Learn Texas Holdem

Entering into a casino or a cardroom for the first time is more than a little intimidating. Knowing what to expect can take away some of the anxiety and hopefully will let you make that first transition into playing live texas hold'em go more smoothly. First of all what can you expect to see? You'll see many poker tables with players seated, chip runners, waitresses, and the management dressed in suits that will welcome you in. Most card rooms aren't very quiet and I would say they are more on the lines of a circus then a library. Most people are middle age or older and at the limits you'll learn at, they will be there to have fun.

How do you sit down and play? When you enter the card room near the front you will see what is called the "board". This is what they use to keep names of who is waiting to sit down at tables. The person will ask you what games you would like to play. If they have a seat available you can go right over, if not they will ask you for your name or initials to place on the board. When you seat is open, they will call your name at which time you should go to where they direct you and sit down.

Sitting down at your first poker table

So now you are at your texas holdem table at the limit you felt comfortable starting at. The dealer will usually call "chips". A chip runner will come over and ask you how much you would like. Usually this is the way things are done but sometimes you can go to the cashier and get your chips before hand. The dealer will ask you if you want to come in now, or come in behind. Coming in behind means coming behind the button. There is debate as to whether you should just join the game or come in behind. If I don't have to post right then (meaning put up a big blind), then I usually just come in. Some people like to come in behind the button just because they don't have to pay the blind quite as fast. I really doubt three hands makes that much of a difference though. It's up to you.

Now the chip runner will bring you back your chips. Depending on the card room, it may or may not be legal to have the chip rack on the poker table. Sometimes this will void a jackpot if you hit it. I would look around the table at other players and see how they have their chips. If people have racks on the table and you like racking your chips then keep it that way. Otherwise remove them from the rack, place your chips in a way that you find attractive and then put the rack under your seat for later.

For advice on what limit to start out with and how much to bring when you are learning, click here.

Joining the action

So now you are seated, with your chips and ready to dive into some texas holdem. The dealer will deal the cards face down to everyone and then the "action" begins. Notice how everyone at the table keeps their cards concealed. You won't see anyone picking up their cards off the table and looking at them like you see on TV. Instead you will see people covering them with one hand and then peeking under with the other. There is a rule in most casinos called "protect your hand at all time". The meaning of this rule is that if you aren't touching or giving the dealer some sign that you don't want to fold and he does fold your hand, you can't do anything about it. Also when the cards you have touch the muck pile (the discarded cards), no matter what happens you have to fold. So my advice is to just get in the habit of putting a chip on your cards after you look at them. Some people have a silver dollar or other small item to place on. As far as that item goes, the rule is that you can't have anything larger then a card on the table.

Let's say you did the unthinkable and won a pot, it is customary to tip the dealer. Depending on the amount of the pot and the limit you'll tip differently. Most people just tip one dollar per pot one. It isn't uncommon to see more tipped when the pot is very large. You can tip whatever you feel fair. One thing to also note here is that while you may be inclined to tip one dealer a lot for a hand, that doesn't mean that they get all that tip. Some cardrooms pool the tips and split them equally. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you often tip more then a dollar per hand then it really adds up. If you win 10 pots and tip two dollars, that's 20 at the end of the day.

Don't die in the kill game

Another thing you may run into when you play in casinos is the "kill game". A kill game is when someone wins two hands in a row, then the betting doubles for the next hand and continues until they lose. So for example you are playing a little $2/4 texas hold'em game with a kill and you win two pots in a row... The dealer will announce that it is a kill game. You will be forced to post $4. The next hand will be played exactly like regular holdem except this is now $4/8 and regardless of where you are before the flop, you'll be the last person to act (even after the dealer button and blinds). If you win the game again, then it is killed again. It continues to be killed until you lose. If you are knew to the kill game, just mention that to the dealer. They will be more then happy to explain it to you while you play.

In closing I'll mention a few more things that you'll want to avoid to be a welcomed player at the new cardroom. Some of these things will get you kicked out even. The first thing is cursing at other people. Everyone gets annoyed when someone beats them in an idiotic way but keep your cool. There are many reasons not to lose your top, but you'll find that an even temperament is essential to progressing up through the levels. The next thing to definitely avoid is yelling at or saying anything offensive to the dealers. They are their for your service but you will get booted if you step way out of line. Using cell phones at the table is usually banned so don't bring them in. The last thing to avoid is slowing down the game. You can do that by eating or reading, or even just chatting too much. If you are reminded more then once by the dealer that it is your turn then you need to pay attention a bit more. This isn't something you would get kicked out for but it is common courtesy to not slow things down.

That concludes "what to expect when entering a texas hold'em cardroom for the first time". Playing hold'em live, winning pots, stacking chips and getting that incomparable feeling of holding an unbeatable hand is more than worth the stress of entering the unknown. I hope this has been something that will ease that anxiety.

Happy hold'em!