gibsonlp33stl said:
Anything I should know about the live game before goign? Etiquette?
Should know:
Well, first of all, be prepared for a huge slowdown in the hands per hour you'll see. Online, you can get maybe 100 hands/hr per table and play 5 tables at once (500 hands/hr). Live, you'll be lucky to get 30 hands/hr for NL (40 hands/hr for LHE). If you're prone to boredom, you'll find yourself playing far too many hands just because you hate sitting around.
The rake, also, will seem absurdly high. Standard rake is 10% capped at $4, which means for 1/2 or 1/3 NL you're often playing with a 10% rake. Don't despair, though, because players are so bad live, your BB/100 will be incredible. The $/hr you make will more or less even out.
Obviously, that you can see your opponents is a huge advantage, and that they can see you is a huge disadvantage. Practice cold, methodological play: look at your hole cards, count to X, put them down, then act. Memorize your cards well - looking at them again when the flop comes out is a huge tell.
You'll need more unambiguity in your signals. If you're checking, I recommend both patting the felt and verbally declaring "check." It's not easy to see everyone at the table and it's also not easy to hear everyone at the table. Watch out for string bets, and push your chips into the betting circle in one motion. Declare "raise $X", or "raise to $X" verbally so there's no confusion - alternatively, just declare "raise" and let the dealer announce how much it is.
Protect your cards. If you're in a hand, put a chip on top of your cards. This will prevent the dealer from accidentally scooping it up. Also, even if criticized for doing so, hang on to your winning hand until pushed the pot. Mucked winning hands cannot be retrieved.
If you get mad, take a break. If you want to make a case, make it calmly and politely to the dealer, or ask the floor to come over. The floor's decision is generally final. I strongly suggest never commenting on anyone's play, no matter how much of a retard they are. If anything, you want to encourage bad play, not correct it.
Etiquette:
- When betting or raising, stack your chips such that the amount is obvious: $1's, $5's and $100's should be stacked in groups of 5 or 10, $25's in groups of 4.
- Call time if you need some time to think.
- Call clock if you think someone's taking too long to think. Calling clock on someone is a semi-hostile act, so use it sparingly.
- While it is required for the last person who took offensive action (bet/raise) to show cards at showdown, it is polite for anyone who believes they have the winning hand to immediately turn their cards over. Failure to do so is called "slowrolling" and is impolite (and warnable in some rooms).
- Profanity is prohibited, and warnable.
- Stack your chips in an organized manner, especially when you have a large mountain of them.
Stacks of 20-30 are generally standard, and most places will force you to have all your chips visible (i.e. no hiding high-denomination chips behind a wall of $1's).
- Tip the dealer when you win a pot, unless you're just stealing the blinds or it's an otherwise very small pot. $1 per pot is standard for average pots, $2 per pot is standard for large pots.
- Tip the waitstaff if they bring you food or drinks, even if the food and drinks are complimentary. $1 per drink is standard, and I've never eaten at the table.
Procedural:
- When you arrive, you'll need to sign up with the brush, and potentially wait for a seat if one isn't available.
- Tables are referred to by number, which are generally printed on a placard somewhere close to the dealer.
- Seats are referred to by number, with seat 1 being on the dealer's left, going around to seat 10 on the dealer's right.
- Some places make you buy chips before sitting down, others will send a chip runner out to you. If you're waiting for chips you can generally post a blind and play, and the dealer will keep track of how much you owe.
