What to expect

If you’ve never played poker in a casino – or a cardroom, even, it might be a bit daunting. Maybe you’ve got a lot of online experience under yourbelt but are a bit anxious to look like a complete beginner when you walk in.

Here’s what to expect:

Tables, players at tables, dealers (unless it’s a cardroom), waitresses, and at least a host, if not a manager or two. Cardrooms, at least in Washington, have the players deal. Casinos don’t. Don’t expect to see what you see on the World Series of Poker. In fact, if you watch that show and think that’s what you’ll get when you go in a “brick and mortar casino”, don’t even go.

When you do walk into the poker room, there will be a board. This is where the room keeps track of who is waiting to play which tables. The host will ask you what game you want to play (including limits), and if there’s a seat available will take you there, and if not, will put your name or initials on the board. If you are on the board when a seat is available they will call you and direct you to your seat.

Once you sit down the dealer will call “chips” and a chiprunner will come and change you to chips. Many casinos have a rule that nothing large than a card may be on the table, meaning that the chip racks aren’t allowed on the table – others allow the racks, others simply have no rule. Just look around and see how the other players have their chips stacked (in racks or not?) and do as the poker players do.

Always keep your cards concealed. Again, this isn’t tv. Peek at them, and cover them with a chip when you aren’t playing. Many casinos have a rule that if the dealer thinks you’ve folded, you’ve folded, sorry, no getting that back. The chip is a standard “I’m in the game” symbol. Also – if your cards touch the ‘muck pile’, you’ve folded. Another reason not to move them around.

Some casinos also run something called a “kill game.” In a kill game, if someone wins two pots in a row, the blinds double. If you were playing $2/$4, the kill game will be $4/$8. It won’t come up that often, and it won’t be in eery casino, but if it does happen, it can be a problem. If the same player wins again, it is killed again. $8/$16.