Hey fellow poker players,

I'm still fairly new to poker and have never played at the casino yet so I have a couple questions I'd love to know the answers to before I look like an idiot at the casino. My questions will be listed below:

When you want to play a cash game, how would I go about playing? Do I simply go up to a table like blackjack and hand the dealer some cash in exchange for chips?

What are the lowest valued tables? Can you play a $20 table?

If there is such thing as a $20 table for scared noobies like me, how many chips would I get since $20 worth of chips is practically nothing.

I know some people may roll their eyes when I ask these questions, but I just want to be prepared when I decide to hit up the casino. If anyone is kind enough to help me out, it'd be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to Live Poker!

Stickied at the top of this forum is a FAQ thread (linked below). In there is a subsection called "I'm new to Live Casino poker. What can I expect and what customs should I observe?" and contains links to several threads that are useful for newcomers to the game. You might want to start by reading those.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2...-03-a-1431857/

every casino is different but if you're referring to no limit none i know have 20 dollar buy in games

in some the minimum for 1/2 nl is 40-60 dollars
a 2/4 limit game may have a 20 dollar min

unlike blackjack where you can walk up to any table and just sit down in poker you have to check in with the floor to be seated
if there is a wait list for the game you want they can put you on the list

as far as buying chips you can always buy them at the cage
if you're just waiting for a game you should do this

if you get seated right away most places let you buy in right away
some directly from the dealer
some from a chip runner
some places allow the money to play right away, some won't let the money play until the chip runner has it

some places like borgata the first guy in has to be at the window, although a lot of dealers wont enforce that rule

dont worry about looking stupid. we were all newbies at first.
the first time i ever went to a casino was to play blackjack. i tried to buy chips from the cashier and they looked at me like an idiot. then i tried to hand the blackjack dealer the money rather than leaving it on the table.

Good responses so far. I'd just like to add that if you hit the arrow next to "search this forum," then "advanced ssearch" and then enter the phrase "first time" and choose "search tiles only" you'll get even more good threads on the subject.

Where do you live, OP? Someone might be able to give you more specific info about games in your local area.

No, go to the desk and tell the brush or whoever is working what game you'd like to play and they will either put you on a waiting list or tell you what table to go to. Then ask them where to get your chips once they've assigned you to a table.


Lowest valued tables are going to be 2/4 or 3/6 limit hold em or if you want to play no limit, it will be 1/2 no limit tables. The minimum amount you can sit with at a limit hold em table is almost always 10x the lower limit. So $20 for 2/4. For no limit it could be as low as $40 minimum or some places have a $100 minimum.

No matter what game you decide to play, $20 or $40 is not going to be hardly anything. Even if you play 2/4 limit hold em, I would say to start with at least 50-60 and don't expect that to last very long if you don't win a hand early on. Remember you don't have to bet that much, but you'll want that much to get you through for awhile. A player can probably expect to put $15 on average into one hand at a 2/4 game with the potential of putting $50 plus in some cases (I'm guessing here as I don't spread these games at my place, but should be close). I would guess most people sit down at a 2/4 limit game with 60-100. Again, I don't spread it so I could be off.

You gotta start somewhere, so welcome to live poker! Each room is different when it comes to what games they spread and what the min and max buy-in is. Don't be afraid to ask the floorperson all your questions. If he's good he'll give you a run-down of your options and how to go about getting a seat. Sometimes you walk in and get a seat right away, other times you put your name on a list and wait. Some places you can buy from the table, some you have to buy at the cage. Remember that no question is dumb, although be careful because at the table the other players will smell blood in the water with a noob. I would advise watching some before playing because that should help you understand the process of how the button, blinds and action move around the table. Also don't bring more than you can afford to lose. Lessons can get very expensive.

The Big Easy Casino, near Ft Lauderdale, Fl, spreads 1-2 limit and 2-2 limit. Buy-in is $20.