The majority of the poker players find it more convincing and are more at ease while playing poker online rather than playing it live. Find out how to play live poker before start playing the game all of a sudden. However, having said that, at some point in time it is worth giving a try.
The first and foremost objective that the poker player must bear in mind is that he should confide from the other players on the table that it is his inaugural appearance in a live poker table. Lest if the susceptibility of the poker player gets identified then things could go horribly against him during the course of play. It is a bit too much too expect that one’s first outing is going to be a stroll in the park. But with proper preparation, one can certainly have a decent outing in his first live poker game.
Below are a few tips following which can make one feel comfortable and confident:
- Post your blind: Once one’s seat is booked in the table and the action is ready to unfold there remain two options. First one is to get involved right away by posting the equivalent to a big blind or one can play the waiting game by letting the big blind come to him. The latter is probably the best way to go about for the debutant player as it presents him with the opportunity to get accustomed to the table and have a feel of what is going around.
- Act when it’s your turn: There is hardly anything worse in the poker table than throwing one’s chips in and getting yelled at during his first game for it wasn’t his turn. Not only that it is quite embarrassing but it also gives away information that would change the result of a hand. The dealer would be always looking at the respective player when it is his turn to act. So it is very important to be watching where the action is. By doing so, one can not only know when it is his turn but also save him from moments of severe embarrassment.
- Protect your cards: It must be always ensured that the cards remain well protected.
- Always announce your action: It is extremely vital to announce or call one’s action.
- Place bets clearly in front of you: Since it is immensely crucial for one’s opponents to be able to view the amount of chips in the pot and the amount one has bet, bets needs to be placed clearly and in front of the line.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions: The job of the dealer of the casino is to look after that everything is alright and address any problems or issue that may arise. So if one has missed any action or is not altogether aware of all the options the best and the most judicious thing to do is to ask the dealer then and there. This especially applies for those players who are making their debut in live poker games.
- When you win a pot wait for the dealer to push your chips to you: It does not look good or rather is not at all a good etiquette to go grabbing in the fit of excitement.
- Tip the dealer: If one has won a big jackpot or even a decent sumptuous amount it is a very good etiquette to tip the dealer. Of course there are no obligations for that but one can certainly entertain thoughts of doing so and can look around other players in order to get an idea of how much to tip.
- Don’t use your mobile phones at the table: It is anyway not permitted in many tables and neither does it go down as a good etiquette.
10. Don’t be afraid to leave the table at any time: A player can leave the table anytime he wishes to other than when in the middle of a hand. If anyone is reluctant to stay in the game he can leave it immediately. If one feels uncomfortable or sees that things are not going his way, he can stop whenever he wishes to. One can also take a break, take some time off, chill out, recharge himself and then again get back to the game once again. His hand would be mucked in his absence.
