Hey guys,

I just played some Live MTT´s, but cash games until yet just online.

This summer I want to play some cash games in LV and have some very stupid questions...

Goal: Playing 1/2 Cash Game for some hours. Want to play with 100BB

#1
At first I go to the cashier and by my chips. Maybe 200BB, so 400$.
My question:
Do I have to say "how" I want this 400$?
So "100x 2$ and 100x 1$ and some 5$ and 10$ chips?
Or can I say "400$ for 1/2 Poker" and then I get a mix of all chips?

#2
Then I go to the floor man or so and ask for a open seat?
Or is it also possible, just go to a open seat and sitting down?
(maybe difficult in LV during the WSOP )

#3
Then I have to tell the dealer "how much" of my money I want to take to the table?
The other 200$ I put under my chair or so?

#4
Maybe I lost some Pots and Iam under 90BB and I want to rebuy.
Just put some more money at the table or I have to announced this to the dealer?

#5
Tip just 1% or more?
Just big pots?

#6
If I want to go to the restroom or so.
Just saying "Iam sitting out" or just go?

#7
If I want to go home or change the table.
Just saying "Iam out. Good luck"?


Thx for help,
Christian

1) Yes, you should specify what denominations you want. For $1/2 most people bring their buyin in reds ($5) and if it's a place you can't rebuy at the table such as the WSOP cash section, you may want to bring extra green or black. Keep them in your pocket.

2) Yes, there is usually a podium somewhere where you ask someone wearing a suit and name tag. Don't sit at a table without getting permission from that person.

3) Whatever you put down on the table is in play. Leave any extra cash or chips in your pocket.

4) Between hands you can add on to your stack from chips in aforementioned pocket up to the table max. If you need more chips, pull the cash out and ask the dealer between hands for chips.

5) There is a separate thread for this.

6) Just go. If you'll be leaving for an extended break, ask the dealer how long you have before your chips get picked up.

7) For a table change, ask the be-suited person from #2 first. Saying good luck as you get up is good etiquette.

Some other topics

Missed blinds-if you are away from the table during your blinds, you will have to post your blinds before you are allowed to play (or you can wait for the biog blind to come back around)

Going south-You cannot take any money off the table and put it into your pocket, this is considered 'going south' and is a no-no. If you change tables, you have to keep the same amount of money in play from table to table (if staying at the same stakes)

Leaving the game-There is no requirement to stay any amount of time before you leave. This isn't a home game where people get mad if you leave right after you win a big hand. If you are a tourist at a place you won't play at very often, just get up and leave whenever. if you are a reg, it is sometimes polite, if you are up, to give people a warning that you are leaving in an orbit or two. Note: if you leave, then want to come back, you have to come back with the same amount of money on the table that you left with (see going south, above), unless a certain amount of time has passed (usually thirty minutes or an hour).

Table talk-as opposed to MTT's, table talk rules are a bit looser in cash games, especially headsup.

For more specifics, definitely go to the "tipping containment thread," but do not tip a percentage. Tip what you feel comfortable with. Not to get in an argument (that's what the containment thread is for), but just as an example, I usually tip $1 on any pot that isn't tiny (like, if I raise and win the blinds preflop) and an extra dollar on very big pots.

Reducto gave good answers but I'll add my take.

You can specify the chips the way you want them. I'll point out a couple things in addition.

A. If you're playing no limit, the majority of your chips should be $5 chips. If you want a few $1 chips for tipping the dealer or for speeding the game up, that's fine. But if you're starting with $200 at a $1-2 NL table, then at least $180 of your stack should be $5 chips. If not the whole $200. I've seen players show up to a $1-2 NL table with $100 in all $1 chips and they look like inexperienced players. Just scout out the game you plan to play and see what color chips most of the players have. I assume you're trying to fit in.

B. You're better off talking to the floor person or whomever is at the podium before you buy chips at the cage. A lot of the rooms in LV will have someone take you to your seat and the same person will take your initial buy-in and bring you your chips. Plus, that way you won't be stuck waiting for a long time while you're babysitting a rack of chips.

Yes. This. In every room.

A. There's no reason to announce how much you're playing. Just sit down with the appropriate amount and start playing.

B. If you do have an additional $200 for reserves, I'll recommend getting $25 or $100 chips so you can keep them in your pocket and not under the table.

You're fine putting them on the table but it can't hurt if you tell the dealer as well. Make sure you do it before a hand and never during a hand.

There's an entire thread devoted to this. Standard is $1 on pots in which you aren't simply stealing the blinds. When in doubt just pay attention to how the other players at the table tip and decide what you're comfortable with.

Just go when you have to. Some rooms have a "3rd man walking rule" which means that if two players are already away when you get up, you risk losing your seat by being the 3rd player to get up, leaving the table short-handed.


If you want to change tables speak to a floor person first. If you want to leave, just get up and leave. And saying something on your way out like, "It was fun playing with you guys. Have a good night," is always appropriate.

On the other hand, I wouldn't announce that I'm planning to leave ahead of time. For instance, if I know I'm going to play 2 more hands, I'll just play my hands, and then I'll rack up and go home.

If you give them a certain amount, they'll likely give you that amount in red ($5) chips. If you gave them more than $500 you would probably get some green ($25) chips, and more than $1,000 then some black ($100) chips. You don't have to say anything but if you only intend to play a certain amount, then you can ask for that amount in red chips and the rest in black (or green).

Seating is assigned, you'll likely talk to someone running the lists as you walk into the poker room. He'll either put you on a waiting list or direct you to a table with an open seat. You can then go get chips from the cage and take your seat or go directly to the seat and have a chip runner get the chips for you (tip a buck when they do).

Put any money you don't want to play with in your pocket and the rest on the table. Once you start playing with it, you can't take parts of it off the table (you'd have to take everything off).

You can take the chips in your pocket and put it on the table. You can take cash out if you want to and have a chip runner go get you more chips. The dealer will probably notice you doing this but you can let him know too so he can summon a chip runner if you're taking out cash.

Tip $1 every time a dealer pushes you chips, even if the pot is chopped, and every employee in the room will like you. If you want to tip more than that, go ahead but the difference between $0 and $1 is bigger than the difference between $1 and $5 to a dealer.

You can just get up and go. If you're not in your seat when the next hand starts, the dealer will skip dealing cards to your seat. There are procedures in place if you miss your blinds too. Some places might only excuse you from being away from the table for 15 minutes but usually you can have over an hour to stay away. But taking a few minutes to go for a walk (especially after a big loss) or to go use the restroom is perfectly fine.

You can let the dealer know to deal you out as you pick up your chips so that he doesn't deal you another hand and give you pocket Jacks or something. If you want to change tables, just go talk to the guy who assigned you the seat in the first place and he'll put you on the list for the next open seat.

The flow is like this:

You show up at the front area that manages the tables called the "brush" and tell them which game you want to play. They put you on a waiting list for that game. When a seat opens up, they call your name and you go to the table they tell you. Sometimes you can buy your chips at the table, sometimes you have to go to the "cage" to get them. You tell which denomination of chips you want like "400 in red" (red = $5 chip). Once at the table and playing you can come and go as you please, no need to say much when you leave - although constantly being away from the table is bad form. If you want a table change, go back to the brush and request a new table and they will call you when a seat opens up at a different table. When you are done, you go back to the cage to get cash for your chips.

Pretty much your questions have been answered, but this is important. Like bolt said, don't buy your chips first. Wait to be called for you seat and then ask the brush where to get chips and where your seat is.

There are some regional variations to buying chips. In New England, I would buy the chips before getting seated. There are rarely chip runners so the dealer has to make the change. That takes time and when he is depleted of chips, the action stops as the dealer has to refill. Cutting down on the refills is appreciated.

Unless I know they sell chips where I get my seat assignment, I'll usually just buy chips before asking for a seat. I've had too many instances of the seat no longer being available or the table being broken once I get my chips or having to walk down to lock up the seat, then back to the cage, then back to the seat, or tracking down a floor and being told I was supposed to get chips first anyway, etc. It's just less stressful for me to wait until I'm ready to sit.

If there's a list I'll wait until my name is almost due.

I was at one place where you bought chips at the counter and they carried them to the table whether you wanted them to or not. I'm sure they thought of it as great customer service, but I found it rather tilting for some reason. Just give me the damn chips and get out of my way!

I'm reminded of one of my all-time favorite playing sessions. This was over 10 years ago, in Bally's LV, back when the poker room was more in the middle of the action, not too far from the craps pit. I was seated immediately at a table adjacent to the brush stand and gave the brush/floorman $200 for my $1-2 NL seat. The dealer announced that I was $200 behind and dealt me in. I won a nice pot and more than doubled up on that first hand. Then I won another nice pot the next hand. And another nice pot the following hand. By the time my $200 in chips were delivered to me I was already ahead by more than $600.

A few thoughts:
Yes, the brush is your friend. When registering or asking about getting in a cash game, ask the brush/desk "What is the min/max?" for the game you want, lets say the 1-2 game you talk of. They will answer "60 to 200" or "100-300" or what ever their room has for rules, which gives you the minimum and maximum buy-in that you can bring to the table.

"Are chips available at the table?" is another standard ? for me in a new room. That will either let you go directly to your seat, or get further direction from the brush. You may need to go to another cage, buy them there, or see a runner.

If they want you to buy in at the cage/eslewhere before you get to the table, please tell them to "Lock it up" meaning to hold your seat for you, and no one else, as you are on your way with a buy-in. You can lock up a seat as a new player, a table change, a game change from a higher or lower limit or other type game (limit, omaha, etc.)

The most important thing to do is not be afraid to say, "I'm new, I don't know what to do". Many people are afraid to look like the new guy. There's nothing wrong with that.

Also, do not "splash the pot". Place or throw your bet out in front of your position but not close or in the pot. I see new comers throw the bet into the pot from time to time and that just slows the game down. The dealer has to verify the correct amount was put out and splashing it into the pot makes that difficult.

This

Being the noob is fine, especially since you've actually played poker, you're just unfamiliar with the live cash format.

Wow, thx for the massiv informations
That helps me a lot and now everything is clear.


Thanks,
greetings from germany,
Christian

I tell people to go ahead and announce pretty early that you are new to live poker. Some of the frineldier players will help you out. And honestly, most experienced players can spot a live poker newbie within an orbit.

1) If you don't say anything they will assume you're a 1/2 NL player and will give you red (five dollar) chips. One stack of reds (20 chips) is a hundo. If I were you I'd give her 400 and say "Two red two green" and get two stacks of red (200 bucks, so your initial 100BB) and eight 25 dollar green chips that I would just put in my pocket and use to top up my stack if I fall too far below 200. You can't take chips off the table after you put them down (unless you're cashing out, and in some weird games like short deck) but you can always top up. Just so you know most 1/2 games in Vegas have a max buyin of 300 dollars (150BB) instead of 200, but the usual open bet at these tables is also usually 10-12 dollars instead of 6 like it is online, so it makes sense. If you run out of chips you give money to the dealer and he'll call for someone to bring you chips for the money, but it's polite (and in some places required) to bring your first buyin with you.

2) In some casinos sometimes you can just go sit where you want. This is very unusual in Vegas though, especially during the series. You go to the desk near the entrance to the room and say "put me on the list for 1/2" and they'll either say OK and ask for your initials (which they'll call out later over the audio system) or they'll say "Table 12" and point you in that direction. The tables will have little signs near the dealer with the table number on them. If it's busy and they say you can sit at any 1/2 table with an open seat what you do it go walk to a seat that looks good (they'll point you toward the 1/2 tables which are usually together in one area, or else give you the numbers for which ones have open seats) and put your players card there or some other small personal object or a chip and say "lock that up for me" and then go get chips or do whatever else you need to do before sitting down (sometimes the dealer will just say "How much do you want" and then you give him cash instead and he calls a chip runner).

3) Sit down and put your two red stacks in front of you. I like to keep my chips to the right of my hands so I can keep the cards right in front of me (this sometimes annoys the guy on my right), most players just put them dead center in front of them. You'll start getting hands right away usually, sometimes the dealer will ask you if you want to "buy the button or wait a hand" if you've sat in the small blind. Sometimes you'll have to wait for the blind to come to you before you get your first hand. Depends on the place. The dealer will also ask you for your comp card. These cards are free and are used to track how many hours you play, most rooms put one or two dollars an hour onto the card and you can use this money in on-site restaurants and for other purposes later. You have to get one of these at the comp card desk before hand, if you don't have one they won't track your hours.

4) If you fall 25 below your initial buyin pull a green chip out of your pocket and put it on your stack. If you fall ten below wait to do this until you're at least 25 under. Some rooms don't care if your buyin goes a little over the max, but most places won't allow it (because there's usually an old man there that complains if they do).

5) Different people tip different ways. At a 1/2 table you tip a dollar if you win a pot that has had at least some decent postflop action. So say if the pot you win is less than 40 bucks you don't really have to tip. If its between 40 and 300 tip a dollar. If it's over 300 you can tip two to five dollars depending on how happy you are to have won it. Many players will also tip more if they got lucky (you have QQ vs AA but hit a lucky Q) or if they like the dealer (they're fast, friendly, let you take a mistake back before, etc). Some regs, even the Americans, don't tip, but until you're familiar with tipping culture in the US don't go that route. If you have a big cashout you can also tip the lady that gives you money for your chips if you want, I usually tip if I ask for a seat change button, or ask the floor for something unusual. Tip 20% to the guy who brings you food if you have food brought to the table (common in some rooms), if you get a drink give the waitress a dollar tip for it no matter what it is (even a bottle of water) and if you order drinks for other people it's a dollar per drink not a dollar per order. If the waitress comes and you don't have a dollar chip (they take chips of course and it's okay to take money off your stack to pay them for food or drinks that are not comped, it's an exception to the "no taking money off" rule) just ask a neighbor for one and pay him back when you get one.

6) Just leave your chips there and go. If the blinds go past you while you're gone there'll be a little button sitting there when you get back meaning you missed your blinds and you'll then be given the option to pay 3 dollars (it goes in the middle as dead money) or wait until the blinds come back to you. If you're going a short ways away from the table (say to smoke) and you think you'll be back quickly but are worried the dealer will think you won't say "deal me in" and he'll put a hand down where your chips are even though you aren't there -- of course it's a bit rude to do this if you don't plan to actually be there to play the hand.

7) If you don't want to play any more just say "deal me out" or "I'm out." Then you just pick up your chips and go to the cage. If there isn't a rack around (the plastic tray used to carry chips) maybe you stand up and say "deal me out" and then go find one and come back to pick up your chips. If you say deal me out and get cards (dealers go on autopilot sometimes) just fold the hand when it's your turn. If you won and you have say 356 bucks it's normal to toss the the spare dollar or two as a tip to the dealer (to make it 355 so you only have red chips).

Three other things new live players should know:

A) If the blinds are coming and you only have 5 dollar chips just put one out. You don't have to say anything, the dealer knows what you mean and will give you change when he's sorted out his other dealing business.

B) Throwing a single chip into the pot is just a call. If someone bets eight dollars and you want to raise to 25 and just throw one green chip out that's a call, not a raise, even if you have eight dollars exactly in your other hand. If you're obviously new sometimes the dealer will ask what you meant to do and let you fix it but usually they don't let you fix it because it opens up a chance of someone else complaining. If you want to raise you either say the raise amount before putting any chips in (so say "25" then toss in the one green chip) or toss in multiple chips (if you're worried your voice will crack you can toss in one green for 25 and one white for 1 at the same time and the bet is then 26 dollars without you saying anything, multiple chips make it not just a call). Along the same lines try to make your bets and raises in one motion. Set up the bet amount behind the line on the table near your chips in a little pile, then pick up the whole pile at once and put it in (or push it if it's a lot). If you don't say anything, put 50 dollars in, then reach back and try to get the other 50 to make it 100 they won't let you (unless you said "100" before you put any chips in).

C) It's way easier for other people to see your cards than you think. Look on Youtube for some advice about how to look at your cards (search for "how to check hole cards" -- I strongly prefer holding them horizontally in my left hand and peeking at the front right corner while cupping my right hand over the lifted corner, not on the felt, over the corner). On the flip side of this, if someone next to you keeps letting you see their cards (usually it's an old man who has trouble seeing, or a drunk, or both) it's polite to tell them "I saw your cards" if you can do so without causing them problems for that hand (so usually you see them, you fold because you have a bad hand, then after they are done playing that hand you tell them -- if you both end up in the hand together you have to make a judgement call as to when/if to tell them that you saw their hand). It's their job to protect them yes, but it's bad manners to keep looking at their cards all night and if another player sees you doing that they might say something not very nice about it. Additionally, either hold your cards in your hand until you don't want them any more or put a chip on top of them -- dealers are trying to go fast and will sometimes scrape unprotected cards into the muck on accident or because they thought you didn't want to play them.

Note that all of these color assumptions do not necessarily apply in Germany (see the chips in my avatar) or even in California, where the colors are also often different. Pretty much the standard in other places, though, is that 1s are white, 5s are red, 25s are green, and 100s black.

he said he's coming to Vegas

Yeah, I was just mentioning that for when he gets back home.