Casino Guide - how to play poker and avoid upsetting fellow players

It is a big step to go from playing poker online or with a few friends to playing if for the first time live at a casino. It can be a very daunting experience even for the more confident amongst us, and this short guide should help ensure that you do it without causing yourself embarrassment or upsetting other players.

It is assumed that you fully understand the rules of the game, that you have a reasonable head for poker playing strategies, and that you are knowledgeable regarding poker position and how this affects the manner in which you play. If this is not the case, then we advise that you should avoid the casino until you have rectified this situation.

The first thing to remember when playing poker live at the casino is that it is not the movies. In how many movies have you heard a player say menacingly, ‘I call your thousand and … (prolonged pause) … raise you another four thousand'? In real life you can't do that; you can call or raise, not both.

Another thing that happens at the movies is the gambler who casually throws his chips into the pot untidily so they get mixed up with other players' chips. It may look cool in the movies but it is very un-cool at the casino. It even has a name; splashing the pot. When placing a bet it is important to be very precise with regard to what you are doing; carefully place your bet in front of your cards.

One way to really upset other players is to pass comments regarding the hand that is currently being played. This is extremely bad etiquette and is very much frowned upon by accomplished players as it can impart information unfairly.

Never fold out of turn as this gives away information and is against the rules of poker. It also clearly demonstrates that you are in control of neither yourself nor your game.

These are just some of the basic ways not to conduct yourself at the poker table; we will look at some others in a future article.

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