Poker Room Play
by Bill Burton
Poker Room Play
continues
to increase
in popularity as
players search for live games.
Poker
Room play is quite different from playing in a
home game. There are certain procedures and rules you will need to
understand
before you sit down to play. You can learn at
How to
Play Poker program.
In a casino, you don't just walk up to a table and sit down.
Before you begin your play, you must sign in at the
desk. You tell
the host
what game you are interested in playing.
If there is an opening at the poker
room, you
are seated
immediately.
If the table is
full, they will take your initials and call you when there is an
opening. Some poker rooms have a large board where they will write
your name or
initials
or they
will write your name on a list.
Either way you will be
called when it is your
turn.
When your name is called, the host will show you
to your table. In some poker rooms, the host will ask you how much you
would
like to
buy in for and get you your chips when you are seated.
At
other casinos, you
will purchase the chips from the dealer when you sit down. You are
allowed to
bring chips from other games.
All games have a minimum
buy-in which for most
low limit games is usually around $30.
Table
Stakes
In casino poker, you play for table stakes. This
means that
you play with the chips that you have on the table. You’re not allowed
to go
into your pocket for more money in the middle of a hand. If you run out
of
chips, you announce that you are All IN and you will only be eligible
for the
money in that pot up to that point.
Any additional bets made
by others will be put
in a side pot. You will not be eligible for this pot even if you have
the best
hand.
Once in the game you want to observe proper poker room table etiquette
and be careful not to make any of the common beginner mistakes.
Here
are a few
of the common mistakes made by new players when they sit down to play
casino
poker for the first time.
1)
Betting
Out
of Turn
You must wait until the player to your right
acts. If you
bet out of turn this could give an unfair advantage to a player that
did not
act yet. If you raise out of turn a player that might had called could
fold. Or
if you fold out of turn, you are giving an advantage to the player on
your left
who now knows you won’t raise.
2)
Making a
String Bet
If you are going to raise you should announce
“raise” when
it is your turn. If you don’t announce a raise, you must put the bet
and the
raise in at the same time. If you put in the bet and then go back to
your stack
for the raise, you can be called for a “string bet” which is not
allowed and
your raise will not be honored.
3) Not
knowing
what the bet is
You have to know what the bet is when it is your
turn. You
must pay attention to amount of the bet made by the first active
player. Then
you must be aware if the bet was raised.
4)
Folding
instead of checking
Sometimes if the player does not like the next
card dealt he
will immediately fold when it is his turn. If you are first to act, you
can
check. If everyone else checks, you get to see the next card for free.
The same
is true if everyone checks before it is your turn, you should also
check
instead of folding your cards. The free card may just make your hand.
5)
Throwing
chips into the pot
Place your bet in front of you. This way the
dealer sees
that your bet is correct. He will scoop them into the pot. You don’t
throw them
into the pot like you would at home.
6) Not
protecting your cards
It is up to the players to protect their cards
at all times.
Place your hands or a chip on top of your cards. If another player’s
cards mix
with yours when they throw in their cards your hand will be declared
dead. You
will see some players bring a special weight or "Lucky Charm" to
place over their pocket cards. It doesn't matter what you use as long
as it is
not so large as to interfere with the play of the game
7)
Throwing a
winning hand into the muck. (Discards)
The cards speak for themselves. Don’t
immediately throw in
your cards if someone calls out a better hand. The dealer will declare
the
winner of the hand. Sometimes you may have a better hand than you
thought you had.
There is also the possibility that the player calling his winning hand
has
misread his own hand. Let the dealer declare the winner before mucking
(throwing way) your hand
8)
Losing
control of your emotions
Keep your emotions in check. The table is not
the place for
foul language of temper tantrums. It will not be tolerated. Besides it
makes
you look foolish. Veteran players as well as newcomers make this
mistake. It is
one that should not be made by anyone!
9)
Playing
Too
Many Hands
Many players crave the action. They feel that if
they are
not involved in the hand they aren’t really playing the game.
Successful
players play fewer hands. It takes patience and discipline to wait
until you
have a proper starting hand.
If you can practice these
traits, you will be on
your way to becoming a winning player in any poker room.
10)
Playing
Too
Long
Playing winning poker takes concentration. You
must be aware
of the game and people around you. If you play too long, you may get
tired or
even bored.
This can cause you to make mistakes or play
marginal hands. If you
start to get tired, leave the game.
Poker
Pro follows Poker Room Play
OR
How to Play
Poker 1 Program
OR
Learn
Poker Games 2 with 7 Game Types
Gambling
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