Hey people, I just turned 21 and am planning on playing some cash games in casinos. Only problem is I am a nub and don't know what to expect. Was hoping you kind people here at FCP could give me some quick answers to the questions I have.

1. Do most casinos play No Limit Holdem cash games or is it all limit holdem?

2. If NL cash games are common inside of most casinos, what level do most people play at? $2-4, $5-10?

3. When your in a cash game you only tip the dealer if you win a pot, right?

4. I know when you enter a poker room you ask the person in charge to reserve a seat for you, but what happens after that? They take you to your seat, then what? Do they ask you how many chips you want in each denomination or do they just give you some random amount for what you bought in for.

5. Who do you actually give your money to? The person who seats you or the dealer?

6. Do you have to sign in to the poker room or anything like that? Do you have to sign out?

7. How do you cash out?

There's a lot of NL now. Not so much a few years ago.
Lots of 1-2 or 1-3. Bigger games, too. It obviously depends on the casino.

That's pretty typical, yeah.
This all varies a lot between casinos. There's generally a "cage" where you can go buy chips. Sometimes they'll run chips for you at your seat, too. Just ask, "Where do I buy chips?" It's not a stupid question.

To get comps you do. Otherwise not.

Very helpful. Thank you.

At the casinos I've been to, there is usually some kind of information desk looking thing where the floor men are keeping track of open seats and games. There is usually a "board" of some kind to tell you what games are running at the moment and if there are any seats available.

Just talk to the floorman to see what games are going and if there are open seats in the game you want, and if not get on the waiting list. These boards are usually TV screens but I've also seen dry-erase boards.

And generally there is a cashier specific to the poker-room where you buy chips. A tip-buy your chips after the floorman gives you a seat, otherwise you'll have to carry around a rack until you do get a seat.

Good Luck

I've went to Turningstone (an 18+ casino) so my answers will be based off of that.

1. I'd say that 90% of it was NL, 10% being limit, omaha, and one table of stud. Of the 90% that was NL, 80% was $1-$2.

2. Most of them sit in the 1-2 games. At Turningstone, they have two different $1-$2 games. One with a $50-100 buy-in, and one with a $100-200 buy-in. I think the 50-100 buy in was more popular.

3. Tipping is not mandatory. But I would strongly advise that you do tip them a dollar or two when you win. These guys only make $3.75 or something like that an hour from the casino, so they basically live off of tips. Of course, you COULD tip when you're not even in a pot lol...you'll become very popular with all the dealers if you do that haha.

4.AT turningstone the poker room manager told me where the table was that a seat had opened up at and i had to walk there by myself. Within the same poker room, there was a chip cage. Before I sat down, I went to the chip cage first to get my chips. The people at the cage will sometimes ask you what game you're playing. Like if you told them that you were there to play limit hold em, they'll usually give you all your money in $1 chips. If you told them you were playing No limit, they'll give you a couple of $1's for the blinds, the rest in $5.

5. I only gave my money to the poeple at the chip cage. However, the dealer at my table had a chip rack in front of him. After someone got stacked at my table, they would toss the dealer a $100 bill and the dealer would cut out chips from that chip rack and allow the player to rebuy right there and then. Of course, i think you would be allowed to sit at a table with no chips from the cage and just buy chips from the dealer.

6. I never had to sign in or out. But those bastards made me pay $3 for a "Poker Room Membership Card" that expires after a day in order to play at the casino.

7. Cash out at the chip cage.

Good luck.

I hear good things about the 1-2 NL at the Borgata on weekend nights, try and hit that spot if you want.

I've went to Turningstone (an 18+ casino) so my answers will be based off of that.

1. I'd say that 90% of it was NL, 10% being limit, omaha, and one table of stud. Of the 90% that was NL, 80% was $1-$2.

2. Most of them sit in the 1-2 games. At Turningstone, they have two different $1-$2 games. One with a $50-100 buy-in, and one with a $100-200 buy-in. I think the 50-100 buy in was more popular.

3. Tipping is not mandatory. But I would strongly advise that you do tip them a dollar or two when you win. These guys only make $3.75 or something like that an hour from the casino, so they basically live off of tips. Of course, you COULD tip when you're not even in a pot lol...you'll become very popular with all the dealers if you do that haha.

4.AT turningstone the poker room manager told me where the table was that a seat had opened up at and i had to walk there by myself. Within the same poker room, there was a chip cage. Before I sat down, I went to the chip cage first to get my chips. The people at the cage will sometimes ask you what game you're playing. Like if you told them that you were there to play limit hold em, they'll usually give you all your money in $1 chips. If you told them you were playing No limit, they'll give you a couple of $1's for the blinds, the rest in $5.

5. I only gave my money to the poeple at the chip cage. However, the dealer at my table had a chip rack in front of him. After someone got stacked at my table, they would toss the dealer a $100 bill and the dealer would cut out chips from that chip rack and allow the player to rebuy right there and then. Of course, i think you would be allowed to sit at a table with no chips from the cage and just buy chips from the dealer.

6. I never had to sign in or out. But those bastards made me pay $3 for a "Poker Room Membership Card" that expires after a day in order to play at the casino.

7. Cash out at the chip cage.

Good luck.

I hear good things about the 1-2 NL at the Borgata on weekend nights, try and hit that spot if you want.

What about the 'rake'. I don't fully understand that concept either. If you win a pot you have to pay money for the rake and to tip the dealer? Example: You win a 10 dollar pot in a $1-2 NLHE game. What do you give the dealer?

And what about SnG's? Do those happen around the clock within most casinos?

ps. Thank you all for the info so far; helpin me a lot.

The dealer takes the rake out of each pot himself. You don't worry about that. Except for the fact that it kills your profits in most low limit games.

The tip, on the other hand, is entirely up to you. It's generally standard to tip $1 or so for each pot, but I don't tip on small pots (ie steal the blinds, or just pick up a small pot with a c-bet), and I don't tip if the dealer is a douchebag/moron/sucksatlife, and so on.

Don't feel pressured to do it as a default. Imo, for any tipping, it should be done only when service has been acceptable.

It may seem a little intimidating at first there is nothing complicated at all about getting into a game. When you get there just look for the information desk type thing, tell them what game you want to play. There may be a waiting list. Once your name is called they'll tell you what table to go to.

Don't worry about where you get your chips, when you get to your seat just put your money on the table and the dealer will yell for a chip runner. Also when you're ready to leave there should be a cashiers cage in the poker room so you can cash out. The mistake I made the first time I went to a casino was not asking for a chip rack when I went to cash out. I just tried to carry them all in my hands wich was pretty awkward. lol

When I'm playing 1-2 NL I usually dont tip for very small pots, and $1 for a medium pot and $2 for a large pot.

Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just focus on poker and exploiting the donks.