First time playing live poker on strip

I will be in Vegas first week of April and want to play poker, but I've only played online.
Where's the best place for first timers to play limit on the strip or even downtown?

 

The best place to play is whereever I am.

Wait... you'll be gone before I get there....

I would avoid downtown as there are only two rooms there (the Golden Nugget and Binions), and Binions is four tables by the sportsbook.

On the Strip, you'd probably do pretty well at the Flamingo as they spread limit games regularly. Other casinos to hit for a low limit game would be places like the Excalibur or the Luxor.

The "better" card rooms on the Strip are at Aria, Bellagio, Encore and the Venetian. Less experienced players shouldn't even consider those places.

 

Thanks for info! I'm staying at Luxor so I think I'll go and if it a try one day in the morning.

Thanks again!

 

Yeah, generally the better the poker room and/or better the casino, then the players are usually better too.

Excalibur is a pretty good place to start and they usually offer poker room lessons in the morning where they don't really teach you how to play poker, but how to play in a casino. When the lessons are over they make the table live so that you and the other new players can play for real money.

A good way to break the ice with the other players is to just say right upfront that you've never played in a poker room before. Most will be happy to help and make sure you are doing things like posting blinds, not making any mistakes, not string betting, etc.


Otherwise, some advice might be:

Be Helpful!
At the end of a hand tell the losing player how they should have played their hand, or how you would have played it differently.

Everybody loves playful ribbing!
If you give a bad beat to another player diffuse the situation at the end with a little ribbing, like: "Ah well, maybe the worst hand, but at least the best man won in the end, eh?"

Be suspenseful!
If you have a great hand that beats theirs or are holding the nuts, take your time in turning over your cards and make them wait to see your good fortune!

You won! Celebrate!
When you win a big pot its time to celebrate! Make sure everybody at the table knows who the money is going to!


Actually, thats probably bad advice and you should do the exact opposite of these things - be polite, be courteous, don't talk about a hand in progress, be humble/quiet when you win, declare your actions - don't leave the table guessing what you are doing/trying to do with some mystery chip action or waving your cards around.

 

Auggie - Some hilarious advice for a live game noob, there!

AbFab - The common mistakes that I see being made by people transitioning from online to live are:

Bet Sizing - The only way to know how much is in the pot is to pay attention to all the betting. There's no convenient running total to refer to. I've even seen someone ask the dealer how much was in the pot. Nope.
Follow the action - As above, the only way to know how the action has progressed is to pay attention. There's no replay, HUD, or other technological convenience. It's you, your eyes, your ears, and your memory.
String betting - Dropping chips into the pot in more than one motion. Only the first one (or the minimum permitted bet) will count.
The silent oversize chip - When the bet to you is $10 and you throw out a $25 chip. That's a call, unless you declare raise or a specific amount to bet.
Tells - Remember everyone can see you and how you react. Work on that neutral expression.
Missing the point - Yeah, sure, you will run into people who regard poker as their occupation and take it very seriously. But in Vegas. most of the people round the table want to have fun. Participating and engaging with your table mates is, in the longer term +EV. Don't get so caught up in the process that you forget to enjoy it.

Have fun
Bri

 

Don't do like they do in western movies; "I call that bet....and raise you $__"
Verbal commands take precedent over actions. When you say "I call" that's the end of that action for you.
Like bribhoy said above, if you just throw that $25 chip out there without saying anything, that's your bet. But if you verbalize and say, "call" as you throw it out, the dealer will throw back your $15 change.

 

I remember my first time. I was so nervous, sitting there in my underwear...

Oh wait, that was my first time playing strip poker live.

 

I'm voting for Flamingo. They usually/always have a 2/4 Limit game going and it's pretty easy to get into a game early in the day without much of a wait. Just explain to the person at the front counter that you're new at it and ask for some guidance. At the table be very chill and observant for a few hands to get a read of the table. Don't be afraid to toss your hole cards in if they're not that great. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Play at your level of comfort. Don't overbet your hand at the beginning. See how the other folks are playing first, and adjust your game accordingly. It'll be fun.

 

I've heard Treasure Island now deals 3/6 limit.

 

You would be better off hitting the 2/4 limit game at flamingo or the excalibur.. lots of newer players and both rooms are relaxed and chatty compared to the rooms pros frequent....i like going to either for low stress and good times

Golden Nugget downtown also runs a relaxed 3/6 limit game with great drink service and friendly dealers

 

That was funny. That sounds like advice on how to get your ass kicked in a casino.

 

I agree, the 2 places I play. Just keep in mind that the max rake is higher at Flamingo and you get 2$ per hour at the Excal instead of 1$ at Flamingo.

Also the Excalibur has this nice "Spin the wheel" promotion where you win between 20$ and 300$ after you hit a high hand (only one hole card needed) or your aces get cracked.

And the Excalibur does NOT have a 2/4 limit game. They provide a 2-6 spread game (which I like much more).

Both rooms are very beginners friendly, by the way. The dealers are very forgiving against a newbie.

 

No one has mentioned tournaments, I prefer to let newbies get their feet wet in a cheap tournament before moving on to cash games. Most of the rooms mentioned have NLH tournament buy-ins for $40-$60. Good place to get past first time jitters, etiquette, etc.

Look for the amount of starting chips, blind intervals, rebuys, etc. that you prefer. A good source of information is pokeratlas.com which has a listing of all poker room cash games, tournaments, promotions, etc. to choose from.

Enjoy and good luck!

 

I second a tournament. A $50 tourney can provide you with entertainment for (hopefully) a few hours while you get used to the live environment. And if you play tight/aggressive, the tournament could be profitable. For limit, it's becoming harder to find, and I certainly wouldn't put any stock into the capabilities of the average 1-3 no limit player that is in most of the Vegas rooms. As someone else said, the $2-4 limit at the Flamingo is very relaxed. Just remember the pace will seem glacially slow compared to online, especially if you were multi-tabling.

In either case, whether it's low limit tourney or limit, I'd keep in mind that many of the players' actions won't make sense, whether it's because they're drunk or inexperienced. So try to play the best you can, and make solid moves, but know that during any single session anything can happen. While this makes it beatable in the long run (not the tourneys with high entry/fee ratio), it can make you crazy! I know this holds true for online, but I think playing in Vegas makes some people gamble more and make odd plays.

 

Thank for the advice everyone. I think I will do what someone mentioned about excalibur giving first time table lessons.

 

I miss the old O'Shea's 50c/$1 limit game. Excellent place for newbie's to get their feet wet, it was right next to the strip and you could play for hours on $50 and get plastered on the drink service.

 

If you are a beginner or play low limits, which would describe me, Ballys has a 1/2 NLH table that does have too much competition.