Nervous Going to the casino for the first time

Aceupmysleeve

Aceupmysleeve

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So I've been playing online non stop for about 9 months. About 25k hands experience and pretty successful and am going to the casino for the first time tonight to try it live. Really nervous, I know it's a lot different than staring at a computer screen. Any tips anyone could give me for my first time playing live hold em? Thanks!
 
teepack

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Take your time. Be patient. The cards will come. Are you playing cash games or a tourney?
 
CAMurray

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Make sure your dressed comfortably. Wear something loose fitting. Something that will not only make you comfortable and hide your tells but make everybody around you comfortable as well.

:bath:
 

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Aceupmysleeve

Aceupmysleeve

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I'm going to start with a cash game 20 buy in. Baby steps.
 
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ShoTyme

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Once you play a few hands you'll realize you're not over your head. Just play your game and you'll be fine. Be patient. The game will be very slow.
 
smallfrie

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Don't put your fingers in your mouth after touching those nasty chips. :)
 
Aceupmysleeve

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Haha I was told to say away from the 3 6 tables
 
S3mper

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I was really nervous the first time I played live too. My hands shook a little and was worried I'd do something dumb.
After 30 minutes of folding you get comfortable and it's not really a big deal.
 
MAdesG

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Yes I know how it is ,I feel like that when I went for first time ,its like a new world of poker , it is so different than play at the computer but after you can play with any problems and you can win like at the computer
 
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ShoTyme

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Don't put your fingers in your mouth after touching those nasty chips. :)

Seriously. This is great advice. It always grosses me out watching people play and eat at the same time. So nasty!! You're basically ingesting fecal matter.
 
kbuinowski

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good luck

So I've been playing online non stop for about 9 months. About 25k hands experience and pretty successful and am going to the casino for the first time tonight to try it live. Really nervous, I know it's a lot different than staring at a computer screen. Any tips anyone could give me for my first time playing live hold em? Thanks!

take your time and I wish you the best of luck.
 
BigJamo

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I'm going to start with a cash game 20 buy in. Baby steps.

Best thing you could do is baby steps.
Dont let the Casino, bright light scenario show once you sit down at the table.
Maybe just walk around the place first, checking out the scenery as such.

Im sure once you get over that part of it, you will be relaxed and enjoy yourself.
 
Aceupmysleeve

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After 2 hours in a 200 buy in I made 350. Not bad for my first run. Lol
 
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ph_il

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If you're playing NL, most casinos have 200NL as their lowest limit. So, $20-if they even allow you to buy in for that-is only 10BBs. What do you expect you're going to do with 10BBs? You're folding most hands and losing chips as blinds go by, you lose fold equity when you shove as your stack shortens, and you can't 3bet anyone of the pot with 20BBs.

If you want to experience live poker, here's my advice:

-Bring enough money that allows you to sit down at the table and see a lot of hands without being forced to play. The usual standard sit down is 100xBB or $200 for 200NL. However, if you don't want to sit with that much, sitting with half is fine. 50BBs is more than enough for a beginning experience. It allows you to see multiple hands and you can still be very selective of how your play. Even if you're extremely card dead and you're folding every hand and only pay the blinds, you'll still see between 12-17 button rotations depending on whether or not you complete the SB. At a full table, that's ~110-150 hands scene. And at an average of 30 hands/hour, that's ~3.5-5 hours of experience time.

-Have fun. Don't worry if you lose your buy-in the first time. You'll probably make mistakes playing, but that's fine. Just like anything else, experience will make you better. Enjoy yourself, chat it up, laugh, get to know who's at the table because as you frequent that casino, you'll recognize who the regulars are.
 
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ph_il

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After 2 hours in a 200 buy in I made 350. Not bad for my first run. Lol
LOL. As soon as I make my post I see this.

How was your experience?
How much did you buy-in for?
Why only 2 hours?
 
Aceupmysleeve

Aceupmysleeve

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LOL. As soon as I make my post I see this.

How was your experience?
How much did you buy-in for?
Why only 2 hours?

I was extremely nervous the whole time. Had to do the whole hoodie thing covering my mouth and neck. It seemed like half the table knew each other and the players weren't that good except one who was a massive shark with a chip stack of about 3k. So I folded most hands and only played pocket 9's or better. AK AQ AJ A10 KQ QJ and very rarely lower suited connectors. The minimum buy in was 200 so that's what I bought in for. Blinds posted for 5 and 3. Most everyone had that stack or lower at the table expect the shark. Played only for 2 hours because it was new years eve and my girlfriend wanted me to spend the count down with her. Lol
 
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ph_il

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I was extremely nervous the whole time. Had to do the whole hoodie thing covering my mouth and neck. It seemed like half the table knew each other and the players weren't that good except one who was a massive shark with a chip stack of about 3k. So I folded most hands and only played pocket 9's or better. AK AQ AJ A10 KQ QJ and very rarely lower suited connectors. The minimum buy in was 200 so that's what I bought in for. Blinds posted for 5 and 3. Most everyone had that stack or lower at the table expect the shark. Played only for 2 hours because it was new years eve and my girlfriend wanted me to spend the count down with her. Lol
Ah, NYE. Forgot about that when replying. Does your casino offer $1-$2 blinds?

Your nerves should ease up a lot the more you play. Even if you're nervous, try being social. I find that a lot of players at the table will enjoy your company more if you're open, talkative, chatty, etc instead of being an oh-so-serious player. Like you noticed, a lot of players aren't good and just want to have a good time. You can still play a solid TAG strategy, but have the appearance of someone who there to have a fun with the table.
 
detroitjunkie

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definitely wash your hands often - players are gross people, and the chips and cards carry their grossness. I know a lot of players who will wear gloves, I should do it too but dont.

Never play live outside what your bankroll suggests. The most common tell live players pick up is fear, and the most common fear is playing outside your limits. Scared money is the most easily won.

If you are really nervous try beta-blockers, natural or in pill form. They will lower your heart rate and make you seem calmer than you really are, which is the important part of it. Who cares if your nervous, just dont let others know it.

Two hours is not a bad session for first time. Get your feet wet, figure out the pace.
With this take something to keep your mind occupied, being an online player you will often get bored live because it is way way slower and you can only play one hand, one game, at a time. Bring an App device or a book to read if you get bored easily...because bored players play way too loose...and most live games are action packed where loosemess only helps the gambler types who have a bunch of buy ins in their pocket and dont care about money anyways - tight is right especially to a live novice.

Good luck in the future - where are you playing? What state what casino?
 
detroitjunkie

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Make sure your dressed comfortably. Wear something loose fitting. Something that will not only make you comfortable and hide your tells but make everybody around you comfortable as well.

:bath:

Yuck - making others comfortable only helps them, why would you ever want to do that? If you can be most comfortable and make the others nauseated and pissed off then do that!
 
CAMurray

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Yuck - making others comfortable only helps them, why would you ever want to do that? If you can be most comfortable and make the others nauseated and pissed off then do that!

Google: "Facetious"
 
teepack

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Here's one thing I learned from the first time I played live. I was very nervous and my hands were shaking slightly, so whenever I decided to play a hand, I would announce my bet, stack my chips and then push them into the pot instead of picking them up and dropping them in. Pushing them in helps hide your shaking hands.
 
Aceupmysleeve

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definitely wash your hands often - players are gross people, and the chips and cards carry their grossness. I know a lot of players who will wear gloves, I should do it too but dont.

Never play live outside what your bankroll suggests. The most common tell live players pick up is fear, and the most common fear is playing outside your limits. Scared money is the most easily won.

If you are really nervous try beta-blockers, natural or in pill form. They will lower your heart rate and make you seem calmer than you really are, which is the important part of it. Who cares if your nervous, just dont let others know it.

Two hours is not a bad session for first time. Get your feet wet, figure out the pace.
With this take something to keep your mind occupied, being an online player you will often get bored live because it is way way slower and you can only play one hand, one game, at a time. Bring an app device or a book to read if you get bored easily...because bored players play way too loose...and most live games are action packed where loosemess only helps the gambler types who have a bunch of buy ins in their pocket and dont care about money anyways - tight is right especially to a live novice.

Good luck in the future - where are you playing? What state what casino?

I live in northern California. And a casino called feather falls. Also there's a card room here in Chico I'd like to check out but have been too nervous too. I know there are regulars there like all card rooms and I'm a struggling college student so my bank roll isn't that much.
 
DavidUAH

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I have never been in a casino, but I would be nervous when If I ever go but it also would be a exciting experience
 
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Lexxx

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Be pacient! The blinds increase slower than online. Just take ur time and try to get ur opponents reactions. Good luck!!!
 
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freestocks

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Awesome. Sounds like a good experience.
 
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