First live tournament tomorrow. Basic stuff?

Well I've played live before but never at an actual casino, just locally where we did have dealers but I don't think really knew the full rules.

What are the basic stuff that you are expected to do without prompting from the dealer?

Am I allowed to look at opponents cards if they muck?
How do I know whether to muck or not? Say if I have 2nd pair and call I might want to muck but I may be good so do I flip over straight away? What if they don't turn over straight away, should I?
If I want to know how many chips someone hass can I ask if I have no intention of answering if anyone asks me? Would I tell people this when I sit down that I won't answer any questions in a hand and they can feel free not to ansewr any of mine? If I don't want to say should I just ask the dealer to count their chips?
Do I have to announce every action?


Heres what I know:

Don't act out of turn.
Don't look at cards until it is your go (is this an actual rule?)
Don't have a dirty stack

I realise most of my questions sound pretty newbish but not really sure what I would do in scenarios listed.

See bold.

Look just try to be a nice guy at the table, and the rest will follow, remember its not the wsop. If someone asks for a count, give it. If you have to show, show. Dont be an ass and ask to see mucked hands, go there play decent poker, and be mates with everyone.

Remember, ppl perfer losing money to someone that they respect rather than somone that they hate.

Am I allowed to look at opponents cards if they muck?
NO, unless you want to get in a fight - you against the rest of the poker room.

How do I know whether to muck or not?
You act in turn - the person who initiated the bet/raise is the one obligated to show his cards once he has been called. So if you call, you can muck once you see the other guy has you beat. If you have him beat then show your cards and wait for the dealer to declare you the winner and push the chips your way. If you are the one who was called then you are obligated to show first (but if the other guy jumps you and you see he has you beat you can muck without showing).

If I want to know how many chips someone hass can I ask if I have no intention of answering if anyone asks me?
YES - go ahead and be a douche bag (see other thread)... OR you can ask the dealer how many and avoid looking like a DB. Also if you get asked, just present your chips to the dealer to take care of it.

Would I tell people this when I sit down that I won't answer any questions in a hand and they can feel free not to ansewr any of mine?
NO - this is understood and they just won't care. The dealer will handle the rest. Plus you pull that with me at the table and I'll go out of my way to chat you up. Understand that if you go and try to be Joe Cool Hardass there are 8 or 9 other guys at the table with way more experience and these usually nice guys can easily play hardball, tag team your ass and make what should an enjoyable experience for you a living hell. You can treat it like business and still be a nice guy. You don't have to answer their questions while in a hand and they all know that but there are those who will test your mettle on it too. Don't you watch poker on TV? I remember a hand with Gus Hansen stonewalling Daniel Negreanu. Daniel of course loves to talk and he kept talking to Gus for about 2 or 3 minutes before calling the all in. Let your play to the talking.

If I don't want to say should I just ask the dealer to count their chips?
Go through the dealer on all of this to avoid any tilt inducing (keeping it business and not personal).

Do I have to announce every action?
I assume you mean verbally. The answer is NO. But you better know protocol. Many will say you should announce just so your actions are clear (you can screw yourself by not announcing) but it is not required. Say two chips stick together and you didn't announce your $100 raise and the chip stuck to the $100 chips is a $500. If you did not declare you are not going to get that $500 chip back unless you win the hand. Ask the dealer how they do it there - verbal binding or action binding.

Don't look at cards until it is your go (is this an actual rule?)
NO this is not a rule it is a strategy. If you don't know why then it doesn't matter. Plus there are varying opinions on when you should look at your cards. One thing is for sure, when you are looking at your cards you are not looking at your opponents.

Just relax - be friendly with the dealers and they will help you through it. Dealers are there to keep the game moving so they have no problem letting you know when and what to do. They have no expectations of you acting on anything without their prompting. So TIP THE DEALERS

One more thing...If you are in a tournament and you have the nuts, then you have to bet if the guy before you has checked . You don't want anybody to accuse you of collusion

OK thanks.

What I meant by "If I don't want to say should I just ask the dealer to count their chips?" was if I don't want to say how many chips I have should I just ask the dealer to count their chips rather then ask them if I didn't want to answer? but you answered that in the next part of your post.

Another question:

If I call someone and they muck instantly do i have to show my cards to take the pot? Once their cards hit the much they are dead so would the pot be awarded to me without me even needing to show?

Can't believe I can't even look at peoples hands. Whenever I've played before we've always just flipped them up if it goes to showdown (at a local pub with clueless delaers mind).

Another two questions as well:

Can I use a chip as a card protector?

Can I say what I have in a hand whilst I'm thinking of calling or is that classed as an angleshoot/bad etiquette?

So if I want to know how many chips someone has I can ask the dealer for a count of their chips and then it won't be bad etiquette if I don't respond if someone asks me?

I'll just watch the others early on and ee if the general thing is verbally binding or action binding.

XXX

XXX

Oh and on this flipping cards over (and this may be where the misapplication is coming from at your pub) -

When there is an all in AND betting action is over-all hole cards of players in the hand are required to be shown.
Again, the dealer will say "flip em over".
But here is where it could get screwed up. Flop comes and three or more people are in the hand. You are the short stack and go all in. DO NOT FLIP YOUR CARDS OVER. There are still two or more other players who have more chips to bet. Betting action is not over and it may not be over until after the hand is completed.

A comment on looking at your cards - the general rule is not to look at them, but to concentrate on the reaction of other players as they look at your cards. Most players follow this strategy. However, some older pros will look at one or both very quickly as they are dealt, while trying to watch the other players. They will do this especially if one or more players are slow or clumsy looking at their cards. The idea is that by the time it gets around to your turn in the standard rotation look look at your cards you already know what you have and thus anyone who is not watching you intently will miss part or all of your reaction.

The point of this is not to give any tells to the people playing before you about how good a hand you have.

Ok cheers MediaBLITZ. Is there no excpetion where it would be acceptable to ask them to show then? Online has made me develop every bad habit possible I think lol

I thought it mgiht be a rule about looking at your cards as if I look straight away then just look like I'm not interested in this hand then it could affect other players actions.

Also whats the rules about music? I've seen pros at tables with headphones but do most casinos allow this?

Casinos do not require it so that you have exact counts on everyone's chips so that you can make surgically precise betsizing decisions. Your chips must be visible and in behind your cards and with large denominations in front or on top, not hidden.

Beyond that, everything is pretty much based on etiquette, not hard and fast rules.

If someone asks for a count, tell them what you have. You should always keep a rough idea in your head of how many chips each person has in no-limit/pot-limit games. You can say something like, "about 30,000."

Do not ask for counts every time you need to make a bet or a call unless it's an all-in, unless they have some elaborate chip pyramid like some people do in the WSOP. Most people will stack their chips in rows of 20 in cash games; in tournaments, most people just stack them evenly so you can easily count.

Do not muck out of order in multiway pots. If someone bets and you call and they make a declaration "2 pair" or "I got a boat," you should hold onto your cards until they show. But if they flip immediately and you are beat, then either muck right away or pound the table or say "good hand," to indicate you lost, otherwise they will think you are about to slowroll them.

It's always safer to just flip your cards at showdown (even Phil Ivey can misread his hand) but some people don't because they want to reveal as little information as possible.

and if you win, tip the dealers.

Ok thanks.

It's a tournament so do I still tip the dealers if I won or go deep?

yes

oh and you're allowed to look at your cards whenever you want but a lot of people don't because A. you should be looking at the other players looking at their hands and B. you might give off some tell. Personally think this is EXTREMELY overrated but w/e.

Don't ask to see cards that are mucked.

In many tournaments there is an 'add-on' before the start. It's generally a small add-on that gives you a few more chips and it is generally designated as a dealer 'tip' if you elect to participate in the add-on. Rather poor judgement NOT to take the pre-game add-on, imo. You start at a chip disadvantage if you don't.

Even if you buy the pre-game dealer add-on, it is STILL recommended to tip the dealer if you cash.

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Generally, prior to the tournament starting, most casinos will always go over some specific rules regarding their tournaments. Make sure you listen closely. Many casinos have different rules concerning cash and tournament rules, and some casinos even have different rules for cash games and tournaments in the same card room.

Pay specific attention to chip rules as these are generally the ones that will mess a new player up. To be safe, only cross the "betting line" with chips you intend to bet. Many casinos do not allow you to cross line, then "cut off" chips, so you will be forced to bet all chips in your hand.

I have found for new players that it is easier to just always state your betting intentions verbally prior to even touching your chips so that your verbal actions are binding and no mistakes you make in chip handling will effect your play.

Good Luck

Especially then.

XXX

I would recommend not having headphones for your first live tournament. Live players willingly give up a lot of information for free if you simply engage them in friendly banter.

A lot of casinos have a "no cellphone at table" rule.

xxx

Right cheers for all the advice, no headphones or mobile phone then.

So do I tip the dealers if I go out 1st hand? If I won (£1K) what would be the standard tip? if I come second (£600) what would the tip be?

Another three question. If I want to raise do I put my chips to call in first then put in how many I want to raise?

How do you lay your chips out when I put some in. If say I needed to call 5 chips and wanted to raise 14. Would I announce raise, put the 5 in then put the 14 in stacks of three with one stack of two to make it easy to count? Could putting them in in stacks like this be misconstrued as a string-bet?

It was said earlier the the peron who bet in the final round of betting flips over their cards. What if we check/check flop turn and river? Would we both just flip 'em?

just enjoy the experience, screwing up is how you learn right?

To win a hand in tournament poker you must show your cards. So yes, you still must reveal.

Yes

If there is action yet to come then you may not reveal anything. It has to do with the rule that says you can't use/say anything which may change the action.

If you are last to act, with no action ahead of you, then you may show to get a read.

CAUTION: This specific move should be cleared with the dealer the first time as some casinos don't allow any showing.

Actually, the reason for waiting, is to look at other players as they see their cards, for tells. Your cards aren't going anywhere. Use the time constructively. One particular trick for finding a novice used to be if they look right away. I'm finding that even good players do it nowadays.

No.. that could be construed as a string call.

Now... if you announce raise, then you may do it how you like.

I usually announce raise, then put in the call so the dealer can do his/her housework, then I put out the raise.

You may also sit quietly counting up your call and raise, and then put it all out. AT ONCE. Never make two moves with your bet or the first move will count only. Unless it's not enough, in which case the dealer will make you put the propper amount in.

Announce first and your safe. You don't have to announce the amount. Just the intention. Also, if you announce raise, you must raise.

Again, other than a showdown in which everybody flips... To win a hand, you gotta show your hand.


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Only if it goes to showdown. Say if you bet the flop and everyone else folds you do not have to show (nor should you).

Ask the floor manager what is customary.
As someone mentioned earlier there could be a pre-tourney add-on. Like the last one I had was an HPT event and the dealer sells you another 1000 in chips for $10 (an offer difficult to refuse). That $10 goes into a kitty and is split amongst the dealers.

Some folks I play with go to the cashier before the tourney starts and buy a bunch of chips to use as tips during the course of the tourney. Use them when the dealer hooks you up with a really good hand or when you take down a good pot. 10 - £1 chips should do it.

Unless this is a weird practice in some other country, idunno... here in the USA, where poker was invented, we don't tip in tournaments.

I have absolutely never been in a tournament where anybody tips the dealer throughout the game.

This is a live game practice only.

The tournament chips don't even have any value. If you try to tip, everyone will laugh at you, and the dealer will return it to you. With a smile on her face.


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Where do you play? How many different casinos have you played more than one tournament at? Obviously my experience is limited to just a few states but I've played multiple times at each location. To say you don't tip is one thing but to say it just isn't done is another.

http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/po...f-your-dealers
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news...naments-part-i

I must be in a different country then, because I always tip. But at the end of the game, not during, you're right about not tipping during the tournament. If you cash, there's usually some paperwork, and the tournament director will often ask if you would like to leave something for dealers.

A few clubs in Vegas and petty much all the clubs in LA.

I've lost count on the total. Well over a hundred.

Never, ever seen someone tip the dealer in a tournament.


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