat swells up really bad. And you cant smoke inside anywhere near the poker room. Take a 12 or 24 hour allergy pill next time and see if that helps. I use Zantac but others might work as well too.

waaa, seriously. They were charged with violating a federal statue by a federal prosecuter in a federal court. LMFAO.

The reason not to wear hoodies down over your face, or sunglasses, or headphones, or to play r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y is that doing so tightens the play, and decreases the socialness.

If you wear a hoodie or shades, or play slowly, you're announcing that this is a SERIOUS GAME! And that you are a SERIOUS PLAYER! And "This is big stakes and we should all be really careful and take our time with every decision and hide our eyes and ...."

Stop. You do NOT want your opponents getting serious. You DO want them watching the overhead football game.

Hoodie and shades douches aren't better than other players on average, or worse, either. They're almost always pretty mediocre (never really good, because good players aren't afraid of the game, and by far the main reason people hide behind hoodies and shades is that they're afraid).

But they do make the game worse. You know what you have if you see a game with a bunch of hoodie and shades douches? A bunch of guys trying to play their A game, and making everyone around them feel like they need to do the same.

AND it's antisocial. It's ******ed. The people you most want to play with are there to have fun.

Encourage fun. Discourage seriousness. It isn't complicated.

I quote this only because I seen a person ask to see the mucked hand once and it cost not only him but the all in from the main pot as well. The guy who's hand was mucked was the winner. Both the side pot and the main pot were given to the new winner. The main pot guy flipped. The guy who asked was only on 9 high draw that never got there. (no collusion as I now the idiot, he did not know either player)

I recently invested in an MP3 and started wearing headphones considering I will be doing alot more time at the live playing. I played a good mix of both before Black Friday. I have to say, not having to hear the banter is good. I mean it is good to understand where your oppositions idiocy is coming from, but after a while, all the stupidness gets old. Also, having my headphones on discourages the moron to my right to get into a worthless conversation and not pay attention to action at the table when I am not in the hand. With headphones, I am seeing every little thing and I have yet to miss a beat as to what is happening. I am almost more focused having them on.

On the other hand, I also been playing at private games for a while now as well (no thugs, rich guys who love to gamble but somehow I get the invite and crush). Never wear headphones to a place like this. You have to be social here or they will ask you not to come back. These places will be your most juicy games you can sit in. Sit in them, be social, act like you are there for the fun of it just like the rest of them.

Well, except pay the BBJ rake.

Simple answer: "I never chop."

And then never chop.

I hate chopping. And some nit regs get really upset if you don't chop. But most B&M players will be fine as long as you always chop or never chop.

Have played some great hands where players stacked off $100 or more in a 1/2 game playing SB vs BB ... why would you ever chop?

$100s play in plenty of NL cash games, as low as 1/2 - just depends on the casino. Always ask if you aren't sure.

If I did nothing, what did the dealer do?

Ashamed? really?


Thanks for the thread Joe, enjoyed it.

I'm someone who is sympathetic to the idea that dealers get too much in tips generally; but in this case I can see the point. Everyone else at the table gets a "taste" of the BBJ, even those who mucked their hands preflop; so it's kind of a bummer to leave the dealer out of the party. I would hope everyone who got a share would tip some; the main winner should give at least a thousand bucks I'd think.

I only tip when the hand goes to showdown, or if it just happens to be a really big non-showdown pot. I'll just tip a $1 even if it's 2/5. I've tipped $2 but only when playing 5/10 on big pots. The staff generally feels that is acceptable, never have I had anybody comment that I was being cheap. If you want to do $2 every time you win a pot or steal the blinds, go ahead, but in the long run it's going to drop you winrate by $3-$4 an hr.

I'm sorry, but 10K in that situation is nuts. $400 is more than adequate and the dealer should be thankful he/she is even getting that much. The dealer does a machine's job and in no way contributes to the outcome of the hand. If they controlled the cards it would be different.

Better yet, let me put it this way. Is the dealer going to pay 5% of your taxes? The IRS makes the winner pay taxes on the entire amount and it's unreasonable to expect the winner to receive less than their taxable amount.

LOL

How about advice on the etiquette when a player next to you peeks at their hand, and you can see it too? I play infrequently and have been in that situation 2 times. Is it worth the risk of someone else catching you glancing down at the guy?